The best club in NYC to get your fix of all kinds of dirty, grimey dubstep once (or sometimes twice… three times if we’re lucky) a week is without-a-doubt Webster Hall. From the main stage where you can catch artists from all over the world like Feed Me, Skrillex, Caspa, Alvin Risk, Figure, Mt. Eden and Helicopter Showdown.. just to name a few.. right down to the basement where some of these artists actually started out! Every saturday since June 2011, weekly party BASSment Saturdays is thrown in the basement of Webster Hall. Started by Annie Rinsky, one of Webster’s infamous Bass Bunnies, BASSment Saturdays is a dope place to get down to some dubstep on the weekend. For a Basshead, like myself, it’s the greatest thing because barely any clubs ever play dubstep at all, let alone a whole night of it. For others it’s a cheap way to discover some new music, at like 10 bucks to get in and good drink deals. Annie, resident DJ Subset (Mark Martinez), and the rest of their crew throw some crazy parties and are always bringing in new artists that are still unheard of by most; artists that may still be dipping their toes into the fame of EDM. These are often local artists, more-so in the beginning than the last few months. Dubloadz from our New Jersey neighbors tore the BASSment up recently, and just a few weeks before Protohype from L.A. was on the same stage. From a land far, far, away DJ Zeratone became the first DJ from Singapore to play in the BASSment. What started out as a small, local gig with often many of the same DJs performing week after week is now bringing in artists from all over the world.
The vibes at these parties are what make them unique and in some ways, better than going to see a bigger artist on the main stage, where sometimes *cough* Dillon Francis *cough* there are so many people you can barely move let alone dance. A few of the same faces are there week after week, devoted to the music, are there for that reason alone, and make you feel right at home. The stage is right in your face, with stairs on either side for people to get on the stage and dance. It’s a truly intimate community where the crowd can feel connected with the artists and people running the show. Instead of feeling like outsiders who pay to watch, it’s like you’re going to immerse yourself in a family of people who love bass music and having fun.
DJ Subset, who’s DJ’ed from the U.S. to Dubai and places in between, definitely deserves props for keeping these nights fresh as hell. It’s gotta be hard work especially knowing the same people are coming out to every show, spending hours a week finding new music, weaving through the good tracks and the bad, and putting everything together for a set that could be as long as four hours, which has happened before! Mark says he “loves the challenge… it keeps me on my toes”. Keeping people interested is one of the biggest challenges but also the most rewarding parts of the job for him.
Over the past year and a half BASSment saturdays has grown into something you really shouldn’t miss. It’s like doing your laundry… or paying the bills. Look out for new things from Subset in 2013, not just for the BASSment but for his producing career as well – including some original productions and collabs with artists such as AlienAudix, Notixx, Proper Villains, String Theory, and Trigon. As far as the BASSment goes, you never know when you’ll get a surprise down there! Secret sets from someone like Terravita or Alvin, or even random visits from artists like Datsik or Flosstradamus happen all the time! Expect the unexpected and beware…. “if you can’t take the bass.. get out of the BASSment!”