Bassnectar
Background information
Birth nameLorin Ashton
Also known as
  • DJ Lorin
  • King of the Sound
  • West Coast Lo-Fi
Born (1978-02-16) February 16, 1978
OriginLos Gatos, California, United States
Genres
Years active1996–Present[1]
Labels
Websitebassnectar.net

Lorin Ashton, better known under his stage name Bassnectar (born February 16, 1978),[2] is an American DJ and electronic music producer.[3][4] With a career spanning several decades, Bassnectar has gained recognition for his innovative sound design and energetic live performances. His music and performances typically combine elements of dubstep, drum and bass, and various other electronic subgenres, often characterized by heavy basslines and intricate, layered production. Bassnectar has released numerous albums and singles, and his impact on the electronic music scene has been significant, contributing to the popularization of bass-heavy dance music in the United States.[5]

History

1998–2010: Early years

When Ashton was 16 years old, he played in a death metal band named Pale Existence, which contributed to his heavy style of music.[5] In 1995, he attended his first rave and was immediately drawn to this new type of music, attending as many shows as possible, promoting shows, and eventually learning to DJ after studying electronic music production.[6]

He continued his study of electronic music production at the University of California, Santa Cruz, producing tracks using Opcode Systems Studio Vision Pro.[7][8]

Ashton began playing house parties in the Bay Area and quickly gained notoriety at Burning Man, playing up to 7 sets a night.[5] Around this time, several mixtapes were created by Ashton using the moniker "Lorin", including Gardens, Dreamtempo Mixtape, and Freakbeats For The Beatfreaks.

In 2002, Ashton performed as "Bassnectar" for the first time, with an appearance at the Health and Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa, California.[9] Release of his second album Motions of Mutation gained him support in smaller electronic circles, and with the follow-up effort Diverse Systems of Throb, his popularity continued to grow. Continued releases in the following years (the albums Mesmerizing the Ultra, Underground Communication, Cozza Frenzy, along with the Timestretch EP) added to Bassnectar's widespread popularity and influence in the ever-growing electronic scene in the United States.

2011–2014: Mainstream breakthrough and touring era

In 2011, Divergent Spectrum became the first album to chart on Billboard, spending 35 weeks on the chart and peaking at 2nd position,[10] marking a turning point for the Bassnectar project.

At the height of his touring era, Bassnectar played over 150 shows a year[5] in venues across the United States, playing with acts like Sound Tribe Sector 9, Disco Biscuits, String Cheese Incident, Michael Franti, Heavyweight Dub Champion and KRS-One, and FreQ Nasty.

2015–2019: Festival circuit and curated events

In 2015, Bassnectar stopped touring his own show and shifted focus towards playing the festival circuit almost exclusively, making multiple appearances at Bonnaroo, Camp Bisco, Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Forest Festival, Lollapalooza, and Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival over the years. However, even before this time of exclusivity of playing only festival shows, Bassnectar began curating his own events.

In 2010, the first curated event, named "BassCenter", was held at the 1stBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado.[11] As popularity and demand grew, various curated events were added over time, including "Basslights" (a collaborative event between Bassnectar and Pretty Lights), Halloween and Day of the Dead themed events (sometimes referred to as "Freakstyle"), New Year's Eve celebrations ("NYE360"), and others, such as "Freestyle Sessions", "Spring Gathering", and "Deja Voom". His latest curated event was to be held in March 2020 at the Barcelo Maya Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico, but was forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020–Present: Hiatus and return

On July 3, 2020, Ashton announced that he was "stepping back" from music, amid allegations of sex trafficking, child pornography, and sexual abuse of minors.[12] He denied the most recent allegations as being "untrue", albeit admitting that "some of my past actions have caused pain, and I am deeply sorry."[13]

In January 2023, after years of silence from Ashton and perpetual discussion from his fans and rumors regarding a possible return, a new mix, titled Music for Optimists, was discovered on the Bassnectar Mixcloud profile.[14] Fans also received an email inviting them to a new website, "UnlocktheOtherSide.com", which would act as a “centralized hub” for the fan community going forward.[15]

In July 2023, a two-night concert was announced as a members-only show to be held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 6–7.[16] One month after the Las Vegas announcement, another two-night concert was announced and scheduled for October 27–28 at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina; however, immediate and intense backlash stemming from the abuse allegations and the ongoing civil suit resulted in the cancellation of this show.[17]

Legacy

Bassnectar at Spring Awakening Music Festival 2013
Bassnectar at Spring Awakening Music Festival in 2013

Live performances

Known for his mesmerizing live shows, concerts are characterized by high volume sound systems, immersive lighting and visual fx, and an "amorphous" blend of genres, including dubstep, drum and bass, hip hop, heavy metal, and other electronic and non-electronic genres.[18]

Through the use of Ableton Live's Session View, the "Ultimate Nerd Server"[19] and custom controllers,[20][21] and with significant help from ill.Gates, Ashton helped to transform the thought process on capabilities during live performances.

Activism and community engagement

Ashton's personal views have been constantly intertwined with his Bassnectar persona, with public statements,[22] interviews,[23][24] samples in released music,[25] and even portions of his live performances[26] focused on the state of politics and human rights in the United States with a strong liberal slant. Words and sound-bytes from the likes of Martin Luther King Jr.,[18] Noam Chomsky, Fred Hampton, and Mumia Abu Jamal have been frequently recalled in various mediums used by Ashton, and in the earlier days of the project, long diatribes on stage airing grievances were not uncommon.

The Bassnectar organization is also recognized for its activist and philanthropic efforts, bringing awareness to political, social and environmental issues and directly supporting organizations such as Conscious Alliance,[27] HeadCount,[28] Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund,[29] To Write Love on Her Arms,[30] and BetterHelp.[31][32] Other programs, such as "Dollar Per Bass Head", which collected $1 for every ticket sold, donated funds to charitable causes voted on by the community.[33]

Personal life

Ashton grew up in a hippie commune in the San Francisco Bay Area, working odd jobs throughout adolescence such as a grocery bagger, children's entertainer, and census taker.[34] Eventually, Ashton came to attend Bellarmine College Preparatory.[35] He initially identified with visual arts rather than music, creating movies with his dad's camera at the age of ten.[36]

Discography

Studio albums

References

  1. ↑ "BASSNECTAR; Fan Bass: Origins of Bassnectar". March 11, 2011. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Lorin Gabriel Ashton, Born 02/16/1978". CaliforniaBirthIndex.org. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  3. ↑ Mallory Gnaegy (November 19, 2009). "Bash with Bassnectar — Bring your earplugs, and feed on the dirty bass". Vox Magazine. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  4. ↑ Walker, Rob (2008). Buying in: the secret dialogue between what we buy and who we are. Random House. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-4000-6391-8.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Ian S. Port (November 28, 2012). "Bass Instincts: How Bassnectar Came to Rule American Dance Music". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Press". Bassnectar.net. March 18, 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  7. ↑ "EM Talks with Bassnectar". YouTube. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  8. ↑ Golden, Ean (May 11, 2008). "Bassnectar Extended Interview". DJ TechTools. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  9. ↑ Bassnectar 1st LIVE set EVER! Video by Omananda Ytube, retrieved October 6, 2023
  10. ↑ "Bassnectar | Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  11. ↑ Solomon, Jon. "Bassnectar brings his 1ST Bass Center to the 1STBANK Center this October". Westword. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  12. ↑ Ramsbottom et al v. Ashton et al (M.D. Tennessee), Text.
  13. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (July 5, 2020). "Bassnectar 'Stepping Back' From Music After Sexual Misconduct Allegations Surface". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Bassnectar Appears to be Quietly Attempting a Comeback". This Song Is Sick. January 17, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  15. ↑ Friedler, Delilah (October 1, 2023). "'Mice in a Maze of Pain': Inside the Scandal-Scarred Comeback of Star DJ Bassnectar". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  16. ↑ Prakash, Prithvi (August 1, 2023). "Bassnectar Announces First Live Show Since His "Cancelation"". EDMTunes. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  17. ↑ Prakash, Prithvi (August 31, 2023). "Bassnectar Event in Asheville Canceled After Backlash". EDMTunes. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  18. 1 2 "Bassnectar at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 5-31-14 (photos, review)". The Denver Post. June 2, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  19. ↑ "U.N.S. - [namethemachine]". September 1, 2013. Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  20. ↑ Tony Ware (October 6, 2023). "Unknown Article Title". eMusician. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023.
  21. ↑ Edgerly, Brett (October 16, 2013). "Point - Counterpoint 01: Turntablism vs. Controllerism". Your EDM. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  22. ↑ Bein, Kat (August 15, 2018). "Bassnectar Rejects Religion in Twitter Rant: 'Jesus DEFINITELY Hates Trump'". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  23. ↑ Stockard, Janice; Blackwood, Evelyn (April 28, 2020). Cultural Anthropology: Mapping Cultures Across Space and Time (1st ed.). Cengage Learning. pp. 344–346. ISBN 978-0357639245. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  24. ↑ Harris, Kyle. "Bassnectar: DJs on Stages Are Preposterous Goons, EDM Is Unimpressive". Westword. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Bassnectar - Diverse Systems Of Throb". Discogs. 2004. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Check Out Bassnectar Giving A Heartfelt Politically Driven Speech During A Past Burning Man Set". RaverRafting. March 10, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  27. ↑ Landoli, Kathy. "Pump That Bass | Life+Times". Life and Times. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  28. ↑ Eichen, Adam; Wong, Phoebe (September 26, 2018). "What We Learned From a Voting Experiment with Bassnectar". Medium. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Bassnectar Contributes $100K In Support Of Black Lives Matter Protests". This Song Is Sick. June 5, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  30. ↑ Billboard Staff (September 13, 2017). "Bassnectar's Real Talk With Unsuspecting Fans at Electric Forest Will Make You Cry: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Bassnectar is handing out free therapy sessions to 1,000 fans". Mixmag. September 2, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Bassnectar Doubles Down on Free Therapy Initiative Due to Overwhelming Response". EDM.com. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Dollar Per Bass Head". Bassnectar.net. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  34. ↑ Kenny-Cincotta, Raffaela. "Five jobs Bassnectar had before he was Bassnectar". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Review: Bassnectar thrills hometown crowd in San Jose". The Mercury News. May 6, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  36. ↑ "About". Bassnectar.net. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
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