Big Black Delta is the solo project of Venezuelan native, now Los Angeles transplant, Jonathan Bates. Bates, once the front man for Los Angeles indie rock band Mellowdrone and touring musician for M83, began his solo efforts in 2010. His self-titled debut album, which released this passed April, is nearly a perfect brainchild of 80’s synth-pop and modern indie. Add the vocoder on his vocals and you have a sound that drifts in and out between a haunting dream and a John Hughes flick.
Currently in the middle of a two-month long North American tour, with appearances at Leads and Reading festivals in August, as well as garnering press from the likes of Pitchfork and Spin, Big Black Delta is an artist to keep a keen eye on.
You can find BBD’s full album on iTunes, and several of the record’s tracks are on SoundCloud. But for now, take a gander at the video for Big Black Delta’s single, “Side of the Road.”
Big Black Delta- ‘Side of the Road’
