Categories
Festival Coverage

Hopscotch Must-Sees: Big Black Delta

This is a personal artist spotlight on Big Black Delta by Walter-Ego for Hopscotch.

Like many others right now, I’m a little obsessed with the neo-80’s aesthetic. You can blame stylized Ryan Gosling movies or retro video games with thumping electro soundtracks, but there’s nothing quite like the sound of a cheesy John Carpenter synth. Luckily, Big Black Delta is in the Hopscotch lineup to scratch that itch.

Channeling the same kind of 80’s synthpop that Com Truise and Makup & Vanity Set do, Big Black Delta is the project of Mellowdrone frontman Jonathan Bates. Having worked with artists like M83, Bates isn’t afraid to make his own brand of space rock loud and violent. The samples and beats are bombastic enough to fill a cathedral of Robocops. The characteristics of his music translate perfectly into his vibrant live show, sporting multiple drummers and Bates’ own moves syncing with each dark pulsing thump. Look no further than the video for Side of the Road, as Bates’ dances across a cyber landscape and his band takes turns derezzing.

When Big Black Delta takes the stage of Memorial Auditorium on September 6th, it’s definitely going to be one of my highlights of an already excellent lineup.

Favorite Track: “Side of the Road” on Big Black Delta

Playing: Memorial Auditorium, September 6th, 10:00PM