- Danceability (Groovy-ness)
- Originality
- Intensity
- Catchiness
- Ensemble
Big Gigantic is an appropriately-named band. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t classify an electronic act as a “band,” since it’s usually one DJ, maybe more. Big Gigantic, on the other hand, is an aptly named explosion of sound at the nimble hands of Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken. Lalli, the subject of one of my college supplements, is the DJ of the group, who handles most of the programming and sampling. However, the discerning factor that separates Big Gigantic from the masses of electronic acts is Lalli’s use of his favorite instrument, the Tenor Saxophone. Lalli studied Jazz as an undergraduate and as a graduate student at the Manhattan School of Music, and while planting his roots in the the Jazz scene of New York, he started playing experimental live techno sets with his roommate, Salken (who is a talented drummer as well) and friends of the pair who were experimenting as DJs. Lalli began working on programming and production on his own, until he had created a unique blend of live drumming, electronic beats and bass, and his trusty saxophone delivering the wailing melody that gives Big Gigantic its flavor. This was in 2008.
Just three years later, Big Gigantic has exploded on the electronic scene, earning more than their namesake in magnanimity. I had the pleasure to see them perform live at Gathering of The Vibes this past summer as the late-night set on Saturday night, and I can attest that they were far and away the best performance of the weekend. That show marked the first time that I found Wiz Khalifa listenable (thanks to Lalli’s skills as a remix artist, Black & Yellow became the grooviest thing I’d heard in a long time. Kudos). Big Gigantic sold out a New Years eve show in Chicago to end 2011, and just a few weeks later released their newest album: Nocturnal.
I downloaded the album eleven minutes after it came out at midnight, and the boys at Big Gigantic were courteous to give it to me for free. You can download it here http://www.biggigantic.net/ but I’m not sure how long that the free download will be available, so get it while it’s hot!
And holy shit, it’s hot.
Big Gigantic Live
Big Gigantic, like I said before, is appropriately named. They have a massive sound that must be heard live to fully appreciate. My friends at Vibes could literally hear the show more than a mile up the road in the campgrounds. If you aren’t lucky enough to get to see them live though, Nocturnal is a great second option. The beats are groovy, danceable, and most important, the sax cuts through the mix like the Swift Sword of Justice at the Second Coming of His Kingdom.
Nocturnal kicks off with The Uprising, a synth-and drum oriented beginning track that grabs the listeners attention right away. It builds up the groove and shifts into high gear at 1:03, the illustrious “Drop” that has worked its way into a slew of modern electronic music. However, instead of the gross, wobbling roughneck bass of a Skrillex track or what have you, Lalli’s version of a drop is more an “ascension,” in which his saxophone could be likened to a rocket blasting off into outer space.
Once the album is in the stratosphere, however, the real grooves begin. The eponymous track, Nocturnal, is my favorite track on the album, using a high-pitched vocal sample in tandem with a wobbling synth line (though not the infected-sounding wobbling sub bass that the House Scene has been flirting with in recent years), which works very well with Salken’s in-the-pocket blend of drums and electro-drums, performed live with the aid of a sample pad.
I give Nocturnal a 5 out of 5. This album is groovy, creative, intense, and catchy in the highest degree. It celebrates the teamwork between the sharp beats of Salken and whimsical musicianship of Lalli.
Stay groovy guys. If my essay about Lalli gets me into Colorado College, near where they’re based, I’ll be spending a lot more time around the Big Gigantic Boys.
