Bassnectar stepped on the dubstep scene more than a decade ago, but only recently did the disc jockey begin wavering melodies and incessant bass that became the beats to college parties around the nation. Bassnectar (real name Lorin Ashton) is mostly known for his collaborations with other DJs and infusing his style with top-40 hits. Most recently, he performed to sold-out, large, hungry crowds at: Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival Vegas.
With wavering bass, combining alarming sounds with pulsating melodies, his music is a total sensory experience. His use of fusing electronic and house music with heavy syncopated beats creates a spectrum of hard-rocking, fist pumping and crowd surfing that keep fans coming back for more.
Bassnectar will take his talents to Gainesville on Friday at the Alachua County Fairgrounds accompanied by AmpLive and SuperDre. Doors open at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $30. Visit bassnectar.net for tickets.
The Avenue got the opportunity to pick the DJ's brain. Here's what he had to say.
How did you first get into the DJ scene?
"The moment I went to my first rave, my entire life changed. Prior to that, I had been almost exclusively obsessed with death metal and had never danced before (lots of head banging though), and I spent that entire night dancing and meeting amazing people. The next day I decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my life bringing experiences like that to other people."
You're the king of dubstep. How did you happen to come upon this music?
"I have always been in love with many different sounds and styles of music. My tastes are very eclectic, and I enjoy what happens when you combine unlikely extremes into new, strange, beautiful combinations. It is that spectrum of extremes that ‘Divergent Spectrum' is based on."
What do you hope to achieve by playing in a college town?
"College towns are special because they are basically filled with people who are ready to rage. When I was in college, I spent a ridiculous amount of time organizing outdoor concerts and music events on campus. At one point, someone discovered a secret stairwell in my dorm that went four stories high. My neighbors in the dorm made a trapdoor to it, and many months were spent throwing illegal parties inside of it. It was entirely out of hand."
Where do you see yourself in the future? And what will you be doing?
"In 2046, I will be a maintenance man in an apartment complex, and I will collect Bonsai trees. One day a young boy will move into the apartment complex, and I will teach him karate, but I will do so in secret, by teaching him how to sand the floor and paint the house. One day he will go on to be a great karate master, and I will stay in my underground dojo."
What can fans expect for the future of Bassnectar?
"I just want to keep moving forward and upward bringing music to this ever-growing and ever-changing community of people. One of my favorite sayings is, ‘Best is better than newest,' so I am not trying to change it up; I'm just having fun riding this wild roller coaster to the next level."
What advice would you give to aspiring DJs?
"Don't follow anyone else's rules; just do what you love, as much as possible."
Bassnectar will perform Friday at the Alachua County Fairgrounds. The DJ gets real with the Avenue and even tells us where he sees himself in the year 2046. See story, page 12
