Big Gigantic [Exclusive Interview]
Big Gigantic, whose blend of mind---bending beats, thunderous bass and frenetic melodies has developed a rabid following since forming in 2008, have quickly become one of the most celebrated acts in live music.The duo’s latest full-length album, 2014’s The Night Is Young—the fifth album by Boulder, CO-based saxophonist/producer Dominic Lalli and drummer Jeremy Salken— saw their sound hit another dimension with its eclectic mix of tracks spanning from electronic and dance to hip-hop and electro soul.In 2015, Big Gigantic released the singles “Get On Up,” which saw great success having been featured on the hit FOX TV series “So You Think You Can Dance?,” in a national Mountain Dew commercial and in the trailer for the Robert DeNiro/Zac Efron film Dirty Grandpa, and “Good Times Roll (with GRiZ),” which was showcased on ABC TV’s “Dancing With the Stars.” 2016 is off to a big start with the release of their new song, “The Little Things” featuring vocals from UK singer-songwriter Angela McCluskey.With a provocative sound that's as thoughtful as it is danceable, Big Gigantic weaves whirling melodies into addictive beats and samples that wouldn't sound out of place on a Kanye West or LCD Soundsystem single. No genre is off - limits for Big Gigantic, whose breakthrough sound channels everything from funk and dub - step to house and hip - hop.PS - After reading the interview, make sure you enter here for a chance to win a signed sax and view their set from the side stage at Backwoods Music Festival this year!1. If you could describe your music in one word, what would it be?- That is completely impossible Hahahaha. The only response I have for ya here is MUSIC! :)2. What music do YOU most identify with?- Artists, fans and the music itself.3. At the moment, what artists in the music industry have your attention?- Been checking out the latest Flume record and Katrynada record quite a bit.4. Should we be expecting new music from you at Backwoods?- Yes! Our new album may be out right around that time so we'll be playing a bunch of it for sure.5. How has your music changed over time, reflecting on the past few years?- It's changed in lots of ways. It's changed melodically and harmonically to become more mature I think. Our next record has a vocalist or a rapper on almost every track so that is definitely something we haven't done much of in the past. We're excited about the growth for sure.6. Where and how do you work? Are there places, locations, or environments you draw inspiration from more than others?- I work anywhere and everywhere but mostly at my home studio which is Colorado so lots of inspiration to draw from on the home front for sure. Also playing festivals with other acts u get to catch what other acts are up to which is super inspiring as well.7. If you could collaborate with one artist from the past who would it be, and why?- Miles Davis because he was such an innovator and ahead of his time8. Any upcoming news we should watch up for? Anything you want to spill the beans about?- Our new record is coming out end of August beginning of September, so be on the lookout for that!
Published by CES LLC. © 7/7/2016Check out Big Gigantic:Webpage: http://biggigantic.net/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigGiganticTwitter: https://twitter.com/BigGiganticInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/BigGigantic/SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/biggiganticYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BigGigantic
New Features at Backwoods Music Festival 2016
Backwoods Music Festival is returning this year with even more amazing features to enhance the attendee experience! The festival will feature four new bars including an interactive castle themed bar in the woods, easily accessible to campers. In addition get lost inside the largest hay maze you have ever seen (over 25,000 square feet). As you make your way to the center of the maze you will end your adventure at the bar for a drink! On top of this, there will be a beer garden where attendees can get their drink on and enjoy the sweet tunes on the beach with ultimate shading. It doesn't stop there; grab an ice cold drink at the end of your shopping endeavors from the beer garden on the !vending strip.
New Main Stage Design
Close your eyes and imagine walking through the woods and when you reach the top of a grassy hill the only thing you see is a massive castle in the middle of a quiet field. As you walk closer, dancing lights and music surround you. You look up to see the center eye of the stage through thousands of lasers and it draws you in with amazing graphics synced perfectly to the music. You just revisited Backwoods 2015. The above photograph shows the actual stage (top) vs. design rendering (bottom).
Stage Designer VJ Fader wants his audience to feel special and he is able to achieve that goal through visuals, lighting, and design. His 70’ tall and 140’ wide medieval castle design was one of the biggest stages the state of Oklahoma has ever seen and the impression it has left on its audience will not be forgotten. When you see images or video of that stage lit up, you know immediately that it’s Backwoods Music Festival.
What does VJ Fader and Backwoods have planned for 2016? Something new, refreshing, and unexpected. Here are a few facts about the Backwoods Music Festivals 2016 Motherland Main Stage:
- It will have a new theme
- It will be 60% longer than 2015 main stage
- It will be more interactive with the audience
- It will have a themed bar and characters
Don’t miss out on this epic design that will WOW the audience when they first lay eyes on the Motherland Main Stage! Buy your 2016 Backwoods Music Festival tickets now, just click here. Check out more about VJ Fader by watching the Backwoods Experience 2015.
Forever Young by Morgan Ganem
The 2016 Backwoods Music Festival Anthem, "Forever Young" by Morgan Ganem is the feel good song of the summer. The young Tulsa-based artist has been captivating audiences throughout the United States with his original electronic music and amazing energy on stage. He began entertaining at the young age of eight and became the front man of his own band at the age of eleven. Morgan's unique style and easy to work with attitude ultimately led him to making his debut at Backwoods Music Festival in 2014.
When asked to write the official anthem for Backwoods, Morgan pulled inspiration from his past experiences at the festival. Morgan talks about the song and how it captures the essence of Backwoods in his interview linked below as well as in the songs lyrics. "When I was a kid I wanted to be bigger, older, now that I am older, I want to be a kid again." People go to Backwoods to forget all of their troubles, to be a kid, that's what "Forever Young" is about. To check out the full interview with Morgan Ganem click here. To hear "Forever Young" the Official Anthem of the Backwoods Music Festival click here.
Trail to the Woods: Battle for Backwoods 2016
Backwoods Music Festival is hosting a touring series of events around the US in which bands and DJs are competing for a spot to play at Backwoods Music Festival 2016 alongside headliners: Nero, Big Gigantic, Moe, and more!
Applications are open and entries will be accepted through May 20th. A panel of judges will review the submissions and will be in contact with those selected to perform at each Trail to the Woods event. For a list of venues and events just click here. If you are interested in submitting an application click here.
Backwoods Music Festival 2016 Lineup
We're excited to announce the addition of Desert Dwellers, Space Jesus, and Esseks for a free Treehouse Party for all campers on Thursday Night to the already packed 2016 Backwoods Music Festival Lineup to join Nero (Live), Big Gigantic, moe., and Nahko and Medicine for the People! Additional national touring acts added include Autograf, Big Chocolate, Elephante, George Acosta, Pierce Fulton, Styles & Complete, Admirals, Alex Sin, CAPYAC, Dreamers Delight, Feverkin, Filibusta, Gibbz, Higher Learning, Kiid H4wk, Marcus Marr, Skydyed, SoDown, Vibesquad, Wick-it-The Instigator, Willdabeast, and Zoogma. Many other notable artists were added as support as well in the final two tiers of the announcement. These acts and more all join the already stellar phase 1 lineup for Backwoods 2016!And just in, the new campground stage lineup including Yheti and many other incredible bass-heavy artists to keep the party going all night long. This is going to be a year for the books!
“Backwoods Donates Medical Equipment to Local Stroud Hospital”
Stroud Muncipal Hospital was established in 1978 as a result of the community banding together in hopes of making quality healthcare closer to home a possibility. The Hospital flourished and continued to serve the community throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. A tornado struck and tragically damaged the hospital resulting in closing for nearly two years. At the reopening the hospital was renamed Stroud Regional Medical Center. The center offers a number of services including inpatient medical and surgical services, physical and occupational therapy, scanning and ultrasound, full service laboratory testing, cardiology clinic services and much more. CEO of Stroud Regional Medical Service Center, Tommy Smith stated “Of course [we] will benefit from having a top of the line piece of Stryker equipment to replace our much older, hard to lift and role gurney”. The top of the line new piece of equipment is electronic and rises with the simple push of a button whereas the old gurney was manual and a challenge to rise, even when empty. When asked how often the gurney will be used, Smith replied “on a regular basis”. The gurney will be used when transferring patients from the emergency room to an inpatient room or to the helipad. Because of the medical center’s location off the Turner Turnpike and Highway 99, the emergency department receives a much higher volume of trauma patients than the average rural hospitals. Stroud Regional Medical Center prides itself in its compassionate and dedicated team and quality patient care. Because of their commitment, Backwoods Music Festival felt lead to donate to the cause and hope it makes an impact on the hospital as a whole and the patients individually. With the additional medical equipment, serving the Stroud community will be that much easier!
Art in the Woods
Here at Backwoods Music Festival we take pride in our exceptional art installations and this year you’ll be excited to hear that we’re expanding and upgrading in ways you can’t even imagine! If you ask any previous Backwoods attendee, they’ll tell you our art installations are like that of no other festival around… but this year is going to be even more mind blowing! Backwoods 2016 is really making art a focal point, with the main concentration in the woods. Festival-goers can expect a lot more installations along with newly built portals, live painters, and some of your favorite things from the woods last year. In comparison to last year, the ranch will become home to elaborate new art installations from nationally recognized artists. These projects will redefine creativity and be visually appealing to the masses. Backwoods considers art to be of utmost importance. We want to stimulate and inspire the crowd on another level, in hopes that they really delve into the “Backwoods way” and have the most rewarding experience possible. Unlike previous years, we are going to include a whole transformational area in the music venue. In this area, alternative forms of art breaking the barriers of typical “art” will be offered. Scheduled yoga classes will be held, along with quiet times for meditation and sacred fire ceremonies for those interested. Many of this year’s art installations will be fully functional. There will be multiple interactive structures from shade coverings to mini cinemas and even mazes for your enjoyment. There is no specific theme to the madness. Rather than limiting ourselves and our festival goers to some sort of structure, we hope to elicit individuality and innovation to the best of our abilities. We seek to extract creativity rather than stifle it. If you’re interested in what’s to come, check out our featured artists here! The Imagine Nation - https://www.facebook.com/JointheImagineNationJamie Whitlow - https://www.facebook.com/KapturingKarma/Shane Woodley & Gregory Coye - http://www.coyeart.com/
Slip-N-Slide Shenanigans!
There’s nothing more necessary to subside the Oklahoma Labor Day heat than Backwoods Music Festival’s newest water attraction! For your enjoyment, Backwoods will be introducing a 100-meter Slip-N-Slide for the first time ever. All avid festival goers know the heat can be unbearable at times so Backwoods has you covered! The 100-meter slide will take each person on a journey through all 4 of the elements; earth, air, fire and water and will end with a splash in the ranch’s very own 15-acre lake. The Slip-N-Slide will be free for all attendees and it will run during daylight hours for your amusement! Along with this attraction we’re including more water inflatables than in the past to guarantee a magical time for everyone. Besides all the exciting new improvements, we will also have some recurring activities like our co-ed water volleyball tournament and pool access will be available for VIP ticket holders. Even bringing your own hammock to string amongst a nearby tree is an option for relaxation between sets. This years Backwoods Music Festival is inevitably going to top the previous years so don’t forget your swimsuit and sunscreen for a blissful 3 days on the ranch.
Backwoods Goes Cashless
This year at Backwoods, we’ve decided to take a step into the wonderful world of technology. No longer will we sit in the dark ages of paper money and coins. Backwoods is going completely cashless! This year, you’ll use your wristbands to pay for everything you need. No, it’s not magic or voodoo or aliens. It’s all in the chip!The RFID chip in your wristband, the part that you scan when you enter the festival, is also going to be scanned when you make your purchases at any vendor or merch booth. The chip will be read, you’ll have to enter in the PIN you create, and the money will be taken out of your account. This will save everyone time and will make transactions so much faster. Instead of waiting in line, you’ll be able to see more shows and have more fun!You’ll have to set up an account when you register your wristband so that you’re not stuck without any spending money while you’re on the ranch. Backwoods is going completely cashless, so the only way you’ll be able to make purchases is with your wristband. No worries, though! It’s a safe and secure system that is easy to use. No one can spend your money but you! The company handling the cashless RFID system for Backwoods this year is Intellitix, the largest and most reputable company in the business that handles cashless payments for the largest festivals around the globe.We are so excited for this update, and we know you’ll love it too! Who want’s to carry around cash, anyways? Nobody likes “that guy” at the front of the line counting out his pennies to pay for his stuff. Luckily, there wont be any of “those guys” this year. It’s just a quick scan and go! So don’t forget to set up those cashless accounts when you register your wristbands this year!