Underground Communication

by Greg PratoThe majority of dance DJ's circa the early 21st century have completely neglected the fact that they were once important contributors to hip hop (especially during the genre's waking moments). Instead, most DJ's seem to focus entirely on electro dance nowadays. But then along comes Bassnectar, looking to reintroduce the importance of a DJ to the aforementioned genre, with the 2007 release, ‘Underground Communication.' With various MC's and rappers dropping by to lend Bassnectar a hand throughout (Persia, Seasunz, Nibu, etc.), from a musical standpoint, the majority of the tracks on ‘Underground Communication' clearly stand out from hip hop's beaten path -- especially the title track and "Amorphous Form," among others. Attempting to break new ground is what Bassnectar is all about on ‘Underground Communication,' and judging from how predictable and same-sounding hip hop has become, it's quite an accomplishment.