Six years ago, we featuredAC Slater as one of the best things about 2013. There's a reason why; the man who's been dubbed as "the king of heavy house bass" had been championing a darker, UK-tinged bass-heavy house sound in Los Angeles with his Night Bass night, as well as dropping some spine-tingling tunes and remixes along the way. Since then, he's continued on that path, turning Night Bass into both an established destination event and an impressive imprint, pushing the heavy house bass sound.
In an effort to continue on the path he's been on, AC Slater and the Night Bass crew are touching down in Chicago on July 20 (the same weekend as ComplexCon Chicago!) for Night Bass City, a night full of insane B2Bs including the likes of Redlight, Jack Beats, Sinden, Chris Lorenzo, and many, many more, along with a set from the Night Bass don AC Slater himself. To get the mood right for the event, Slater not only put together a stellar Summer 2019 mix, but he also gave us the scoop on the idea behind the night, Night Bass' presence at Your Paradise Fiji in December, and what you can expect from the imprint this year—including a new AC Slater album.
Been following Night Bass from its evolution from a club night into a record label. When did the concept for Night Bass City come from?
Night Bass City is an idea I've had for a few years. Our events have always been like a little community of people that are into our specific blend of music. Kids would come up to me and say, "This is my best friend I met him at Night Bass." Or, "This is my boyfriend I met him at Night Bass." Over the years it felt like such a strong community that I thought it would be cool to have a big gathering where everyone could come together and link up and celebrate the music.
Any particular sets or performances you're hyped for?
All of them, of course. It's literally all back-to-back sets that have never happened before. There are some really unique pairings in there!
Where else can people see the Night Bass brand this summer?
Right now for the summer we've been fully focused on Night Bass City in Chicago. We've got a potential surprise, something different for our L.A. fans but I can't say because it hasn't been confirmed yet.
It's a little far away, but can you give us some details on the Night Bass takeover during Your Paradise Fiji in December?
Yes, it's going to be Chris Lorenzo, Jack Beats, and myself on Cloud 9, a two-level club floating in the middle of the ocean off the coast of Fiji.
Night Bass has been very consistent on the release tip; what releases do you have lined up for the second half of the year?
We have our 100th release which is going to be huge and very special. We've also got a photo book called Night Bass: The First Five Years. Other than that we've got huge EPs from Taiki Nulight, Bassboy, Jay Robinson, and more.
You're busy AF—any plans for an Outsiders follow-up in the near future?
Absolutely! I'm taking off a lot of the summer from touring to finish up on my second album due out in September.
Tickets for Night Bass City are still available.
