Rising bass house artist BASSZER0 swung by to reflect on the growth he’s experienced in the scene throughout the year, his recent shows, and more.
The dance music scene in Southern California continues to flourish, and a new era of DJs has been gaining ground as they climb their way up the ranks. One artist who has embarked on this journey is BASSZER0, a bass house DJ and producer from Los Angeles who took some big steps forward for his career in 2024.
This year, BASSZER0 began to turn heads by releasing his original tune “Ready,” which marries bass house and electro elements to create a festival-ready sonic experience. Yet that wasn’t all that BASSZER0 had in store, as he’s also taken the stage at a number of events throughout Southern California, including his most recent set to close out the year at Plur Eventz’s Winter Fantasy at Catch One.
As the year comes to a close, BASSZER0 swung by to dive into his roots in the scene, his recent sets and releases, and so much more. Learn more about this budding talent from Los Angeles by listening to his guest mix and reading on for our conversation with him!
Stream EDMID Guest Mix 450 || BASSZER0 on SoundCloud:
Hi Jacob, thanks for sitting down with us today! Before we get into your current work, let’s dive into your roots in the scene. Can you tell us how you were first introduced to electronic music and some of the artists you fell in love with early on?
I was first introduced to EDM at a young age, listening to different genres, from house to techno and more, while growing up. I remember when my cousin showed me Daft Punk’s “One More Time” when I was six, and I was mind-blown. I grew up listening to Daft Punk, Kaskade, Skrillex, and deadmau5. The one I remember is when I was in middle school, my mom bought me my first deadmau5 album, 4×4=12. That’s when I fell more in love with EDM.
What led you to shift from being a raver to a DJ and producer? Was there a specific moment where it all clicked?
I was at Beyond Wonderland SoCal in 2022 watching Joyryde set. The way the crowd was jumping, going crazy, and nonstop dancing, from his style switching to house, bass house, and drum and bass, was amazing. After that, I told my friends, “You know what, I want to take being a DJ/producer very seriously now.” Joyryde and Habstrakt are my inspirations for becoming a bass house DJ.
Moving to the present, you played your last show of the year earlier this month at Plur Eventz’s Winter Fantasy at Catch One. Tell us about that night and what the experience was like!
I was excited and nervous. I get nervous sometimes when playing bass events, but I felt ready. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but once I’m on the decks, I always make sure to give the crowd a show. During my set, the crowd went from small to growing, and eventually, it became a full house. Seeing the crowd headbanging, singing, and moshing was so awesome to watch.
There were plenty of other shows you played throughout 2024 as well. Looking back, what do you feel was the most impactful show you played? Was there one where you felt super dialed in and connected to the crowd?
My most impactful show this year was my main stage debut at We Love Kandy at Catch One in LA on August 17. It was something that I have worked so hard for the past year. I’ve worked on my craft, style, producing, and everything.
When I played my “Dominate x dashstar* x Work” edit and my song, “Ready,” I saw the crowd going crazy, jumping up and down. I looked around and was in shock. I couldn’t stop watching the crowd. It was an amazing, special, and unreal moment. I remember looking at my friends, and one of them told me, “You made that; look at the crowd!” It’s something I won’t forget!
As someone immersed in the SoCal scene, what are your thoughts on its current state from mainstream festivals and shows to the underground? Is there anything you’d like to see change?
Both are great. I know the underground sometimes gets a bad look, but I think there are a lot of talented artists in that side of the scene who deserve to be out there playing on the big stage. I love supporting my local and underground artists.
I hope they will create a mini festival or something for underground artists in the local area in the future. A place for artists like John Jose, Houseroll, Nar, Alexa Gaxi, X ray, Pvtry Never Stops, and more to shine. Those artists are who I looked up to the most when starting my music career in the underground scene.
Earlier this year, you released “Ready,” a track filled with banging bass house sounds and a touch of dirty electro that evoked nostalgia. What was the production process like on this tune?
I wanted to make something different that will get you pumped up and make it feel like you’re at a festival and you want to jump and go crazy. When making this song, I went into a mindset as a raver of “how I would feel if I heard this song at a festival setting” from the beat, drums, kick, bass, build up to where eventually it all came together.
Do you have plans to release more music next year?
Yes! Lots of new music in the plans for 2025. I plan to release a lot of new original tunes along with some edits in 2025.
Just for fun, if you could play a back-to-back set with any other artist, who would it be and why?
There are a lot of artists I would love to go back-to-back with, but I would say Habstrakt or Joyryde would be my dream B2B because those two artists inspired me to become the bass house artist I am today.
Finally, since we’re in the last few weeks of 2024, what are some of the goals that you want to achieve in 2025?
After an amazing 2024 year, my 2025 goal is to release more new music and keep working hard in the studio. I have lots of shows in the works right now for 2025, and I hope to play at my first Insomniac event! Whether it’s a club or a festival, it would be an awesome opportunity to play for them. My team and I will be ready, and we can’t wait to see what 2025 will bring us!
