Filous and Big Data take Toronto

An early night at the Danforth usually means it’ll be an intimate start, and this Tuesday was no different. A group of people gathered close to the stage and even though the room seemed a bit shy of a crowd, it was not lacking in excitement.

Filous is an 18-year-old producer from Vienna and this was his first visit to Canada. “I’m really excited to check out Tim Hortons,” he said to the crowd. Equipped with a DJ deck, keyboard, two guitars, a ukulele, and a harmonica, Filous humbly played through his remixes and original tracks.

Filous supposedly taught himself how to play nearly 20 instruments by watching YouTube tutorials (what have you been doing on your free nights?). Earlier this year, he released his debut EP Dawn, lead by “How Hard I Try” featuring James Hersey, and now he’s touring with RAC and Big Data. Needless to say, Filous is showing a lot of promise.

Big Data, on the other hand, are a more mature collective, despite being quite new as a band. The show was a rehearsed performance with synchronized dances, matching outfits, and occasional costume changes.

As a project, Big Data is the work of paranoid electronic music mastermind Alan Wilkis — but live, they perform as a five-piece. Lead vocalist Lizy Ryan is a force on stage, whipping her ponytail to the sounds of music while breaking it down with some crisp robotic moves.

Big Data’s debut album 2.0 explores various moments in technology. The story is sipping with paranoia, politics, and conspiracy, but the music makes it into a lyrical satire. The visual elements accompanying the show were at times a throwback to dialup days.

The show opened, and oddly enough closed, with Wilkis’ biggest track, “Dangerous”. It was hard to tell weather the double-play was intentional or an accident, but the band rolled with it and bowed out right after. Good night. 

photos by Erik Shaw