Fluorescence (Big Gigantic)

An act that's always been known for their live instrumentation, Big Gigantic turn to the dubstep halls of wobbly sustained basslines as they dive further into the bass music scene.

With collabs from the likes of Blanke and Ganja White Night, "Fluorescence" does, at first glance, pose a pretty stacked tracklist. Every track but one bears the mark of a collaborator, stacking an eclectic mix of styles above Big Gigantic's own distinct, wobbly one that feels reminiscient of both the modern, genre-defying trend of freeform bass, but also of the older brostep sound of the previous decade. It's honestly somewhat impressive that Big Gigantic manage to keep a hold over the common style of "Fluorescence" amidst all the warring styles, but that powerful, all-encapsulating dancefloor energy is always predominant in the mix, and it's typically the collaborator adapting to Big Gigantic's own style rather than the other way around, a quality I would argue is a positive. "Fluorescence" isn't particularly cohesive as a record, though — perhaps if it maintained the incredibly maximalist dubstep-leaning style all the way through, it would be, but Big Gigantic attempt to shoehorn in several clubby house tracks, and whilst these do technically appeal equally to a dancefloor, the mood just isn't the same. See, Big Gigantic's dubstep is loud and explosive, with constant lead switches and no empty space, and whilst it can be quite overwhelming it does have a certain appeal, especially with the offbeat melodic, almost sparkly sound design thrown into the already chaotic mixes — but the maximalist nature of these heavier tunes warrs with the explicitly minimal nature of the house cuts, and the result is an unbidden tonal clash on a great scale. The density of the album doesn't help either: at just 36 minutes of runtime, each spontaneous tonal switch is essentially whiplash as "Fluorescence" bounces uncontrollably through maximalism and minimalism both, an onslaught on the ears and a failed attempt to reprieve it. The mixdowns also hurt a little, as in the more aggressive freeform bass tracks it can feel overloaded and too busy, and in the quieter house tracks it can feel a little flat. But honestly, "Fluorescence" primarily thrives off its sheer energy — an energy built for the dancefloor, and an energy that would probably rip through a crowd — and, at that, it does excel. And, lest we forget, Big Gigantic's renowned instrumentation still comes out here, often in the form of some very nice saxophone solos.

As far as its problems go, I have to admit that "Fluorescence" is a ton of fun. It's mindless, rhythmic fun, elevated by a confident array of vocalists and all anchored by Big Gigantic's own production, and I have to say that it was mostly fairly enjoyable. The positives of "Fluorescence" surely stretch further than the sum of its parts, and yet its flaws drag it back down again.