Great album, but see them live if you can
5
By christopher.ryan1024
The albums are good, but the live staff is unreal. Up until a week ago I had only heard recordings of Big Gigantic, which I absolutely loved, but the recordings can not even compare to how good they are live.
For those of you who don’t know Big Gigantic, they are a two person group that uses electronic sampling and heavily synthesized and distorted keyboard, saxophone, and other instruments. While the use of the instruments is integral to the overall sound of the songs, one could easily listen to certain tracks (that are less distorted) and believe that they were made entirely by computer.
Before I talk about the concert, I would like to talk about the recordings to give some context. Wide Awake is a very good album, and depending on the context in which one listens to it, it can be very fun to listen to. It is an album best enjoyed socially, as is the rest of Big Gigantic’s music. This is because the songs all have a very persuading rhythm and interesting melodies, but when put on in the background while you are typing on your computer or doing something else that requires your attention, everything begins to blend together, even one song in to the next. However, when you are with people, and you are free to move, the aforementioned persuasive rhythms and melodies get everybody moving. There is one thing about Big Gigantic’s music that is a downfall in their recordings but great in their live performance: the formulaic and predictable nature of their songs.
The problem with the formulaic nature of the songs is fairly evident in the recordings because when listened to consecutively it takes a keen ear and familiarity with the music for all of the songs not to blend together and get boring. This did not occur in their live show for a couple of reasons. One was that the music in the show was different than music on the album in many ways. There were songs that I had never heard before, and other songs that I recognized had significant improvisation throughout. But, although there was stuff I had never heard before, it was still formulaic in the same way that most of their songs are. They usually start with something basic, run it for a little, add a couple of layers of rhythm or melody, then dial it back a couple of layers, but then add even more than before, an undulation of force throughout the song. For the live listener this is great, because in the lower energy parts you anticipate the build up, want it, and when it comes its very gratifying. Another thing that made their concert great was that everything that played was very upbeat and forceful, whereas some of their recorded stuff, such as “Upswing” is softer, slower, and has a less compelling rhythm. Granted, their concert was at a fraternity, so they could have been changing their set to encourage dancing, but regardless it made a great environment and experience. In addition to musical differences, one thing that the concertgoer got to experience that set the concert apart from the recorded music was the visual aspects. First of all, the lighting was great, with lots of color changes and flashes that coincided with the melodies and breaks helped to involve the listener even more with the music. Also, it was very interesting to watch them make music live. Their songs have so many parts to them, and to see two guys build up the pieces with instruments and computers on the fly was fantastic.
All in all I would definitely recommend “Wide Awake,” but if you get the chance to see them in person, it is definitely worth it, as it is great music, great sights, and fun to dance to.
