Propane Nightmares
Encyclopedia
"Propane Nightmares" is the second single from Australia
n drum and bass
band Pendulum
's second album In Silico. It incorporates elements of the song "Million Miles from Home" by German
Happy Hardcore
band Dune
. It has received significant airplay on BBC Radio 1
, being played frequently by DJ Zane Lowe
.
The song was released exclusively for download
on 12 April 2008 in Australia and New Zealand
, where Pendulum were on tour at the time. It was later released globally for download on 21 April, and on physical formats on 28 April. The song reached number sixteen in the UK Singles Chart
on 27 April based on downloads alone, and on 4 May the song peaked at number nine. It was also the official theme song of WWE Cyber Sunday 2008
as well as being used as background music for the official video highlights of the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix
. It is also used as the runout song for Rotherham United football team.
. It was also named 38th in Q Magazine's Q50 of April 2008.
The track also received some criticism, mostly derived from Pendulum's migration from drum and bass to a more rock-imbued sound. In his review for AngryApe, Tim Johnson pointed out that "the problem... lies in Pendulum trying to cram too much into one space... almost like two or three different songs being played on top of one another". Simon Catling went further, writing an open letter
in the webzine God Is in the TV
to Pendulum asking them to "decide whether [they] wish to be a band or a drum n’ bass act" and commenting that "at the moment all [they're] providing us with is a horribly half-baked and shoddy form of neither".
On 22 July 2008, it was announced that "Propane Nightmares" had been nominated for Best Single at the Kerrang!
Awards 2008 ceremony, alongside singles from four other rock
bands. The ceremony was held on 21 August, and Pendulum lost to 30 Seconds to Mars
who took Best Single with their song "From Yesterday
".
A music video was also produced themed around a religious cult closely resembling Heaven's Gate
, in particular depicting the mass suicide of members of a cult by poison after first drinking citric juices. Several scenes of Pendulum performing before the cult are intercut in the middle of the video, which otherwise focuses primarily on two members who attempt to flee during the cult suicide
.
The video was originally uploaded to the band's YouTube
channel as early as 27 March 2008 to help promote the single. It was later released for download in May, most notably through the digital media delivery service Xbox Live
, which allowed all users to download the video freely. It was also included on the special edition and iTunes
bonus tracks versions of In Silico, the album from which the song was originally taken.
on 27 April 2008 at number sixteen based on downloads alone. After the release of physical formats during the following week, the song peaked at number nine on 4 May, becoming their first UK Top 10 single. It also entered the Billboard
European Hot 100 chart, peaking on 17 May at number 32 and remaining in the chart for a total of ten weeks. "Propane Nightmares" was also the band's first charting single in the United States, reaching number 38 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in December 2008. It was also featured on Now 70, the first of the band's songs to be featured in a Now! album.
, Bernd Burhoff, Oliver Froning
and Jens Oettrich.
12" vinyl single
(WEA445T; released 28 April 2008)
CD single
(WEA445CD; released 28 April 2008)
Digital EP
(iTunes Store
, 7digital
; released 18 April 2008)
Promo CD single
and Australian electropop group Van She
. The Celldweller remix is included in the soundtrack for MotorStorm: Arctic Edge
.
Chiptune
artists Inverse Phase and Kitsune² have released NES
cover versions of the song titled Propane NESmares and 2A03 Nightmares, respectively.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
band Pendulum
Pendulum (band)
Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
's second album In Silico. It incorporates elements of the song "Million Miles from Home" by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Happy Hardcore
Happy hardcore
Happy hardcore, also known as happycore, is a genre of music typified by a very fast tempo , often coupled with solo vocals and sentimental lyrics. Its characteristically 4/4 beat "happy" sound distinguishes it from most other forms of hardcore techno, which tend to be "darker". It is typically in...
band Dune
Dune (German band)
Dune is a German Rave/Happy Hardcore/Techno/progressive trance band, not to be confused with the Danish rock band, Dúné. The band took its name from the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert.- History :...
. It has received significant airplay on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, being played frequently by DJ Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
.
The song was released exclusively for download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 12 April 2008 in Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, where Pendulum were on tour at the time. It was later released globally for download on 21 April, and on physical formats on 28 April. The song reached number sixteen in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 27 April based on downloads alone, and on 4 May the song peaked at number nine. It was also the official theme song of WWE Cyber Sunday 2008
Cyber Sunday (2008)
Cyber Sunday was the fifth and final Cyber Sunday professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on October 26, 2008 at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. It featured wrestlers from the Raw, ECW, and SmackDown brands...
as well as being used as background music for the official video highlights of the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix
2008 Belgian Grand Prix
The 2008 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 7, 2008, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near the town of Spa, Belgium. It was the 13th race of the 2008 Formula One season...
. It is also used as the runout song for Rotherham United football team.
Critical reception
"Propane Nightmares" has received mixed reviews from music critics, mostly as a result of the change in style compared to older tracks produced by Pendulum. Some reviewers praised the new direction that the band had taken, for example Gerard McGarry wrote, in an article for Unreality Music, that Pendulum "have created an epic song that - for our money - fuses their penchant for dance and rock music beautifully". Jo-Ann Greene of Allmusic described the song as "another sizzling single" in her review of In Silico, while Fiona McGlynn wrote that "...Propane Nightmares is a fresh take on a merge of genres that actually works", in her single review for the Manchester Evening NewsManchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
. It was also named 38th in Q Magazine's Q50 of April 2008.
The track also received some criticism, mostly derived from Pendulum's migration from drum and bass to a more rock-imbued sound. In his review for AngryApe, Tim Johnson pointed out that "the problem... lies in Pendulum trying to cram too much into one space... almost like two or three different songs being played on top of one another". Simon Catling went further, writing an open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
in the webzine God Is in the TV
God Is in the TV Zine
God is in the TV Zine, or GIITTV, is an independent music and cultural webzine based in the UK. Launched in 2003 by Bill Cummings and Alex Worsnip, it now covers a wide range of music including unsigned, independent and major releases....
to Pendulum asking them to "decide whether [they] wish to be a band or a drum n’ bass act" and commenting that "at the moment all [they're] providing us with is a horribly half-baked and shoddy form of neither".
On 22 July 2008, it was announced that "Propane Nightmares" had been nominated for Best Single at the Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
Awards 2008 ceremony, alongside singles from four other rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
bands. The ceremony was held on 21 August, and Pendulum lost to 30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has consisted of actor Jared Leto , Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević...
who took Best Single with their song "From Yesterday
From Yesterday
"From Yesterday" is a song by American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, and the third single released from their second album A Beautiful Lie. The music video for the song is believed to be the first ever American music video shot in the People's Republic of China in its entirety...
".
Music video
Heaven's Gate (religious group)
Heaven's Gate was an American UFO religion based in San Diego, California, founded and led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles...
, in particular depicting the mass suicide of members of a cult by poison after first drinking citric juices. Several scenes of Pendulum performing before the cult are intercut in the middle of the video, which otherwise focuses primarily on two members who attempt to flee during the cult suicide
Cult suicide
A cult suicide is a term used to describe the mass suicide by the members of groups that have been considered cults. In some cases, all or nearly all members have committed suicide at the same time and place. Groups that have committed such mass suicides and that have been called cults include...
.
The video was originally uploaded to the band's YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel as early as 27 March 2008 to help promote the single. It was later released for download in May, most notably through the digital media delivery service Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
, which allowed all users to download the video freely. It was also included on the special edition and iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
bonus tracks versions of In Silico, the album from which the song was originally taken.
Chart performance
"Propane Nightmares" entered the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 27 April 2008 at number sixteen based on downloads alone. After the release of physical formats during the following week, the song peaked at number nine on 4 May, becoming their first UK Top 10 single. It also entered the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
European Hot 100 chart, peaking on 17 May at number 32 and remaining in the chart for a total of ten weeks. "Propane Nightmares" was also the band's first charting single in the United States, reaching number 38 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in December 2008. It was also featured on Now 70, the first of the band's songs to be featured in a Now! album.
| Charts (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
9 |
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... European Hot 100 |
32 |
| Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 38 |
Release history
| Region | Release Date | Format | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... single Single (music) In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear... |
none | |
| digital EP Extended play An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact... |
|||
| Worldwide | download single | ||
| digital EP | |||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
12" single 12-inch single The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality... |
WEA445T | |
| CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
WEA445CD |
Formats and track listings
These are the major formats and associated track listings of single releases of "Propane Nightmares", which was written by Rob SwireRob Swire
Rob Swire , is an Australian record producer, singer and keyboardist. Swire is best known as lead singer and producer of Australian electronic band Pendulum and is sometimes referred to by the stage name Anscenic...
, Bernd Burhoff, Oliver Froning
Oliver Froning
Oliver Froning was born on July 25, 1963 in Münster, Germany. He began his music career in 1984 under the name djraw. Together with Jens Oettrich, Bernd Burhoff he started the group Dune in 1992. The group performed from 1992 to 2000. Since 2004 Froning has been concentrating on his project...
and Jens Oettrich.
12" vinyl single
(WEA445T; released 28 April 2008)
- A. "Propane Nightmares" – 5:13
- B. "Propane Nightmares" (V.I.P. mix) – 5:22
CD single
(WEA445CD; released 28 April 2008)
- "Propane Nightmares" (radio edit) – 4:19
- "Propane Nightmares" (original version) – 5:13
Digital EP
(iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, 7digital
7digital
7digital is a privately held digital media delivery company based in the United Kingdom, offering downloadable music, video and movies to customers primarily within major European markets...
; released 18 April 2008)
- "Propane Nightmares" – 5:13
- "Propane Nightmares" (V.I.P. mix) – 5:22
- "Propane Nightmares" (VSTVan SheVan She is an electropop band formed in 2005 in Sydney, Australia, with Matt Van Schie on bass guitar/vocals, Tomek Archer on drums/sequencer, Michael Di Francesco on synth/guitar and Nicholas Routledge on vocals/guitar...
remix) – 4:48
Promo CD single
- "Propane Nightmares" (CelldwellerCelldwellerCelldweller is a Detroit, Michigan-based Electronic Rock project that was created by multi-instrumentalist Klayton, former frontman and songwriter of the bands Circle of Dust, Argyle Park, Angeldust . Celldweller's music is multi-faceted, often labeled electronic rock and more commonly being...
remix) – 5:36 - "Propane Nightmares" (VSTVan SheVan She is an electropop band formed in 2005 in Sydney, Australia, with Matt Van Schie on bass guitar/vocals, Tomek Archer on drums/sequencer, Michael Di Francesco on synth/guitar and Nicholas Routledge on vocals/guitar...
remix) – 4:48
Personnel
The following people contributed to "Propane Nightmares".- Rob SwireRob SwireRob Swire , is an Australian record producer, singer and keyboardist. Swire is best known as lead singer and producer of Australian electronic band Pendulum and is sometimes referred to by the stage name Anscenic...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, synthesiserSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Peredur ap GwyneddPeredur ap GwyneddPeredur Wyn ap Gwynedd is a Welsh guitarist. He was born and raised in South Wales and currently resides in London. His brother, Rheinallt ap Gwynedd, was the bassist for the band Apollo 440 and his sister, Llinor ap Gwynedd, is an actress....
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Paul KodishPaul KodishPaul Kodish is a professional drummer born and raised in Willesden, London. Kodish has performed with several other artists including hip hop act Whodini in 1986, and drum and bass group Bad Company. He was also one of two drummers for electronica band Apollo 440 between 1997 and 2005 and the...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Gareth McGrillen – bass, secondary vocals
- Andy Wood – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Andy Greenwood – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Craig Wild – trumpet
- Simon Askew – mixing
- John Davis – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Cover versions and Remixes
The song has been remixed by popular artist CelldwellerCelldweller
Celldweller is a Detroit, Michigan-based Electronic Rock project that was created by multi-instrumentalist Klayton, former frontman and songwriter of the bands Circle of Dust, Argyle Park, Angeldust . Celldweller's music is multi-faceted, often labeled electronic rock and more commonly being...
and Australian electropop group Van She
Van She
Van She is an electropop band formed in 2005 in Sydney, Australia, with Matt Van Schie on bass guitar/vocals, Tomek Archer on drums/sequencer, Michael Di Francesco on synth/guitar and Nicholas Routledge on vocals/guitar...
. The Celldweller remix is included in the soundtrack for MotorStorm: Arctic Edge
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge is the third entry in the MotorStorm series of video games, developed by Bigbig Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable...
.
Chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
artists Inverse Phase and Kitsune² have released NES
Nes
-Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway...
cover versions of the song titled Propane NESmares and 2A03 Nightmares, respectively.