The three-piece electronic mindf*ck known as Big Fun has been on quite a roll recently. Only six months after releasing their second LP, Big Fun is back with a brand new record to start off the year.
Their third album came as a surprise to some, but not to us. When we sat down with Big Fun in October of 2019 at the second Nothing Fest, the band explained that they had huge plans: three albums and ten music videos a year. This proposition may have been tongue-in-cheek, but with the output of two full-length albums and three music videos in only 8 months, there is no doubt that Big Fun has been grinding hard in the studio.
Nasty Kathy, the keytar-wielding wizard of the group, expressed that he wanted to make the band’s sound “constantly change” and that testament holds true in Riser. From the moment the second track “Jail” comes blaring through the speakers it is quite obvious what direction Big Fun is going towards with the record. The band hinders away from the dance-happy tone that was present in the band’s second release, Oogley Boogley, and veers into more of a, “I am going to destroy everyone in this mosh pit,” vibe. Don’t be surprised if you see some pit karate at their next show!
The chaos continues into the next track, “Blimpo” which begins with a violent snare roll coupled with fiery screaming from Mr. Nasty, a surefire way to entice some slam dancing. The remainder of the song finds Big Fun doing their best Fugazi impersonation with all of their gutter-tech spice added to create an absolute assault on the listener’s ears.
For those reading who aren’t familiar with gutter-tech, it is a way to describe Big Fun’s obscure sound which doesn’t exactly stick within the boundaries of conventional genres. In an interview with risingartistsblog.com, the band defined their niche genre as “[being] made up of electronic instruments thrown into an abrasive rock environment.”
The next song was completely unexpected, but that might make it all the more wonderful. They covered JT (Justin Timberlake). “SexyBack” has always been a certified party classic. It is practically muscle memory for anyone alive during the late 2000s to respond, “yeah!” when JT says, “I’m bringing sexy back.” Everyone and their mother loves that song. Big Fun took the bones of JT’s hit, upped the tempo, slapped some of their gutter-tech magic on it, and completely transformed the track into their own. The lyrics of the song feel more at home in Big Fun’s version, “you see these shackles baby I’m your slave / I’ll let you whip me if I misbehave…” sounds a lot more convincing when screamed by Mr. Nasty than pretty-boy sung by JT. Never in a thousand years would I think “Sexyback” would get a punk-style cover, a REALLY GOOD punk cover for that matter.
With an exception for the interludes, the first ten minutes of Riser is Big Fun showing us just how crazy and fast the band can play. Each song gives “Kik Rokket” a run for its money to claim the title as their wildest song. The succeeding tracks following the beginning five take a more dynamic approach. This is not to say the band ever really softens up, their sound is consistently loud and abrasive, the songs have more of a jam feel rather than the straightforwardness of a two-minute punk song. For example, their song “Gernanium Tapline” incorporates a two-plus minute instrumental break that features a multitude of synths cascading to end the song in an epic fashion.
The band produced a music video for the song “Black Widow” with their longtime collaborator, Goldfinger. The video depicts Big Fun performing live in the studio with hyperactive visuals layered over. Goldfinger’s glitchy editing style pairs finely with the band’s outrageously stimulating sound. Every project the duo has collaborated on has been a seizure-inducing sensory overload, or in other words, freaking awesome.
Each song Big Fun produces is unmistakably their own, they are simply one of those bands who sound like no other. It is impressive to see the band three albums in and still be able to stick true to their sound while simultaneously incorporating other styles of music to keep their music consistently entertaining and forever evolving. It is hard to put these guys in a box when the mold is constantly changing.
There aren’t too many bands out there doing it like Big Fun, and it is only a matter of time before we see them signing a big record deal. And for all the naysayers out there, DM me, I’m willing to put money on this. Big Fun is going to take the world by storm.
