Bassnectar's Got New Music For You at Electric Forest

Article by: Evan Levy

Wed June 24, 2015 | 00:00 AM


Lorin Ashton, aka Bassnectar , has a few surprises in store for festival-goers at Electric Forest this weekend. The DJ tells Fest300 he’s planning to treat everyone to music from his upcoming release, Into the Sun , which arrives in stores June 30. “I wanted to under-promise and over-deliver [with Into the Sun]: under-promise the glory, and over-deliver the quality,” he notes. “This is music I love. It’s all woven together into a very specific sonic adventure.”

In addition to the tracks that you’ll be able to buy on the album, Ashton confides in us that he’ll unveil even more new material during his upcoming performances. “I actually have another [album], almost 90 minutes of new music,” he reveals. “I don’t want to be overloading people, so it’s music I can play at shows and festivals.” While the DJ admits the project has not “officially come together yet,” he hopes to release it “later in the year.”

Bassnectar Press Photo A Live Coverage)

Photo by: aLIVE Coverage

Ashton is no stranger to Electric Forest, having played the first event in 2008, and again in 2011 and 2012. The DJ says his first appearance at the fest was a memorable one because it was the last time he allowed fans to dance on stage with him. “It was tough to energetically fill the space, so I used to have people up on stage to take the emphasis off me and blur the line between the stage and the dance floor,” he explains. “The first time I played Electric Forest we flooded the stage, and I remember there was so many people up there my manager was freaking out. I haven’t done it since, but it was fun.”

Electric Forest has become one of Ashton’s favorite fests to perform at, and the DJ says he can’t wait to feel the vibe of the crowd. “Whether it’s what the festival creators have put together or what the fan base has created for themselves, there’s something unique and magical about [Electric Forest],” he declares. “It inspires me as an artist to take my set to that next level.”

Bassnectar Press Photo A Live Coverage

Photo by: aLIVE Coverage

Performing at festivals has always been a thrill for Ashton, who says one of his favorite festival moments was when he befriended Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl at Lollapalooza in Brazil. “We were watching Cage the Elephant in some backstage area, and he was just headbanging to the music, and I was headbanging to the music,” he reminisces. “We just ended up talking about death metal. It was so cool because he was such a massive childhood hero and influence.” The DJ adds that the Foos frontman has reached out to him since then, and once offered him a chance to showcase his acting chops. “He asked me to be in a music video that he was directing, and I was supposed to play some weird character.” While he wanted to participate in the project, Ashton was forced to back out because “our schedules weren’t synched up.”

You can get your first taste of Into the Sun during Bassnectar’s set at Electric Forest in the Ranch Area on Saturday at 12:30 a.m. The DJ has a full slate of festival performances over the next several months, including stops at Camp Bisco, Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot and Austin City Limits . Visit Bassnectar.net for the full list of dates.