Written By Angelo Gingerelli
Combining genres as diverse as EDM, Hip-Hop and live instrumentation (saxophone and drums) is a tall order and in lesser hands than Big Gigantic, this ambitious genre bending could have turned out horribly for everybody involved. However, Big Gigantic’s Dominic Lalli (Sax) and Jeremy Salken (drums) use Brighterfuture’s thirteen tracks to prove that these styles have more in common than most think and when done properly actually belong together like peanut butter and jelly.
The duo already have a huge following in the dance music world and plays to huge festival crowds all over the world, and while most of Brighterfuture will appeal to that audience there are several attempts to broaden their fanbase that work really well. Most of the songs include a vocalist of some kind, including talented singers like Jennifer Hartswick, Angela McCluskey and Natalie Cressman and rappers like Logic, Waka Flocka Flame and Pell. While some EDM/Vocalist collaborations sound forced and like obvious attempts at crossover appeal, the singers/MC’s on these tracks feel natural and fit the vibe perfectly. Waka Flocka and Logic, in particular sound comfortable on BG’s tracks, almost as if they ended up in the studio together after a night of partying and recorded the songs for fun and they came out really, really good.
Throughout Brighterfuture it sounds like Big Gigantic are having a ball as they produce the kind of fun and accessible dance music that rarely gets released these days. The songs simultaneously display virtuosic musicianship while remaining inviting to untrained ears not familiar with the genre. In a world where DJ’s are the new rockstars and beat drops are the new guitar solos Big Gigantic have made a name for themselves with inventive compositions, cool collaborations and an incredibly entertaining stage show, Brighterfuture proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that they deserve their devoted following in the electro world and may be poised to become household names very soon.
Best Songs: “All of Me,” “Highly Possible,” “Wide Open”
Perfect For: Dancing the night away
Rating 9 out of 10
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