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It's the code-word for a certain frequency of forgotten rage and passion, and it contains intentional elements of secrecy, power, and beauty. The word triggered concepts of honey, fertilization, regeneration, freshness, lavish nature run wild with enthusiasm... I knew immediately that it was a good metaphor for my musical vision. -Ashton on the name Bassnectar |
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Photo by Shauna Regan
"I am here as a volunteer to fight in honor and support of the causes I care about," says Ashton. "Right now there are beautiful, mind-blowing things occurring that I cannot help but fully support. Simultaneously, there are horrendously dark and frustrating forces of cruelty and greed and aggression that trigger within me die hard responses of resistance."
Bassnectar |
Now more than ever, our culture needs to fight for free expression. Ashton attributes our apathy to harsh realities penetrating us from many different angles. "It's hard to be active when we are so overworked and bombarded from every direction by the corporate mousetrap of day jobs, bills, automated tech support, TV, pharmaceuticals, fake news, and a nonstop onslaught of advertising and marketing," says Ashton. "It's so hard to have courage when the military is corrupt, the government is corrupt and everything feels so large and aggressive."
Music provides a truth greater than our individual aspirations, uniting people and cultures worldwide. The declining state of mass media and the growing threat of electronic piracy hurt artists and their ability to liberally explore their ideas. "Media conglomeration is a force of population control, thought control and content control [that's] backed by the military and the worldwide corporate government. Those systems of control have everything to gain by allowing only content-approved art to emerge and thrive, and by seeing the end to creative freedom of expression by artists," comments Ashton.
"It's just really more crucial than ever to support artists. With the maddening conglomeration of radio and the death of variety at the hands of corporately controlled media, it's up to each individual to vote with their dollar. Artists work hard, so be generous. Don't be a pirate."
Bassnectar |
Some key influences in Ashton's life include Rage Against the Machine, The Beatles, Noam Chomsky, R.E.M., Jon Stewart, Tom Robbins, Stephen Colbert, C.S. Lewis, Ani DiFranco, N.W.A. and many more. A diverse range of strong-minded individuals, no wonder Ashton feels compelled to project himself and his beliefs through his own frame of reference instead of conforming to the norm. He refuses to be grouped into one musical category, and his albums reflect his eclectic nature. "In a CD context, it's laid out as a taste test of mood and genre. So, I swing from hard to soft, beastial to angelic, perverse to gorgeous, wobbling to dreaming, on a whim."
Bassnectar by Shauna Regan |
Art helps us see the beauty surrounding us that's often overlooked because of exterior forces that infiltrate our thoughts and lifestyles. "With Big Media keeping the population misinformed and distracted, in accordance with the top corporate powers of the world, we suffer from a lack of accurate information, and are therefore disempowered," explains Ashton. "Once a person is educated and empowered, it is up to their own unique code of morals and judgments to determine what action they will take, what change they will make in their lives, and how hard they will work."
Bassnectar's live environment is certainly not for everyone. The dance floor is usually filled with theatrical, animated and, at times, overpowering situations. Sweaty bodies in the thick of this energy invade your personal space. The excessive costumes and libations that some attendees indulge in raise questions of whether people are there to be part of the scene or do they actually dig the music. There are also beautiful connections being made, much kindness and warmth shared and good vibrations resonating throughout.
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