Bassnectar

Lorin Ashton known as Bassnectar, is known to be the pioneer of bass music and is considered to be one of the most influential artist on the culture of EDM. Bassnectar is known to have the most devoted and loyal fan base within the EDM culture. In fact, his fans are known to have form a cult that call themselves “Bass Heads.” Bassnectar attracts thousands of passionate fans that follow and attend festivals just to witness his performances. Bassnectar distances himself from the mainstream and incorporates unique sounds to create songs unlike anyone else. He describes himself as someone “more interested in the art, the community, the impact… not interested in the fame.” (Diaz, 2015)  His style of music has been consistent since he began and does not alter his musical production to fit the mainstream preference. However, with his constant increase in popularity, Bassnectar is considered to be a “headliner” on festival lineups by building a unique and specific fan base that differs from popular EDM artists that appear on the radio.

Recognized as the “Bass God,” Bassnectar produces “headbanging” heavy bass music that combines components from a variety of genres that his fans can’t seem to get enough of. Through his powerful live performances, Bassnectar controls the vibe and tempo of the crowd through his flawless song choices, smooth transitions, and DJ and production skills that seem to captivate the audience. On the other hand his style of production might be considered to intense and is not played on the radio. Therefore, he attracts the specific crowd of “Bass heads.”

Bassheads are also dedicated to Bassnectar for his overall messages. He is an ego-less, non-conformist that is involved with his communal fans and openly expresses his opinions and values on many different topics. He promotes peace and empathy. In an interview he says,  “I want to create kind of a magnetic phenomenon that would inspire youth culture and make youth culture curious, thus expanding my sphere of influence, and my ability to interact and contribute on a deeper lever. I have some strong counter-culture beliefs and a lot of energy to act on them, to make a social impact, because I care.” (Chung & Deroche, 2010)   He is extremely beloved and influential to his fans overall by being humble, sending positive messages, and his devotion for the art in addition to his vibrant and incredible performances.

I personally consider myself a “Bass head.” I have witnessed his performances on 6 different occasions and support his music and his message. I recently attended the Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival in Florida last month where Bassnectar was set to perform at 11:45 PM. I arrived at the stage 45 minutes prior to find a good spot in the crowd where thousands of people flooded the area by the stage. It seemed to me that the whole crowd consisted of “Bassheads.”  Bassnectar flags, totems, and attire surrounded me. The crowd was waiting patiently for the “Bass God” to appear on stage with background music playing. I could feel the tension, anticipation, and excitement of the crowd around me. All of a sudden, the bass and volume rose to extreme levels as Bassnectar entered the stage. The crowd erupted into cheers, screams, and chants. At that moment, chills began to overcome my body and I realized that this truly is my heaven. There was no place where I would rather be.

Bassnectar at Okeechobee Festival

Sources:

Chung, N. Deroche, B. (2010).  Bassnectar On Change: “I Want To Make A Social Impact.” Huffington Post. Retrieved from. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/05/bassnectar-on-change-i-wa_n_347463.html

Diaz J. (2015). The Cult of Bassnectar: Building a movement in the face of a sold out culture. Dancing Astronaut. Retrieved from  http://www.dancingastronaut.com/2015/07/bassnectar-punk-metals-influence-edm-hating-fame-relating-kurt-cobain/

Rave Culture

Heaven, a place where unlimited comfortably, joy, and love consumes you. A place where all your troubles seem to become inexistent. A place with no hate, restrictions, prejudice, judgments, or bias. A place where you have limitless freedom to express yourself. A place where anyone and everyone is accepted. A place that encompasses concepts of peace, love, unity, and respect. A place where your surrounded by other people with that value these concepts. The Electronic Dance Music culture is my heaven.

Electronic Dance Music, known as EDM, is a modern musical genre rooted from disco that began in the late 1980’s. EDM in fact, is a broad category of electronically produced genres with a variety of styles and sounds. Within EDM there are DJ’s and producers. DJ’s selects existing songs and then plays, mixes, and transitions them using effects, loops, and other techniques through hardware (DJ decks) and software. Producers actually create music electronically through computer software creating a multitude of sounds that cannot be done with instruments. DJing and Producing go hand-in-hand because producers often learn to DJ to showcase their music and DJ’s often learn to produce to create their own music. The EDM movement began in warehouses and nightclubs and quickly progressed to large shows and festivals. EDM is not just a type of music nor a profitable industry, EDM created a culture that immensely impacted the modern generation.

In the 1980’s in Europe, the rave culture began.  In order to avoid law enforcement, secret underground dance parties in warehouses called a “rave” began where attendees would dance the night away to fast paced electronic music performed by a DJ.  The party culture gained popularity from teenagers and young adults in the United States in the 1990’s. (NGI, 2001) Over a short period of time, raves became less secretive and highly promoted. However, the party drug ecstasy or MDMA and other drugs flooded the rave scene that tainted the rave reputation. On the other hand, the Kandi culture was formed within the rave scene to spread the concept of PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect). Kandi are hand-made and personalized beaded bracelets with a meaningful word or a short phrase. Rave attendees would trade these bracelets with other ravers through a handshake that spreads PLUR and signifies acceptance. (Van Dyk, 2013) The steps to trading Kandi include: first Two people make peace signs (Peace), then they form their hands into hearts (Love), then they join the hearts and hold hands (Unity), next they slide the bracelet from hand to hand, finally the two that traded each other would hug (Respect). (Van Dyk, 2013)

Source:

Van Dyk, J. (2013). The Meaning Behind the Neon Beads. Glow. Retrieved from  http://www.clubglow.com/edm/the-kandi-konnection-whats-the-deal-with-rave-beads/

Rosh Hashana

Apples and Honey

Rosh Hashana is the holiday that celebrates the Jewish New Year. Contrary to the secular new year, that starts on January first, Rosh Hashanah begins during the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei and is celebrated for 2 days. Rosh Hashana literally means "head of the year" in Hebrew. Rosh Hashana celebrates the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the birth of mankind, and focuses on the special bond between G‑d and humanity.

During Rosh Hashana, many customs and traditions are practiced. The most significant symbol of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram's horn. The sound of the shofar is also a call to repentance; because Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance. Customary foods are also consumed during the holiday. Similar to most Jewish holidays, food is a significant part of celebrating Rosh Hashana. Families and friends unite for extensive meals that include traditional and symbolic food. Apples and challah bread are dipped in honey as a symbol of wishing for a sweet new year. During the meal, it is customary to eat the head of a fish as a symbol that everyone at the dinner table will be at the "head" and not the "tail"in their endeavors this year. Jews also have a custom to eat fruits and vegetables that are in season such as pomegranates, beets and dates.

Shofar Blowing