Big Data - 2.0

Big Data
2.0
2015
Big Data - 2.0

You wouldn't think it was true but dark dance music and pop can find a home together, and Big Data proves it. 2.0 is the debut from the bearded producer Big Data and He brings in a lot of big guns from the Indie scene to provide the vocals including Joywave, Rivers Cuomo and Twin Shadow just to name a few. The music on it's own could come across as a dark and brooding take on the dance genre but the influx of these voices adds a lightness and a playful attitude. The ginle you have probably heard is "Dangerous" with Joywave singing. The song is basically one long bassline over and over getting super deep into a groove that is absolutely infectious. The production on the album is really second to none. Each tone is perfectly placed and brings the exact vibe that Big Data is looking for on each particular track. Every ounce of space is not filled at once instead Big Data lets the song build and grow until it reaches it's apex and it is time to move on to the next. In the hands of a weaker producer a lot of the catchiness of 2.0 would be exploited to the detriment of the song, He never lets that happen.

What is actually below the surface of this record however is the concept that Big Data tackled here. He wanted to create a musical world where everything Edward Snowden exposed about the government's spying went to the furthest extent, even to the dance floor. What would that mean for music? What would it sound like? That is what Big Data is looking to explore with this album. The record definitely looses a bit of steam in the later songs. "Automatic" seems to be signal this shift because after that track everything becomes a bit generic and any sense of the concept disappears. The one bright moment in this section is Dragonette's awesome vocal on "Get Some Freedom", but the lyrics are almost cringe worthy. In the end 2.0 is a pretty solid example of what dark dance pop can be especially in the hands of someone as talented at production as Big Data is. This record is not the best of the best, but it does have good singles that are worth a listen.

7 out of 10