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"Echoey and euphoric, [Big Black Delta] sound like Depeche Mode covered by Strange House. This is, of course, a good thing." - The Independent (UK)
"If you didn't have standard pop music as a reference, what would your pop music sound like?" Jonathan Bates asked himself this very question, and the answer, he found through his discovery of his solo project, Big Black Delta.
Originally from Venezuela, Jonathan Bates found his way to Miami, Florida at the age of seven. At seventeen, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. In late 2000, he decided Berklee was not for him and found a better "home" couch surfing in Los Angeles all because of a girl.
Through his discovery of LA, he started the band, Mellowdrone, who put out several EP's independently as well as an LP on Columbia Records. Feeling as though he was drowning after the last Mellowdrone record, Bates decided to take a long break from the "band" aesthetic. He felt the need to create something different, without any rules, in hope it could expand his consciousness. He bought a used laptop from close friend, Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails, Sonoio) and began sound designing and circuit bending to make original, simple music. By doing everything slightly wrong in the studio, on purpose, Bates set out to make music that wasn't bound by gravity. He didn't limit himself instrumentally either. "Give me anything, and ill make it work. Especially if it’s stringed," Bates noted. This musical re-discovery, combined with Bates' favorite dinner table conversation, UFO folklore, and the Big Black Delta project was born.
For free MP3's of Big Black Delta, check out their website.
