One of the most requested items on a Basshead’s wish-list is finally here. Bassnectar released his, “Tempo of Dreams” mixtape commemorating nearly 20 years since his “Dreamtempo 1999” mixtape. Although the release was earlier than planned, it came with good reason. Bassnectar’s summer family gathering Freestyle Sessions came to a halt after night one due to technical issues out of the Bassnectar team’s control. This series of unfortunate events pushed the team into overdrive and redeemed themselves in less than 24 hours pulling off the impossible. Night 3, also known as Wildstyle Night turned Freestyle Party, was held at Denver Coliseum where Bassnectar orchestrated an underground warehouse vibe. As a
Omnitempo Maximalism
Call me biased, but I swear everything Bassnectar creates is pure musical genius magic. The mixtape starts out with Decap’s track Yeah, but is altered with Bassnectar twists and tricks. You hear a faint, “this is only the beginning,” sending chills down my spine. It makes me remember the same insane introduction we got this past NYE 360 before he annihilated us with an Infinite opener. Shortly after follows a classic favorite, Buku’s Front to Back layered with acapellas. “That’s how I want us to break it down”, and break it down I indeed did blasting this in my car. This mixtape had me shoulder shimmying, finger flicking, and bass facing; you know exactly what I mean.
There are a few distinct parts of this mixtape that stick out to me the most. The first being Bassnectar’s most recent solo track Undercover. This track is a part of Reflective 4 and is truly the one track highlighting Bassnectar’s old school underground roots. It makes sense to include this song specifically considering this mixtape is the replacement of Freestyle’s Dreamtempo night, a night
Next has to be the harmonic Flood on the Floor. This track transcends me to a place special to me. I close my eyes and take myself back to Electric Forest Weekend 1 2018, where I lost my phone leaving me no choice but to fully immerse myself in the Bassnectar experience. It’s incredible the power a song has over me as I go back into hearing it live surrounded by my friends, as we all dance the night away. So this is my special shout out to Lo, thank you for including this track — one I hold near and dear to my heart.
And finally, to close out the mixtape is the mesmerizing Unending. How ironic, Unending is the end of the mixtape. I see what you did there Lorin. Genius I tell you. And rightfully so, because I have had this mixtape on a constant loop, never ending or unending in this case. The voice to this track is soothing but also eerie in a sense:
If you listen, you can hear it all makes sense: a conversation with the bees and the birds and ants…
My interpretation of this is to pay attention to the details. Even further, I think about the appreciation we need to have for the details Bassnectar and his team articulate just for us. The stunt they pulled after the catastrophe at Freestyles is impeccable. To have this mixtape as a thank you goes to show how much Bassnectar himself appreciates us and our dedication. Overall, another flawless piece of art by the man himself.
Thank you, Bassnectar for blessing our ears once again!