Ulterior Motive
30s preview
- Key
- 9A · E minor
- BPM
- 173
- Half-time
- 87
- Open Key
- 2m
- Energy
- 99/100
- Pop
- 15/100
- Length
- 6:11
- Released
- 2003
- Album
- Spiral / Ulterior Motive
- Genre
- Drum N Bass
- Loudness
- -9.3 dB
- Dynamics
- 18.0 dB
- ISRC
- GBKQU2439921
Key, BPM and audio features: model-based audio analysis · how we measure · catalogue updated July 2026
A drum n bass cut, Ulterior Motive sits in E minor (9A) at 173 BPM. It reads as bright and euphoric. The mix is almost entirely instrumental. The master keeps unusual dynamic range for club music (crest 18 dB). A 2003 production that still circulates in sets. Brighter than 99% of Pendulum's catalogue. For programming, treat it as an opener or closing-set piece.
- Energy:
- hotter than 94% of Pendulum's catalogue
- Low end:
- more treble-tilted than 90% of Pendulum's catalogue
- Groove:
- groovier than 77% of Pendulum's catalogue
Sonic profile
Frequency spectrum
amplitude · bass → treble
- 29%
- Low
- 30-130 Hz
- 26%
- Low-mid
- 130-570 Hz
- 23%
- Upper-mid
- 570 Hz-2.5 kHz
- 21%
- High
- 2.5-11 kHz
FAQ
What key is Ulterior Motive in?
Ulterior Motive by Pendulum is in E minor, or 9A on the Camelot wheel.
What BPM is Ulterior Motive?
Ulterior Motive runs at 173 BPM.
What mixes well with Ulterior Motive?
From 9A it blends harmonically with 10A, 9B, 8A. Moving to 10A lifts the energy a step.
Is Ulterior Motive good for peak time?
With energy 99 out of 100 at 173 BPM, it works best as an opener or closing-set piece.
Mixes harmonically
9A → 8A · 10A · 9BFrom 9A, 10A (B minor) lifts the energy a step; 9B (G major) brightens to the relative major; 8A (A minor) cools the energy down a step.
How to mix it
In 9A at 173 BPM: 10A (B minor) — move to 10A to push the floor harder; 9B (G major) — switch to 9B for a mood change without losing the groove; 8A (A minor) — drop to 8A to bring the room down gently.
Pitch range at ±6%: 163-183 BPM — anything in that window beatmatches without sounding stretched.
Key on the fader: without key lock (Master Tempo on CDJs), above roughly +5% it plays a semitone higher, so treat it as 4A rather than 9A; below -5% it reads as 2A. With key lock on, it stays 9A across the whole range.
Programming: an opener or closing-set piece.
Similar tempo
Within ±3 BPM of 173 — beatmatch without a big tempo pull.
More drum n bass
More from Pendulum
Full profile
Other recommendations
Beyond strict key and genre matches: tracks that still sit in beatmatch range of 173 BPM with a compatible energy and groove — candidates for a key jump or a genre crossover.
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