BASSNECTAR: WICKED BASS & DEEP THOUGHT

Listen to Bassnectar on Rhapsody…

By: Amirose Eisenbach

Bassnectar by Shauna Regan

Alright, all you rhythmic hummingbirds, are you ready to devour the nectar of Lorin Ashton‘s bass? Known as Bassnectar, this innovative artist has spent the last decade dabbling in breakbeats, painting with floaty dream sequences that take audiences on highly imaginative, melodic adventures. His music is colored with political ideology, but it’s still possible to be a fan of his compositions and not know exactly where he stands on certain issues.

At a Bassnectar show you gain insight into the many dimensions of Ashton. An eclectic variety of artists, burners, headies, dreadies and beautiful, funky cats attend in colorful vestments, ready to dance to liberation. This diversified spectrum of ages and attitudes embodies the vast range of Ashton’s music.

Touring in support of his latest release, Underground Communication (released April 24 on OM Records), the album exudes a grungier, rougher and crisper essence than Ashton’s earlier work. 2005’s double-disc, Mesmerizing the Ultra, tantalized the underground electronic scene, while his latest appears curved towards the hip-hop crowd.

“I like the tempo of hip-hop, the free form structure, the basic design of thoughtful spoken word over undeniably sexual rhythms. I like how it works on a dance floor and in a listening context,” said Ashton. “I see hip-hop as having the potential to be one of the most effective forms of underground resistance music.”

Ashton explains the underlying concepts behind the powerful title. “The philosophical meaning of Underground Communication is important because it insists that you educate yourself, that you educate those around you, and that you plunge yourself into research, debate, and active involvement,” Ashton continues. “Doing so empowers you. With that education you will be informed on issues, and with that power you can make a difference in those issues.”

Bassnectar

While his intentions are noble, the reaction to his methods has been mixed. Some feel the plethora of lyrics and the MCs touring with Bassnectar do not enhance his beats, and, in fact, detract from them. Others have embraced the new hip-hop edge that Ashton has adopted. And, there’s still plenty of old-school Bassnectar style hiding on the new tracks.

“I am by no means saying ‘OK, now I’m hip-hop forever.’ Please don’t expect anything from me but authentically earnest exploration and expression, and thickness of groove,” explains Ashton, who says he was heavily into hip-hop and death metal before he ever explored drum and bass. The reflective style of Underground Communication is, in essence, Ashton reconnecting with his roots. Whatever one’s stance on the new album may be, Bassnectar has dared to evolve.

Bassnectar by Shauna Regan

Many DJs and producers fail to create something tangible, raw and vitalizing. In an age of mimicry, much of today’s music resembles beats and rhythms of past, original artists. “I love sampling, but most of the melodies in my music are sounds I hear in my head first,” says Ashton. “Sometimes I dream about them, and sometimes I hear a sound in real life like a cash register, a wind chime, or a strange vocal harmonic of a passerby.”

Ashton breaks away from conformist ideologies and common rhythms through the unification of knowledge and mindfulness. “I like fusing juxtaposed or previously unrelated elements together in order to create strange or unexpected combinations. It’s also nice to just drop the jam,” says Ashton.

In some respects, Ashton’s demeanor underestimates his profound effect on his audience. “Nothing is more inspiring than enthusiasm and generosity,” Ashton offers. “Inspiring people is inevitable when you are inspired. And when you’re not inspired you can become so by immersing yourself in your surroundings.”

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

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.

The philosophical meaning of Underground Communication is important because it insists that you educate yourself, that you educate those around you, and that you plunge yourself into research, debate, and active involvement. -Bassnectar

Photo by Shauna Regan

At most shows, there is a dance floor with people rocking out, and seats and chillout areas for less vivacious spectators. At Bassnectar shows, if you just plan to stand around you are unquestionably going to the wrong show. He has an alluring dynamic and magnetic energy that you feel instantly when he drops the first beat. A highly explosive dance party, Bassnectar shows aren’t recommended for folks unprepared to let their adrenaline levels soar to dangerous heights. The spectacle might turn some people off but for those who are down you’re in for one hell of a party.

Bassnectar

Ashton’s constant transformation as a musician cannot be fully appreciated without exploring his past experimentation. He proves that with a throbbing bass line, he can make any style of music move people beyond their inhibitions. Ashton has dreamed up floaty, mystic jams, Eastern harmonies, new age romps, reggae dub and hip-hop till-you-drop beats that show how far electronic music has progressed. He has sampled and remixed such potent figures as Ella Fitzgerald, Manu Chao, and STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), political speeches from activists like Martin Luther King, Saul Williams and Michael Franti.

On the Bassnectar name, Ashton says, “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, all dripping in succulent unison with the force of unstoppable amber richness. I knew immediately that it was a good metaphor for my musical vision.”

Bassnectar

Bassnectar has accumulated an extremely loyal audience over the years. “I make music as a personal reflection and a helplessly obsessive addiction. But, I also make it to delight and touch my fellow humans, and to use it as the gunpowder of my convictions,” says Ashton. He was rated “Best of the Bay 2005” by the SF Bay Guardian, and voted the number one DJ on Nitevibe.com in a recent DJ Dreamteam contest. He enters each city with his signature vibe but understands the necessity of adaptation. “In a live environment, I ricochet like mad off of every single being in the place,” says Ashton. “In a studio creation context, I am interacting with figments and illusory visions of hypothetical crowds as I conjure my music and watch it play out in pretend instances.”

Ashton’s transitions are silky and effortless. He is known to build things slowly and then mesmerize audiences into a convulsion of dance, style and attitude. His long, flowing hair is a good metaphor for his beats – captivating, enticing and seductive.

Bassnectar by Shauna Regan

It may be Bassnectar’s colorful auditory landscapes or his political ideals that draws you in. Whatever your particular reason or rhyme may be, his endeavors demands attention. “I am not clear whether or not I can make a difference in the matters I care about because who is to say that the cause I am supporting ought to be supported in the end. It’s all simultaneously meaningful and meaningless,” says Ashton. “I think it is special for people to decide, learn and debate what is meaningful and worthy of support in life. For me, that’s been the meaning of life – sorting out what I love and loving it.”

Check out “Bomb The Blocks” by Bassnectar…

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