Essential Bassnectar

A producer/DJ with an overarching concept and vision is hard to come by these days, and so it makes someone like Lorin Ashton a true rarity. Known pro

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Complex Original

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A producer/DJ with an overarching concept and vision is hard to come by these days, and so it makes someone like Lorin Ashton a true rarity. Known professionally as Bassnectar, the California bred and based artist has been in the game for years honing and pushing his ever-evolving brand of "omnitempo maximalism." What that actually is? Up to your interpretation as Bassnectar's growing discography and catalog of releases continues to evolve through each and every release. From his early days mixing psychedelic and ambient inspired breaks to the genre-defying, brain-busting bass he serves up now, Bassnectar's sound has never been so easily defined. This list is by no means definitive, but it's a look at some of Bassnectar's essentials.

The Pixies - "Where Is My Mind (Bassnectar Remix)"

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There's no doubt that this track is quintessential Bassnectar. A genre-defying combination of drumstep, alternative rock, and pop, Bassnectar's described the track as an "anthem for living life at a dizzying pace, but refusing to slow down." The track became a critical part of Bassnectar's 2010 Cozza Frenzy tour; his most recent surge in popularity and fame.

Ellie Goulding - "Lights (Bassnectar Remix)"

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Although Ellie was already a star in the UK, Bassnectar took her song "Lights" and made it a timeless classic. Bassnectar's knack for tsunami-sized bass and raw intensity is on full display as he juxtaposes his particular brand of melodic aggression and arena power against Ellie's signatorially tender emotive vocals to make for an all-time dubstep classic. Though Bassnectar continues to make mind-melting, sonically innovative tracks, no true Bass head can or will deny the significance of this track.

Bassnectar ft. Nelly Furtado - "Magical World"

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Bassnectar and Nelly Furtado may have only come together for one track, but "Magical World" was another in the long line of songs that have cemented Bassnectar's place in the upper echelon of electronic music artists. His music often takes on a mystical theme in some regard and this one is no different as Nelly's vocals are perfectly complimented by an almost mythical, gothic hymnal vibe. This is a serious track with serious emotional power.

Bassnectar - "Bass Head"

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Womping party-anthems are no doubt just as much Bassnectar's calling card as anything else and few were like "Bass Head." The signature minimal bleeped out riffs, the computerized "Bass Head" whispers, the orchestral timpani-built builds, and wonky wobble madness made this a true, BANGER and is still going off in sets to this day.

Bassnectar - "Timestretch"

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Besides Bassnectar, there's really only one bass music act capable of truly closing a festival mainstage at this point, and that's Skrillex. Surely others may come close to this and others might have had the slot, but few can close a main like Lorin. "Timestretch", the title-track of his landmark 2010 EP, perfectly epitomizes why Bassnectar get's those slots. Yes he can make bangers like no one else, but on an alyrical track like "Timestretch," Bassnectar summons an emotional power and intensity akin to finally seeing a lighthouse after crossing through the eye of a storm.

Dorfex Bos - " Dorfex Bos (Bassnectar Remix)"

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No doubt a personal favorite, Bassnectar's take on "Dorfex Bos" might be the audio equivalent of taking your sweet spring fling out to the lake for a picnic and a snuggle. Heady, and chilled out, "Dorfex Bos" is an old school 'Nectar tune that's all at once warm, bright, light and fun. In some ways, it's another chill-out, ambient track in the same inventive vein as "Laughter Crescendo" or the Wildstyle Method EP track "Fun With Synthesizers," but "Dorfex Bos" seems to have something especially soothing and funky about it with shades of Native Tongues-esque jazz rap vibes.

Bassnectar ft. Kang - "Dubuasca"

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Many might know Bassnectar for his menacing bass, but earlier tracks like "Dubuasca" show a lighter side to the long-haired genius. Bassnectar's new age inspired psychedelic breaks (or whatever you might call this) are just as much a part of the Nectar's vision as he has explored the vastness of mind-expanding music since the beginning of his career. "Dubuasca" perfectly embodies this vibe.

Bassnectar - "Laughter Crescendo"

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Though it seems like most DJs can churn out bangers like water, for an electronic music artist like Bassnectar, that's just not enough. "Laughter Crescendo" originally appeared on Bassnectar's 2005 album Diverse Systems Of Throb before appearing again on Mesmerizing The Ultra, and again in an updated form on Va Va Voom, and still stands as an example of Bassnectar's sheer creativity. Sampling laughter, Bassnectar makes a wavy, mind-expanding, calming beat and by the end of it, you'll forget all your worries and be laughing along, too.

Bassnectar - "So Butterfly"

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Bassnectar has always marched to the beat of his own drum. While many active musicians will often keep mum on political and social issues, Bassnectar has routinely used his platform to express his views. With "So Butterfly," Bassnectar sampled American philosopher Noam Chomsky as a critical part of this track, letting his music speak in place of his own words. "So Butterfly" juxtaposes Chomsky's words against an eerie beat-driven psychedelic vibe and it's essential to understanding Bassnectar's movement.

Bassnectar ft. Lupe Fiasco - "Vava Voom"

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Although his metal and industrial roots are usually more apparent at the outset of his tracks, Bassnectar's music has always had a distinctly hip-hop aspect at the core. Throughout his career the 'Nectar has worked with an assortment of different MCs and vocalists, but few have the cache of Lupe Fiasco. The "Kick, Push" rapper might be more known for his chiller, skater boy vibes, and he started working with Bassnectar for "Land of the Lupes," but it was on album title cut "Vava Voom" that the two took their dynamic pairing to new heights.

Bassnectar - "Cozza Frenzy"

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Crushing bass, hypnotic rhythms, futuristic-cyborg vibes, and a hip-hop swag, "Cozza Frenzy" is no doubt a certified classic Bassnectar anthem. The track and the buzz surrounding it was an instrumental part in what catapulted Bassnectar from small bars to closing out festivals.

Bassnectar - "Boombox"

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UK dubstep and bass music pioneer Kode9 once authored a book Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear (Technologies of Lived Abstraction), and in it he in-depthly covers some of the ways that audio has been used as a tool for fear and war. Bassnectar's earthquake-sized bass bomb in "Boombox" might as well be the epitome of the mind-rattling audio. The tweaked out jam is just that, tweaked out.

The Beatles - "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Bassnectar Remix)"

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Released as a CD-only exclusive remix on his 2008 EP Heads Up, Bassnectar's vivid re-interpretation of The Beatles' classic "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" featured hard-hitting breaks, gritty lo-fi synths, and an assortment of pleasure center pleasing psychedelic sounds. The track, and the EP's title track to a lesser extent, became somewhat of a precursor of Bassnectar's transformation to a much more aggressive sound with ensuing releases such as Timestretch, Wildstyle Method, Divergent Spectrum, Vava Voom, and Freestyle each incorporating many of the same vibes and elements.

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