Fans Speculate GRiZ Hiatus Signals Bassnectar’s Return to Spotlight

Reddit conspirators are at it again with a new theory that Griz’s impending hiatus will open the door for A Potential Bassnectar return.

Bassnectar was publicly shamed out of the spotlight in 2020 after sexual allegations of grooming and misconduct with two minors came to light. Bassnectar was (is?) a bass music superstar who paved the way for many current artists. These allegations were shocking, and quite frankly devastating to the bass community. Truly an artist before his time, he was able to bring bass music to the masses with shows, festivals, and events, however, most notably creating a community of fans.

These exact fans are at it again on the r/bassnectar Reddit theorizing that GRiZ’s recently announced hiatus from music this fall is leaving the door open for Bassnectar’s return. One Reddit user wrote, “The two things are not mutually exclusive and one or both can exist at the same time, but seeing as how GRiZ seems to have gone out of his way to fill the Nectar vacuum, what do you think?” This opened the floor for discussion.

It is important to note that GRiZ has been on the up and up for years now as he is an extremely talented producer, DJ, and saxophone player. GRiZ has been around for over 10 years, first touring in 2011. He began rising as a bass star supporting Bassnectar himself along with Big Gigantic and Pretty Lights on tour. Most recently, collaborations with Subtronics (Griztronics as a stage name) and Zeds Dead (the team behind the powerful “Ecstacy of Soul”) have continued to propel him further in his impressive career. GRiZ has become a bass head household name as the passion his fans have for him, his production, and his positive energy is infectious.

On the other hand, Bassnectar started his career in 1996 as a DJ and producer. Rising slowly to mega bass stardom, he took over mainstages at festivals across the globe for around 20 years. Bassnectar had an unknown dark side though, with multiple sexual misconduct allegations coming to light on social media in the summer of 2020 and a lawsuit against Lorin Ashton aka Bassnectar shortly thereafter. Although Bassnectar denies these claims, he notes that some of his actions may have caused pain. Having topped the bass music charts for years, this was heartbreaking, insulting, and a betrayal to the exact community he created.

Despite these disgusting allegations, Bassnectar still has a deeply devoted fan base, much smaller than it had once been 5 years ago, but a fan base nonetheless. Bassnectar, having just recently announced a potential comeback, his attempt to return raises the question – with GRiZ taking his much-deserved rest and relaxation, does it open the door for Bassnectar to return? More importantly, does the community even want him to return? GRiZ has been able to create a loyal fanbase similar to Bassnectar’s who are equally devastated about GRiZ’s hiatus for personal reasons, but does that mean there is space for Bassnectar within it?

In sum, GRiZ’s departure from the scene will leave a hole in the bass community, but that is not to say that the empty space has to be filled by a producer/DJ shrouded in scandal. This could very well pave the way for some new talent to enter the scene and follow in GRiZ’s footsteps, similar to how GRiZ learned from Bassnectar. We will deeply miss GRiZ, but do we miss Nectar?