Today is no ordinary day in the Bassnectar universe. It’s 8/08 day, meaning Bassheads around the world are celebrating their favorite musician in spectacular fashion. If you’re curious about the why 808 is a special number, just check out my post Appreciate the 808. I'm loving this holiday so much, that I decided I had to make a mixtape collection of 808 heavy songs. Some of the best examples of this classic rhythm machine are now all in one place for your ears to enjoy. Also, I may have mentioned in the past that Bassnectar was deserving of his own mixtape post. This one is highly inspired by Bassnectar and his love for the 808.
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So, half of today’s mixtape is made up of songs that helped make that 808 sound reach new audiences, musical breakthroughs and what not. Sprinkled throughout these songs are several tracks by Bassnectar that are 808 heavy. One of the things I love about this playlist is that it spans multiple decades of music, and you can hear the different ways the drums can be arranged. Below, I’ll just skim a few that really stick out to me. Just a heads up, this mix is best listened to without shuffle. When I make a playlist, I put the songs in a specific order so that they can really play off each other in an original way. Arrangement has a lot to do with how music is heard, so part of this mixtape is listening for the way the 808 evolves over time.
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THE 808 TRACK
This song had to be the first one on the mix. It comes from Bassnectars 2010 EP Wildstyle. The name says it all, and the lyrics are just as catchy as the insistent high hat that carries throughout the song.
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BRASS MONKEY
There’s just something about three guys rapping about a monkey that makes you want to dance. The Beastie Boys used the 808 all over their 1986 debut album Licensed to Ill, and it’s a prominent sound in this track.
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STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
This iconic N.W.A song came out in 1988 and became a major influence in the genre of gangsta rap. I like the way the 808 is used in this song almost as a hyper metronome, keeping a steady high tap the whole time.
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BOOMBOX
Another way Bassnectar likes to shift around the way he uses the 808, this song has sort of an echoey element to it in the beginning. Then, the layers of kick drums build up until its just this convergence of rhythm. Unlike anything I’ve ever heard.
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DOWN WITH THE KING
This 1993 album title track shows off the many different sounds the 808 machine was capable of making. You can hear the bass kicks, snare and high hat all layered over each other. Add Run DMC’s distinct scratching and lyrics this song is an instant hit.
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VOODOO
This is my all time favorite Bassnectar song, it’s so full of different sounds. Voodoo is a great example of how a sound like the 808 clap can add so much to a song. Later on, you can here that tappy beat and shaker sound that drives me wild.
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THE WAY YOU MOVE
Right off the bat, the 808 makes its presence known on this track. This song gave the 808 a resurge and put it back on the radio. The sound wasn’t heard much in the late 90’s, but rappers in the south never stopped incorporating it in underground tracks. The smooth yet sultry vibe to this song paired with that high clap and low bass just makes me wanna move!
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PSYCHO KILLER
The studio recording of this song doesn’t use the 808 at all. But, this song still makes the list because of a unique live version that consists of nothing more than Jerry Harrison playing an acoustic version of the song over a live 808 beat that Chris Frantz was presumably making somewhere behind the stage. The video I saw of this got taken off YouTube.
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DON'T HATE THE 808
It’s no secret that Bassnectar is a massive fan of 808 hip-hop beats. This is one of his newer songs, and the 808 kicks are explosive in it. Paired with a wild synth and those awesome blinky beeps, this song totally stole my heart. And it’s a testament to how technology from the 80’s can still provide a powerful element to today’s music.
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BONUS TRACK - 3
This song, simply called “3” is off of Bassnectar’s first album from 2001 called Freakbeat for the Beatfreaks. I can’t add it to the playlist because it can’t be found on Spotify, but I felt it deserved a place in this post. His early work features a lot of 808 kicking around in the back of the song, and you can hear the different ways he plays around with the arrangement of the drums. It’s cool to hear his experiments at work, and I also really dig the shout out to Afrika Bambaataa around a minute into the song. It’s a cool way to tribute the guy who brought the 808 out of the shadows and proved it had a place in the music scene.
So, after listening to this playlist, I bet some of you were an 808 fan and you didn’t even know it. That’s the beauty of this drum machine, it just adds this natural high energy rhythm that people respond to on a subconscious level. While Bassnectar is the reason I learned what an 808 was, I like being able to appreciate his predecessors and the way this rhythm element has evolved over time. I hope you heard something that made you think in a different way. And, if you have any suggestions for adding to this mixtape, it’s open for collaboration on Spotify. Feel free to drop whatever other songs you think belong! Happy 808 day, everyone!
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