Electronica has evolved over the past decade from a cultish fringe genre to a phenomenal cultural and commercial force, with multiple-act bills and weekend festivals attracting thousands of rabidly loyal and often chemically altered fans. Within that community, there are few names that carry as much weight as Lorin Ashton, more prominently known to his legions of fans and his equally awed colleagues as Dubstep genius Bassnectar. (More evidence of Electronica’s drawing power — this is Bassnectar’s second sold-out show at the Madison Theater in a row.)
For the past decade, Bassnectar has fashioned a reputation for anthemic beats, throbbing bass lines and a flawless sense of pacing a crowd, perfecting his persona as a madly animated, dreadlocked maestro who directs his audience as passionately and precisely as he drops beats and mixes jams.
Since his debut at the dawn of the new millennium, Bassnectar has released an impressive and voluminous catalog of wildly eclectic grooves that he has described as “omni-tempo maximalism,” a term that aptly describes his limitless sonic palette. Bassnectar is also a serial collaborator, combining his gifts with the vast talent pool that contemporary Electronica has to offer (iLL Gates, Audiovoid, Mr. Projectile, Babylon System among them), a propensity that goes hand-in-hand with his mad remixing skills for the likes of Deftones, Sleigh Bells, Ellie Goulding and literally hundreds of others.
Bassnectar performs Wednesday with Eliot Lipp and DJ Booty Sweat at Madison Theater. Go here to read Brian Baker's full Sound Advice.
