Big Black Delta

The 2013 Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit brings another year of eclectic electronics with rather a large helping of Britain filling up the line-up!

Headlining this amazing festival in Asheville, North Carolina on the last weekend of October (25th-27th 2013) is Nine Inch Nails; unsurprisingly, given their impressive headlining record this year which includes Lollapalooza, Leeds & Reading Festival, Outside Lands and Rock en Seine. Also scraping the top of the bill are Bassnectar and Pretty Lights, but there's something particularly British about a good chunk of the bands that follow. 

Continue reading: A British Year For North Carolina's Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit 2013?

The CMJ Music Marathon comes to New York City for its 33rd year bringing with it hundreds of seminal artists from the newly emerging to the well-established.

CMJ has been holding electrifying music events over the course of its existence as well as publishing a weekly music magazine for music and college radio stations. This year will be no different in excellence on its journey through New York from October 15th-19th as it fills over 80 venues across the city with more than 1,000 incredible musical showcases. There will also be a range of other musical events including seminars Q&A sessions, amazing parties, workshops and other special activities.

Continue reading: CMJ Music Marathon Returns In Its 33rd Year With More Incredible Showcases

Seattle's Decibel Festival 2013 kicks off today (September 25th) and will span through until Sunday (September 29th) featuring a wide variety of live and visual acts as well as DJ sets at some of Seattle's best venues.

Today sees some incredible acts take us through the night with Sydney band Light Year kicking things off at the Q Nightclub to be followed by German DJ Ben Klock who brings us over two hours of his best beats. Over at the Showbox Market, electro-acoustic musician Rena Jones begins proceedings, while London-based DJ Kode9 is on at midnight at Crocodile. We'll also see Peter Hook and The Light, led by the former Joy Division and New Order bassist, round off the night in Neumos. 

Continue reading: The 10th Annual Decibel Festival Has Now Landed In Seattle

Albums of note… In 2013, the apparent year of the comeback, Depeche Mode made a mini-one of their own, with their first album in four years Delta Machine. Dave Gahan’s still at the vocal helm and the group still enjoy looking at the darker side of pop. Something they’re still doing with great success according to our writer Dom Gourlay, who surmised “'Delta Machine' is a worthy comeback that while not quite hitting the peaks conquered so magnificently by 'Black Celebration', 'Violator' and 'Songs Of Faith And Devotion' back in the day, still sits comfortably in the upper quartile of Depeche Mode's finest releases to date.”

Another gaining the love of Contactmusic this week is Josh Kumra who released his debut LP Good Things Come To Those Don’t Wait. Give he’s only about 20/21 himself, it seems like he’s taken the title of his album to heart, and this Sony release looks set to make him a star early on in his career. Our man Jim Pusey reckoned “At its heart, Good Things Come To Those Who Don't Wait is a solid singer songwriter effort. It elevates itself beyond that by successfully dabbling in a number of musical styles along the way, while ensuring that Josh doesn't ever sound out of his depth. Certainly one of his strengths is his voice, and he gives himself ample opportunity to showcase that here too.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music, Depeche Mode Back With New Album, The Gaslight Anthem Storm The Boards, Have Coldplay Released The Best Album Ever?

Big Black Delta is back with a new video for forthcoming track Side Of The Road, which will appear on his second album, an eponymous titled record out on April 29th on Masters Of Bates Records.

The second album is the follow-up to his 2011 debut BBDLP, and sees the producer - real name Jonathan Bates - evidently pretty happy to be back. Shot in the black and white, the video sees him dancing around a largely empty room on a grid, with a variety of special effects and holograms meaning that things like drummers and fellow dancers appear from time to time, joining him in his revelry. 

Continue reading: Big Black Delta Releases New Track Side Of The Road (Video)