1.0 is the debut release from the New York electronic duo, Big Data. “Dangerous” landed on our playlist last week, and the self-released four song EP hit the web this week.
According to the band the music they make is “paranoid electronic pop music”. The first time I heard “Dangerous”, I was lured by it’s slinking rhythms and impossibly catchy hooks. It seemed like it was just a great dance-pop song. I should have known from the menacing notes of the opening bass line that there was something darker going on here. Given a deeper listen, the paranoia becomes evident. This is a song about digital voyeurism. It’s about both watching and being watched, but it’s no downer. They are quite playful with their subject matter.
While they say they were formed from a distrust of technology, Big Data sure does make good use of it. The digital EP is available for download at iTunes and Amazon, or streamed on Spotify, Soundcloud, and Rdio.
Also check out their interactive video/internet art piece, Facehawk. To the tune of Dangerous, it will disassemble your Facebook profile and reassemble it into an image of a hawk, with your permission, of course. (It seems to me they’re asking for a lot of trust to give access to your profile, but I guess that’s part of the point). While they are critical of technology, they also seem to understand how useful it is and how it can be used in creative and interesting ways.