There’s nothing better than the pre-funk. Whether it’s taking your last round of shots with your friends as the Uber pulls up, or you’re walking into a festival and the vibes are crawling up your skin when you can hear the main stage calling out in the distance. Drinking in the anticipation of the night to come, a feeling and sound Big Gigantic encapsulates in their music like no other.
Big Gigantic is an electronic duo from Colorado that’s been setting festival stages on fire since 2008. Dominic Lalli is a classically trained saxophonist and producer with a master’s from the Manhattan School of Music, and Jeremy Salken is a lifelong drummer and touring musician. Together, they have created an electric factory that creates catchy, melodic, genre-melding bangers. Songs you can dance to, cry to, and dance the night away at the festival too.
Their latest album Fluorescence, comes off the heels of their 2022 sequel project Brighter Future 2 that featured collabs with the likes of Griz, Nevve, Vic Mensa, Mick Jenkins, Kota the Friend, and Aloe Blacc. Some incredible features are coming on this album as well, and Dom from Big Gigantic was gracious enough to speak with Respect My Region about the collaboration efforts and what it was like crafting two new singles off their upcoming album.
”Journey” brings along legendary Belgian dubstep duo Ganja White Night and alt-pop monster Denm for a ride, while “Highway” features longtime collaborator and MC PropCause. “Journey” is available now, and be sure to pre-save “Highway” on Spotify and Apple Music so you don’t miss it when it drops.
1. How do you create such powerful emotional themes through your songs? “You’re the One” featuring Nevve or “Second Time” featuring Covex comes to mind when I think of the melodic, emotional anthems you guys compose.
Dom: I think that writing powerful emotional themes is a bit of a dance between the instrumental music, the melodic side of the song (chords being used and energy of the song in general), and the vocalists and their choice of lyrical and melodic content. I think, on our new album Fluorescence, I had written the instrumentals first, and the lyrics and lyrical melodies came after the fact, so in this particular instance, I think those instrumentals fueled some of the writing, but it varies.
2. EDC Las Vegas just ended a couple of weeks ago, and festival season is officially in full swing. What is your favorite summer/festival season venue to perform at? Did certain venues inspire songs like “Journey”?
Dom: Some of our favorite festivals to perform at include Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, and Lollapalooza, to name a few, but we love getting outside in the summertime to perform; it’s just the best. I think “Journey” started as something we were having fun with and made in particular for the festival circuit. When Denm added his vocals to the song, I think it 100 percent transformed it into a fun, vibey song that fits so well with the summertime vibe!
”Journey” – Single – by Big Gigantic – Apple Music
3. I loved the beat switch in “Highway.” Does a song like that have more versatility when you’re thinking about mixing it in for live sets? Do you create songs in the studio with things like this in mind?
Dom: This song was such a fun one to create, and the best part is that Prob and I got to work together one day in the studio to create most of the main parts of the song. While we were working on it, I had the idea of just doing a beat switch, and we just tried it out. I think we’re both just super big fans of hip-hop, and in my head, I was thinking, ‘ what would a Kendrick record do right here,’ and so we tried out the beat switch and loved that effect. Prob is so talented, and it was so fun to be able to feature him on this song. It showcases his talent and versatility throughout this song, and it’s one of the songs I’m most proud of on the album for sure.
Fluorescence – Singles by Big Gigantic | Spotify
4. How do you balance creating music for live audiences versus people listening at home or at the gym, etc? And what would you recommend is the best way for fans to listen to the new album when it drops?
Dom: I like to make a balance of music for the live show and music that’s more listenable at home, etc, when making a Big G album. We want the whole album to be super fun, but I also feel like moments in life are so diverse and ever-changing and growing, and I personally like to have lots of different moods of music to reflect those diverse moments in life. For this album, I would say put it on anytime, whenever the moment hits. There are so many great songs that can be listened to from front to back in any circumstance!
5. When does the album come out? And anything else you want to promote.
Dom: The album is out on June 20th, and I’m just so excited for everyone to hear the whole thing. I can’t wait to get back on tour and play shows and see our fans again!
