Bassnectar - Timestretch Review
For an EP with four new tracks and a presence that will dominate your sound system, Timestretch, a release by dubstep producer Bassnectar, makes no compromises. The explosive opener, “Here We Go,” a popular live track, takes you straight into the mind of Lorin Ashton, the mastermind behind Bassnectar, as the sliced up vocals and sirens build into an eruption of bass beats and roaring synthesizers. If you liked the monstrous build, do not fret, because Ashton brings it back later in the second half of the song. Each track has something different to offer, as “Bass Head” proves to rock your brain back and forth, with its robotic vocals, hip-hop build and timpani hits that drop into your consciousness, where they will probably stay long after hearing the song. Knowing Bassnectar and his insanely loud production, you better get ready for the next track, because there is no time to rest when listening to Timestretch. “Blast Off” crashes right into your ears from the very start, and instantly takes off with a bass that sweeps and resonates through the beat. It builds and keeps going until the epic halfway marker, where a breakdown gives way to the largest part of the song. A crowd of people can be heard counting down to one, where the song will literally “blast off,” through your speakers and your eardrums. The ecstatic moment of this release is pure adrenaline, and the song keeps up the pace as it slowly fades out. This leads listeners to the title track, which is arguably the calmest song on the EP, but don’t let that fool you. Maybe calm is not exactly the right word, because for the dubstep prodigy that Bassnectar is, calm is a relative term. Still, “Timestretch” gives listeners a few minutes to breathe, as the medium tempo hip-hop beat and bass become a little more reserved. Nothing particularly crazy happens during these beats, except for a very solid groove that is still just as addicting as the previous tracks mentioned. Besides these four new original tracks, Ashton is generous with his EP, including four new remixes to take over the second half (two “Bass Head” remixes, a “Timestretch” remix, and a remix of the non-EP song, “Maximum”). The second half echoes the first pretty well, while still offering new sounds to the mix. Check out Bassnectar’s Timestretch EP, and stay tuned for his upcoming EP Wildstyle, due out October 19th.
Rating: 9.0/10
Recommended Tracks: Basshead, Blast Off, Timestretch
