The 2015 Jester One Music Top 20 Countdown - #17

#17 - Big Data - The Business Of Emotion (ft White Sea)


Big Data, which is the work of producer Alan Wilkis, burst on the scene in 2013 with the song "Dangerous" featuring Joywave. The song was a major hit, and in early 2015 he dropped their his debut LP, 2.0. All but one of the songs features guest vocals from other big indie acts, including River Cuomo of Weezer, Kimbra, and Bear Hands. The album jumped up to #75 on the Billboard chart and features other fun tracks like "Snowed In", "Sick For Me", and "Clean". The synths are heavy and well layered, and almost all of the guest vocalists provide a special twist on each song. I did not expect that I would enjoy this album as much as I did, but it was a pleasant surprise for the spring season.

The track "The Business of Emotion" has a quick build-up and pounds you with heavy bass and distortion throughout. The vocal harmony of Wilkis and White Sea (Morgan Kibby of M83) flows on the chorus, which is perfect for sing-a-longs. I remember hearing the song in my car driving home from work on a snowy evening and being shocked that it was the same band that brought me "Dangerous", which was a song that I did not particularly enjoy. Kibby's vocals go perfectly with the up-tempo beat that pushes the song forward. The video is a bizarre dance scene where the "sexy dancers" are glitching out until they end up with digital Big Data faces... hooray special effects!

2015 was a big year for DJ's and producers like Wilkis, Mark Ronson, and others. This might be a trend in music going forward, but I enjoy the dynamic of having multiple singers on an album with a single producer guiding them.






Previous #17s
2014: Foster The People - Coming of Age
2013: Sevendust - Decay
2012: Morning Parade - Headlights
2011: Lonely Island - Jack Sparrow (Ft Michael Bolton)
2010: Slash - Baby Can't Drive (ft Alice Cooper + Nicole Scherzinger)  
2009: DevilDriver - Another Night In London