Bassnectar – A Freeform Artist
Every once in a while an artist bursts into mainstream and acts as a cultural phenomenon that brings a change in the society. The Grateful Dead brought a music revolution in the late 60s and for over four decades united the “Deadheads” through creative expression and common values. While the era of this incredible rock band is gone but certainly not forgotten, another artist took advantage of the multi-faceted music evolution to produce tracks that cover every imaginable genre. Born as Lorin Ashton, Bassnectar has developed more of a freeform style and has not restricted himself. This is why his music appeals to a wide range of audiences.
The “Nectar” style, as called by his fans, has no limitations and the artist considers music creation process an adventure. Fully experimenting, he follows no rules and is unsure about the outcome himself. He calls his creations “omnitempo maximalism” which basically means re-combination and exploration of various music forms, regardless of tempo.
An Eclectic Repertoire
Creating music under a wide reaching umbrella, Bassnectar loves the heavy vibrations of bass and synergy of sounds. After performing with several underground bands, the artist got interested in production and with some experience on hand, helped Perry Farrell produce his album. The collaboration opened many other doors for him and he got the opportunity to work with Michael Franti and Spearhead. Besides assisting other musicians in their albums, Bassnectar started working on his own compositions side by side and in 2001 released his first album. He followed it with another record the next year, titled Beatfreak Bohemia. In 2003 and 2004 the fans were treated to Motions of Mutation and Diverse Systems of Throb respectively.
Bassnectar’s 2005 release, “Mesmerizing The Ultra” found the most success as in the album he simply stunned the listeners with his musical flux. In a single track he fused various music forms, incorporating intense basslines, heavy breaks and rhythms. With “Underground Communication”, his sixth release, Bassnectar created hypnotic soundscapes. The songs in the album boggled his fans as they presented an ingenious mix of dub-electro, hip-hop, bhangra, and glitch. According to the artist, when he is working on an album he cuts ties from the outside world, confining himself in a space. He then lets the magic happen.
Bassnectar’s latest album hit the shelves in 2012 and peaked at 34 on the Billboard 200. Titled “Vava Voom”, it emphasized on diverse techniques and includes incredible bass anthems. Bassnectar has collaborated with different artists for the record. The title song features Lupe Fiasco, whose choruses are brilliantly contoured with handclaps and synth scales. Tina Malia has featured in Nothing Has Been Broken, Jantsen in What and ill.Gates in Do It Like This.
Bassnectar Live!
Bassnectar is famous for his electrifying, raucous live concerts that feature spectacular light shows. Through his intense basslines, he works the crowd into crazy headbanging. The superstar will soon be making his fourth appearance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and will also be rocking the stage at Belly Up in Aspen. Known to play back to back loud sets, his concerts keep the audience on their feet throughout. Catch the “Nectar” style live as he sets the arena ablaze.