BASTO
Basto, whose real name is Jef Martens, is a Belgian producer and DJ who started making electronic music in 2005 at the age of 30. Before that?: he was studying law. Although it was Basto's
"Again and Again" (2011) that put him on the map internationally, "Electric Stars" (2014) would be the first of two tracks that made me familiar with his work. This is the second one:
Basto - "Keep On Rocking"
[Genre: Electro House] [Release Year: 2014]
There are some similarities between "Again and Again" and this track, but I like this one more. "Keep On Rocking" is an instrumental with a few non-music vocal samples thrown in the mix. Catchy, good beat, and it's upbeat. Those unfamiliar with electro house may not like the drop, but that's what electro house is supposed to be like, contextually, and with this it works just fine. The video reminds me of an '80s throwback, especially due to the clothing styles worn by its participants, in addition to some other nostalgic odes that are present. Think high-tops and payphone booths. The twist here is that the video quality is in HD, and this allows for the digitized animation of two of the protagonists' heads, both of which are turned into animal faces, one a duck and the other a fox. Being as this is an EDM video, there is also the obligatory, scantly-clad female of interest who is not only intertwined as eye candy, but also serves as a motivation force, of sorts, behind our duck boy's moves.
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I also would like to add this quote from Basto's Facebook page, because, yet again, it touches on the themes I find myself running into when I'm looking into these artists for my write-ups: (a) challenging oneself musically and (b) being on the cutting edge of sound. Them being the musicians, and me being the humble listener.
Quote:
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Basto: Basto permanently looks ahead. The Belgian artist and producer, otherwise known as Jef Martens, remains on the cutting edge of electronic dance music, keeping his eyes on the future at all times and consistently challenging himself and the genre at large. That forward-thinking mentality has been ingrained in his very DNA, and it serves as a creative catalyst for him to this day.
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FUN FACTS
- The name Basto is based off a cat that he adopted.
- He studied classical music and composition at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp.
Artist information compiled from Wikipedia and Basto's Facebook page. Read more:
1)
Wikipedia - Basto (musician)
2)
Basto - Facebook