Former touring guitar player for M83 Jonathan Bates a.k.a. Big Black Delta is also known for his numerous collaborations with M83's member, Anthony Gonzalez, including a joint remix of "Fall", one of the tracks released on Daft Punk's "Tron Legacy Soundtrack: R3CONF1GUR3D."

Born in Venezuela, Bates landed in Miami, Florida at the age of 7. While he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Bates decided to follow his heart to Los Angeles in 2000. He started an indie rock band called Mellowdrone, which released several EPs on their own as well as an LP on Columbia Records. After his adventure as a band member, Bates felt like experiencing something different and decided to create music on his own.

No more rules, no more instrumental limits on himself, just Bates and a used computer trying out sounds in his home studio.

"Give me anything, and I'll make it work. Especially if it’s stringed," Bates said.

He then began a solo career for which he desired to create a new type of pop music. After teasing his audience with the first free EP release of Big Black Delta in the spring, Bates reintroduced himself to the public this past September with a 10-songs-long LP.

Jonathan Bates

The overall album depicts Bates as a confirmed synth-pop artist, with the ability to master '80s soundbites with electro-pop beats and some of the alternative rock influence he inherited from his former band. He does not only meet his hope to reinvent pop music but he sounds like such a captain of eclecticism both in genres and rhythms, and the album came out rich in the diversity of music heard.

Bates' "BBDLP1" is a crossover between MGMT, Duran Duran, and Depeche Mode.

Where  "IFUCKINGLOVEYOU" makes you want to put on your punk attire and rock on the dancefloor, the vocals of Morgan Kibby (M83, White Sea) caressing the listener's ear on the airy and delicate arrangements of "Dreary Moon" sounds perfect for a loving slow dance.

As for tracks like "Betamax" and "Huggin & Kissin," Bates successfully transports the audience back to the '80s.

In an interview with Kevin Bronson of Buzzbandsla.com, Bates explained it very well: "It's amazing how one simple sound can change everything, but using just that one tone can make a song sound like it comes from the '80s".

Although Big Black Delta became a priority when working on new projects, Bates keeps up with the calls for collaborations. He had previously toured with M83, but he also participated in the recording of vocals on their latest album "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming." Bates came up with a remix of their single "Midnight City," and often writes and performs for the band White Sea for whom he also co-produced the tracks "Mountaineer" and "Lady Killer."

Alessandro Cortini played his buchla on "The Zebrah," one of the tracks of "BBDLP1," and so Bates was featured on his solo project SONOIO's track "Houdini," for which he did a remix as well, released on SONOIO's remix album.

Big Black Delta sounds like a promising artist worth following on Twitter or Facebook for future live shows.

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