Big Wild started out as a hip-hop producer.
Jackson Stell aka Big Wild started as a hip-hop producer from Massachusetts. He went by the name J Beatz before traveling across the country to California. Visiting Big Sur for the first time, surrounded by the beauty of the west coast, Stell became engulfed in wanderlust. He then had a life-altering change of heart that transformed his personality and the direction of his career. Embodying the curious free spirit, Stell switched his focus from creating hip-hop instrumentals to writing inspiring, emotional music. Combining his new production style with his own vocals, and live instrumentation Big Wild was born.
He quickly began to release music under his new moniker. Singles like Aftergold in 2015, followed by his debut EP titled Invincible in 2017 propelled him into the spotlight. BIG Wild became one of EDM’s most prominent rising stars. He transformed electronic music with a unique undeniable sound as he infused indie, soul, pop, and electronica. Then, just two years after Invincible, he released his debut 12 track album titled Superdream.
California’s west coast vibe inspired Superdream
Big Wild released Superdream on February 1, 2019. Today the record is considered one of the most uplifting, self-reflective electronic albums of the millennia. If Big Wild was created because of Stell’s newfound love of the west coast and general curiosity of life, then Superdream attempts to capture every emotion, vulnerability, and challenges he faced along his journey towards his personal dream.
Superdream allowed Big Wild to explore new musical avenues.
Stell’s decided to write his music and perform his own vocals which became an essential aspect of Superdream. Superdream incorporated real emotion and personal experiences that weren’t possible being restrained to just production.
Superdream is for the free spirit.
Big Wild was able to capture the essence of his being through inspiring lyrics and dreamlike soundscapes as he paints his vision of his “Superdream” in the mind of the listener. Exploring emotions of love, fear, curiosity, pain, and sorrow, Stell transcends contemporary electronic music and creates something utterly new and addicting.
“So far from the ones I know, so close to the one I love. This is the place I want to go because you are my home,” he sings on Purple Sand. Big Wild professes his love for not only California but his fiance. He then acknowledges how far away he is from his family, hometown, and who he used to be. While each song represents a different experience or emotion, the underlining message throughout the album remains the same. There is beauty in everything that life has to offer, whether it be good or bad, as long as you can feel that emotion.
Maker is about Big Wild surviving a battle with cancer.
In the song Maker, Big Wild explores the existential crisis that accompanied his diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Yet, instead of basking in sorrow, he confronts his uncertain fate by pondering the new world or heaven that awaits him. “Another place where I can be, another dream to carry away, to carry away,” He sings. “Another world that waits for me, another life I can wait for that.”
Big wild brought the funk to EDM.
Big Wild successfully captures every human emotion and experience in a positive light. Whether it’s exclaiming his love on 6’s to 9’s and Alley Oop or exploring his adventurous side on City of Sound and Heaven.
Feeling more like a 70s disco record than an EDM album, Superdream is filled with funky sonic landscapes, blissed-out atmospheres, and glorious harmonies. Big Wild creates a form of pure expression that resonates with the concerns of being human and touches your soul ever so deeply. You can’t help but get lost in the nostalgic sound that is Big Wild.
Listen to Big Wild’s Superdream on Apple Music or your preferred streaming service!