Lorin Gabriel Ashton, better known under his stage name Bassnectar (born February 16, 1978),[2] is an American DJ and electronic music producer.

[9][10] Ashton began djing parties in the Bay Area and drew fanfare at Burning Man by playing multiple sets a night.

[11] Making an appearance at the 2002 Health and Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa, California, it is believed Ashton performed for the first time using a laptop and controller in lieu of standard djing equipment.

His second album Motions of Mutation from 2003 and its 2004 successor Diverse Systems of Throb both garnered support from the Bay Area electronic music community, and through frequent sightings at various parties and festivals, his notoriety continued to grow.

Continued releases in the following years (albums Mesmerizing the Ultra, Underground Communication, Cozza Frenzy, along with the EP Timestretch) added to Bassnectar's popularity and influence in the ever-growing electronic scene in the United States.

It was during this period that Bassnectar was at the height of his touring era, exceeding 200,000 ticket sales in both 2011 and 2012[16] and playing over 150 shows a year[5] in venues across the United States.

Ashton approached the effort by first composing each song's building blocks electronically, then deconstructing them into guitar, piano, and vocal arrangements that could then be sent to various producers and artists for workshopping.

In January 2023, following years of silence from Ashton stemming from sexual assault allegations, perpetual discussion from his fans, and rumors regarding a possible return, a new mix, titled Music for Optimists, was discovered on the Bassnectar Mixcloud profile.

[22] Later that year, a two-night concert was announced as a "members-only" show to be held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 6–7, marking the first public event put on by Ashton since playing at Okeechobee in 2020.

[29] The Palladium show was followed up by an announcement a few weeks later for a new curated event, titled "Boombox ATL", which was to be held April 26–27, 2024 at the Gateway Center Arena.

After voicing his displeasure on his Facebook artist profile, Ashton attempted to apologize and mitigate the issue, explaining their use was above-board, citing sampling culture in electronic music and exposure benefit Hattler would enjoy stemming from the visual's use in live performances.

[41] Mimi Page, who provided vocals for a few Bassnectar tracks, including "Butterfly" and "Breathless", tweeted that she was "devastated" and sends "love and healing to the fans in this community who's [sic] hearts are also breaking.

In November 2024, three years after the initial filing, the legal team representing Ashton requested summary judgment by Judge Aleta Trauger.

[49][50] Known for his mesmerizing live shows, concerts are characterized by high volume sound systems, immersive lighting and visual fx, and an "amorphous" blend of genres and musical elements, both electronic and non-electronic.

[51] Reflecting on moments from his career, fellow dubstep artist Skream had this to say after watching Ashton perform at the Shambhala music festival in 2008: “I played before Bassnectar in the Fractal Forest, I think it was, and it was insane,” he says.

People were losing their absolute minds.”One key ingredient in making these performances so captivating was Ashton's adoption of "controllerism", an alternative approach to live mixing compared to more traditional setups that used CDJs.

[53] Originally making use of a pair of M-Audio Trigger Finger mini pad (MIDI) controllers, these connected to two laptops that each ran Ableton Live's Session View, which enabled the selection and cueing of tracks to be mixed together.

[61] The reaction wasn't always positive, however, as demonstrated in 2016 when Bassnectar drew complaints from neighbors while performing at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

Words and sound-bytes from the likes of Martin Luther King Jr.,[51] Noam Chomsky, Fred Hampton, and Mumia Abu Jamal have been frequently recalled in various mediums used by Ashton, and in the earlier days of the project, long diatribes on stage airing grievances were not uncommon.

The Bassnectar organization is also recognized for its activist and philanthropic efforts, bringing awareness to political, social and environmental issues and directly supporting organizations such as Conscious Alliance,[73] HeadCount,[74] Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund,[75] To Write Love on Her Arms,[76] and BetterHelp.