This Is Hardcore

Following significant commercial success, Pulp recorded This Is Hardcore in 1998. The album abandons the upbeat anthems of the mid-nineties in favor of a cynical, cinematic exploration of voyeurism and the realities of aging.

Production on the album features lush, orchestral arrangements that create a sense of claustrophobia despite the grand scale of the music. The band consciously moves away from their previous reputation to provide a mature, atmospheric perspective on the nature of being famous.