The founders of the band wanted to be different artistically and honor the fundamental reason people listen to music. They have kept their mission true for over ten years, even though their sound has changed since June 2009. Many bands cannot trace their roots back to a set of values that were shared among friends. In the case Big Mean Sound Machine, it seems more instinctive than a choice to honor the ideas that the group was founded upon. Big Mean is a contemporary example of how art can stimulate the body and challenge the mind to think outside the box. Josh Brokaw, The Ithaca Times writes that “for the listener who doesn’t shake to pay attention at Big Mean shows, they can find musical education.” Brokaw writes that Big Mean draws elements from traditional afrobeats, roots reggae and funk, but it is difficult to capture the style with the genre-parsing descriptors used by contemporary music media. Although their instrumental soundscapes don’t convey any overt messages, they are anything but boring. Bryan Lasky, NYSmusic.com writes that it is like walking through a city at night and seeing people who are trying to do no wrong. Vinyl Fluid Records says that the band is purely instrumental and stimulates the brain and body, but not vocal indoctrination. Through their evolving melodies and rhythms, the band’s main theme is to enjoy music for its creativity as well as musicality and how it makes you feel. from www.bigmeansoundmachine.com
