Bassnectar

About
is a freeform electronic musician, DJ, and producer based in Santa Cruz, California. He is best known for his live performances, light shows, and community engagement

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BassnectarOfficial4755 karma

Weird, i was just replying to someone asking about my collabs with G Jones and Tom Morello, and then my computer started acting weird, so here is the response:

YES! Greg and i are working constantly on new music together! we are both super busy now with summer, but its constantly ongoing

Tom Morello and I have had a lot of fun as well. He hit me up in like 2015? to help work on his new album, we ended up writing a track together which involved an insane amount of back and forth. it was an amazing process. He was working with some other DJs on more electronic music, and i was like DUDE... lets make a song like Rage Against the Machine which has never been made before, and we did ...it slotttters.

then we spent over a year working with vocalists, and ended up working with Big Boi [OutKast] and Killer Mike [Run The Jewels] - it is HEAVY DUTY!!!

but waiting on Tom Morello to release it, he is working on a whole album so im just chillin :)

BassnectarOfficial2601 karma

HAHA my manager just texted me "ive never seen so many questions about somebodies hair"

BassnectarOfficial1823 karma

i've always loved circles, and i've always loved stars ;) the pentagram marries two wonderful shapes together AND scares bible thumpers, so its a win win

BassnectarOfficial1761 karma

well for one, I can't really speak about "EDM Shows" with authority, because that's not what I do. I see "EDM" as Avicci, Tiesto, Afrojack, Skrillex, etc. there is certainly crossover in Bassnectar Land, but i choose the road less taken. I come from a different place, and have different ideas, and so a lot of times the standard/classic EDM SCENE is irrelevant to what I do. But of course there is a crossover. In general with drugs, I did some experimenting a long time ago, and I know there are potential positive experiences to be had for SOME people. Unfortunately, I have seen so many horrendous tragedies (death, ruined lives, ruined relationships, ruined careers, ruined nervous systems) that I just do not wish to encourage drug use. In fact, I have a lot of problems with legally sanctioned Pharmaceuticals as well (not all of them of course). But pushing meth onto kids, getting them addicted, but calling it Adderall, that's fucked up. Why criticize Lance Armstrong for using performance-enhancement drugs, but then all the kids in college (who aren't diagnosed with ADHD) take it to do better in school. I think drugs is just such a loaded topic, it's hard to respond quickly.

BassnectarOfficial1488 karma

i think either a high school history teacher or a guidance counselor... OR! i would love to do preschool or kindegarten, i got my teachers degree when i graduated [was busy with a minor in education, minor in electornic music, and a major in Community Studies] and just wanted to work with music and social change, and inspire/protect/guide people who needed friendship and support.... id also love to write novels...like stories or something

BassnectarOfficial1426 karma

Derek and I have been MAD-SLACKING on finishing a tune together. i've got tons of love for him and his sound, we definitely plan to collab in the future

BassnectarOfficial1304 karma

backwards & forwards & upside down

BassnectarOfficial1009 karma

That's a really big question! One of my main goals/passions in life is helping people lead happier/healthier lives. I have had the odd fortune of experiencing so much joy in my life that I truly just want to give back. I've felt this way since I was a kid. I certainly have my sad moments, and my challenges, but I am just literally "OVERJOYED" to be alive. I think this existence is so magical and mysterious, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. If I had one wish it would simply be more time to enjoy life. that's what makes me happy.

BassnectarOfficial998 karma

its a pretty complex process for me, and insanely time consuming. i have multiple interfaces like spreadsheets [where every song in my collection is listed with notes about it, tempo, melodic information, other random notes] and text files with massive brainstorms, i make a brainstorm in writing before any set, and i have these saved for over ten years [sometimes before a big event like bass center, when i'm playing three consecutive nights and doing zero repeats, i need to go in hella deep and reference 'what did i play last time at bass center? what did i play last time in colorado? what did i play last weekend? what do i wanna play NEXT weekend in new york' etc] and so it starts to spread out into this fuckin INSANE matrix of overwhelming possibility!!!! then that's just the pregame daydreaming. then i go insane with Ableton... i countless grips of tracks and loops and samples all cut up in various ways, color coded, etc, and i start mixing and matching, and creating new stuff, and getting distracted, and blah blah blach....

eventually i will end up with a massive Ableton session, bursting with possibility, and i spend a large amount of the set strategizing and subtractively editing the incoming possibilities [like nah...i dont wanna play that now, or nahhhh i am not gonna play that tonight after all]... so i can often have a 5 hour set prepared for a one hour time slot.

in general the week before any set i am totally Charlie in this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nTpsv9PNqo

BassnectarOfficial990 karma

hahaha! You have my dream job. lucky!

:)

I used to teach music a lot, i wish i had more time for that, so maybe you can transcribe them? ;) And i've worked with a lot of drum choruses before (marching band, batucada, samba, etc) ...nothing it "too kanye" i dont pay attention to pop stars, and nobody can really own an idea.

keep in touch!

:)