Bassnectar’s seventh EP release, Freestyle offers an audio journey that wobbles and bounces its way through six distinct tracks that offer tastes of sounds new and old from producer and performer Lorin Ashton. Successfully hitting #1 on the iTunes electronic charts the day it was released, this EP has quickly found itself an eager audience.
The EP is musically similar to Bassnectar’s last studio release, Divergent Spectrum, in the balance of high-energy ragers and dreamy vocal offerings. Following on the heels of the Freestyle mixtape, a free release which featured all six tracks as well as other Bassnectar tunes, the EP offers new tracks from the ever-working producer. It has an assortment of dubstep, drum and bass, hip hop, and other influences in the musical spectrum described by Ashton as “omnitempo maximalism.” This high-energy assortment of tunes lifts listeners through dreamy highs and punches with waves of bass that sail through the audio spectrum in the signature style of the one and only Bassnectar.
As per his usual approach to his studio releases, the Freestyle EP features many collaborators. Vocals from Mimi Paige, Angel Haze, Zumbi, Zion I, and Eligh offer very distinct styles ranging from angelic singing to thoughtful rap. On the production side of the collaborations, the UKF drum and bass producer, DC Breaks, adds a classic DnB sound to “Breathless.” The collaboration with Timeless on the remix of Amp Live’s “Ego Killer” builds a fascinating mix of style from the three producing powerhouses coming together for one track.
The title track is not entirely clean, but the rest of the EP can safely be played without offending grandmothers.
The mixtape is available for free and the EP for $6 through Bassnectar’s official website and iTunes. All the tracks can be streamed online as listed below.
Freestyle Mixtape;
Freestyle ft. Angel Haze 140bpm C#m
Hit that beat like King Kong! Dubstep styled track with simple vocal samples of male/female “freestyle music” and “hit that beat like King Kong” starts the EP off in an energetic frenzy of bass. The title track of this EP features Angel Haze providing vocals, which add personality to the already complex song. This is the only track on the EP which contains vulgur language, dropping the “F” bomb early on in the track.
Breathless ft. Mimi Page 87.5bpm Gm FCC
A collaboration with DC Breaks, “Breathless” starts with a dreamy slow intro into a sort-of-trancy main section. Showing off the lighter nature of Bassnectar tracks, this track features higher synthesizers that dance around while rhythmic wobbles bounce out a smooth low range.
Hologram ft. Zumbi 140bpm Cm FCC
This slow grinding tune which builds through the verses is a slow and heavy offering of the simplistic style of American dubstep. Vocals from Zumbi drift between synthetic and natural sounds to create a progression which keeps the tune feeling fresh throughout.
Infinite 88bpm Am FCC
A grinding song to blast at high volume raises the energy of the EP from the previous two tracks. Vocal samples add to the build of the track leading into bass drops that will leave your face melted clean off.
Zion I – Human (Bassnectar Remixxx) 86bpm Gm FCC
A true hip-hop track with Zion I featuring a super wobbly bass line for vocal verses, this is the most mainstream- sounding track on the EP. High production quality and superb energy instantly made this my favorite song on Freestyle.
Amp Live & Eligh – Ego Killer (Bassnectar & Timeline Remix) 140bpm Em FCC
Reminiscent of Skrillex tracks at points, this track offers more complicated vocals than the rest of the EP and flows smoothly from introspective to explosive and back again. A solid end to the presentation, offers a trippy release for the overall musical journey.
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