INTO THE Q&A

Hello everybody, calling in live from somewhere….

It’s Q&A time again where I try my best to answer your questions.

So, what’s on your mind?

Will run from 12pm PST until my fingers fall off my hands…

UPDATE:

Wrapping up now. Thanks everybody! This was fun, as always. I love getting to connect with you all, even if it’s just me typing away for an hour and a half, I can feel your minds out there. Please keep in mind that this is not rehearsed, and I am literally just stream of consciousness typing. I will be the first to suggest I made a ton of typos and probably even said some things which were inaccurate, or made mistakes.

One of my favorite things in life is learning when I make a mistake, so if you disagree with something, assume I made a mistake and just ask me about it. I’d love to see some discussion here so if you wanna share share any thoughts on what I wrote or ask questions on what I wrote I’ll check back soon and post some responses this week.

Obviously talking about serious things like suicide, drug addiction, god, religion: those are touchy topics, and I just typed automatically… if i had more time I could probably make more sense!

I was jamming the latest mixtape while I wrote this live, and you can listen to it here: https://www.bassnectar.net/into-the-sun/
If you already got it, I sure do hope you enjoy it!

Until text time…
Lorin

UPDATE: We’ve pasted all the answered questions below so you can read them without needing to scroll through all the comments…

shreya •
Other than music (anything at all related to music!!!), what do you spend a majority of time doing??

LORIN •
i work nonstop. i work too much. i have one entire full time job which is the creative department of bassnectar world, but then another fulllll time job which is interacting on the back end: so many phone calls, emails, conf calls, planning sessions, SO SO SO much neck breaking studio work and computer mud wrestling, etc etc (not complaining, just saying)…as well as travel, and the shows themselves, i easily work 80-90 hours a week. In my off time i just really love the same things I loved as a child: being outside, playing, running around, spending time with good friends, enjoying moving conversations. I also LOVE film, i LOVE LOVE LOVE storytelling (being told, not telling) – so watching movies, reading books, binge watching shows….i love that…. I also love excercise & health good. I don’t go to the gym and train to make myself look good, but i love running around and doing pushups while i wait for a song to render, or going on hikes or whatever, just staying active.
Also as time moves forward, and my ‘career’ intensifies, i like to find ways to slow time down, to stretch out moments, and try to just feel like a nice, normal, happy person :)
i also REALLY love to give, i love giving to other people, or reflecting what i love about life to other people. That may sound sappy, but it’s true. years ago i would spend more time volunteering, because i love doing that, but these days i just kind of put time into bassnectar world, because it’s become a cool social-organism to catalyze interesting interactivities, and a great way for me to give back to other people :)

Cara Allen •
Hey Lorin,
First off, I want to say thanks for saving my life and the lives of many other bassheads around the globe. You and the Bassnectar crew have been impacting the lives of so many people around the world, so again thanks a million!
Here’s my question:
Would you consider yourself to be a storyteller? Specifically, do you go into each show or festival with an overarching theme, message, or story you’re trying to tell us? And with that being said, how do you decide what message you’re going to share at each show?
I noticed this especially after the 3 night Red Rocks run, which makes me very understanding of your interest in doing more special events and festival stops as opposed to a full on tour.
Much love for ya <3333 Cara

LORIN •
funny you ask that, cuz i was just responding about how i personally love ENJOYING storytelling from the audience (why i love watching film) but yes, on a musical level, yes absolutely. I am not sure how much of it comes across (and with all the gossip-queen conspiracy theorists out there, im not sure how much is just made up or misunderstood) but i put immense concentration into storytelling via my sets…. more when it’s a special event, or when i’m playing unopposed (like at Bisco, or Summer Set) simply because there is less distraction and more immersion. When you hafta bang it out amongst other loud-AF systems in the same physical space, you just gotta hold your breath and drop bommmmmms :)

Austin Schaumberg •
Good afternoon Lorin!
What does it feel like to be the focal point of so many people’s dearest memories? In that, a majority of us feel some sort of connection to ‘you’ from sharing moments at live shows with great friends and strangers alike. Does each night (set) feel unique in its own right? Or do they all become somewhat of a positive blur that you remember as a tour? That being said, how do you process all of the continuous positive energy, appreciation and encouragement from the fans, while not allowing it to go to your head? What do you do to balance yourself out?
Thanks for doing this AMA and for continuously pushing the envelope with your creativity and sexy beats. You know we love it (and deeply appreciate YOU)!
Thanks, AJS Madison, WI
PS Never forget the ZIGGA ZIGGA ;-)

LORIN •
Hey Austin it’s honestly very humbling. When bassnectar is about me the human and not about the music and art and the community it makes me super shy. And I am naturally a very outgoing person. Very creative and social and full of energy so it’s kind of a weird mix. But in general I am both in awe and in deep appreciation of all of you :)

Leo Mayo •
Good Afternoon Lorin,
First of all let me just thank you for the wonderful sets at Red Rocks, and the Amazing birthday set i got at Electric Forest (29th was my birthday but close enough for me). My question to you is what you think about the petition going around for a Nectar Camping fest, im sure news may have circulated to you, and im just wondering how realistic of possibility that would happen. I love your festival sets, but your shows always bring something more, i would love to have an amalgam of the two.

LORIN •
well, it’s always nice to see so much enthusiasm! Camping festivals are something i’m always down with, i organized my first one in 1997! My friends and i used to get together every single Full Moon and organize renegade outdoor events under the open sky, and I have a lot of experience doing this. If I organize another one, it won’t be because of a petition, it will be because it’s a feasible undertaking. At this point that undertaking would be *SO INCREDIBLY INTENSE* to functionally pull it off (where can we house 10,000 people outdoors without noise restrictions? that by itself is a daunting task)…. And in terms of special events, I originally planned to do WAY more, but again, at this level it is incredibly difficult. The insurance policy alone could break a brick wall. When we did the first Bass Island, I anticipated doing 3 total, but the follow-up “Return To Bass Island” nevery ended up happening because it was just the most unimaginable GOB of hassles, it was insanely expensive (un-forgivably expensive) and at every turn there was some official reason why we couldn’t do what we wanted (i wanted to create an entire villiage of massive flags, and in the end NYC was trying to charge us like 10,000$ per flag, plus require us to put an 8 ft cube of barricade around each flag, etc….just so many headaches and hassles
but enough about that. The concept of an immersive special event is amazing. I would love to co-create an atmosphere of warmth, freedom, creativity, and expansive artistic expression where the weather cannot fux with us, there are no neighbors to bother, and no poison oak or ticks ;) And in general, not the corporate vibe of a massive festival. Its just ALOT to pull off, and you know i’m down to go above and beyond, so trust me when i say: when we can, we will.

Brannan Doyle •
Yo Lo!
(^I need to rethink that greeting….)
I’m always curious about your creative process in the studio. I could ask a million questions about your workflow, and I bet you’d have a million different answers just for each song! So maybe it’s a little bit easier just to ask about the tools at your disposal:
1) What hardware do you like to use to get your ideas down “on paper” as fast as possible? Keyboards, drum pads, or just a good ol’ point and click?
2) Which plugins and VSTs are you getting a kick out of using right now?
3) Software: do you still use Reason and bounce audio to Ableton? Do you just rotate software depending on what you’re feeling?
4) What is your favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry’s and why is it Chunky Monkey??
muchisimas gracias :D

LORIN •
first off, what up BD! thanks for all your help over the years, WE LOVE YOU! Honestly when it comes to creativity, my answers will dissapoint because im super not technical:
1. Let your car stereo get stolen and never replace it. Don’t listen to music pretty much ever. Make time for humming and thinking.
2. Anytime i hear anything in my head or in my mind, i ‘sing’ it (and i have an ATROCIOUS voice) into my phone’s voice recorder.. later i’ll just use general MIDI to transpose my ideas and save them…i have literaly tens of thousands of ideas like this all waiting to come to life
3. ten years ago i always starting with drums, then bass, then samples, then music. nowadays i start with melody and music, and work backwards. I am also enjoying a lot more ‘executive production’ or collaboration, where i am fielding someone else’s idea and enhancing/guiding/customizing/refining it, then adding to it (or subtracting) and mutating it… i can get 10 times more excellent material done this way. and it’s more fun. i’ve also been soending a FUCK TON of time working with vocalists, singing, writing lyrics, etc….
4. I am also extremely interested in side projects…. stuff like WCLF, LOCOJA, NAUXFAUX (or maybe NOPHO), MAPPOINT, etc…. its all incoming…
5. also i use a tremendous amount of samples (collecting that personally customized library since 1994, so its fucking unreal) and other people’s patches which i can morph and customize (saves time! less filling! tastes great!) ….like when i was playing guitar in a band, i didnt create the guitar patches on my FX pedal, i just used the stock ones, then when i got my massive customizeable board i spent all day programming drippy/echoing sound effects and never wrote music. It got worse when i studied electronic music in college because we went so deep into the technical realms and it literally just sucks up all your time. I can make any sound imagineable. I can write any song from scratch, conjur anything i want, mix it, master it, finish it, walk around being proud of how i did everything myself and it took my a month, and in thirty days i have one amazing song, but havent left the studio……. ooooooooorrrrrrr…… i can collaborate like a fiend, work in a no rules – all creativity high impact mind frame, and generate hundreds of new songs a year, and still work 90 hours a week ;)
much love dude!

Joel •
I’m curious about the new track you’re making with Tom Morello. I sent a request on the line back before NVSB fall tour for a new Rage Against the Machine track, and then I come to find out you’ve been working with Tom Morello. Is it a remix/remake of a previous Rage Against the Machine track? Is it a new track entirely? Will Zach de la Rocha and the rest of the band be involved?

LORIN •
it is under wraps :)

Aaron Stiell •
What are your greatest words of inspiration, Lorin?

LORIN •
I try to spend my time being as conscious and aware of my blessings, being as grateful as possible….appreciating what i have, instead of worrying about what i don’t have, and then reflecting as much as possible: giving as much as possible.
it’s lofty goals, and im just a clumsy mistake-making human, but it makes me happy to strive for that.
Prioritize what’s best for myself in terms of what makes me the most happy and most healthy? and ask that same question about my friends and family :)

JskinnZ •
Hey Lo!
What are your thoughts about Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders and next years election? Could you see more involvement from the Bassnectar team in terms of support in forms of ‘headcount’ or other programs alike in the next two years?

LORIN •
He seems like a great guy, with great ideas! I respect him for being so bold and daring, and I hope he wakes a lot of people up. The political game is so fucking monkey-boring, i can’t really imagine how twisted it’s all gonna get, so I would just say I think it’s great to have his voice in the media, in the debates, getting attention. There are so many sides to any issue, and the more time we can spend thinking about important things, and less about trivial, superficial bullllllllllllsheet, the better :)
And i love headcount, i love any organization which serves people and their best interests, and which encourages a more active mind and a more interactive engagement with community.

Joe Ryan •
If you could guarantee one thing as a result of the Bassnectar project in the years to come what would it be?

LORIN •
damn! i don’t really like to promise anything, partially to avoid unmet expectations, and partly because this is all a big, unknown adventure, and writing the future is half the fun…don’t wanna spoil any surprised :)

Serena Merron •
What was your first ‘musical’ memory?…Mine was the sound of my dear mothers voice. I wonder if that influenced you in some way

LORIN •
my mom used to sing to me everynight when i was a little kid (and my dad would read aloud to me, stories like “A Wrinkle In Time”, or “The Chronicles of Narnia” or JRR Tolkien stores) and her voice was massively magical to me. I remember rocking out to alot of their music, and even forming a band with my friends to play on fake instruments and lip sync to songs like this, and HOLY FUCKING MOLY CHECK OUT THIS DUDES HAIR!!! hahaah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OO9LloDSJo

Madi Lawton •
Hey Lorin!!!
I absolutely love the Locoja remix of Lost In The Crowd— will we be seeing anymore from Locoja in near the future? Would you ever play shows with Jantsen as Locoja?
Thank you for doing what you do and touching the lives of so many with as much passion and positivity as you do!
Best,
The Madi Hatter
Boulder, CO

LORIN •
Jantsen moved to Mexico for almost a year and is now back… we have a bunch of works in progress but nothing finished yet. I love that song we made so much, and it was a nice break from that kind of savage FREAKOUT lazer bass in your brain meltdown music we have made together in the past…plus its nice to have a moniker which isnt “Bassnectar &” but gives us our own identity :) i love Jantsen like a brother!!!!!!!!!! I’ll always be collaborating with him, although we haven’t got the time since “LITC”…. he is about to release one of our older, unreleased joints called “Every Time” on his own label soon…this month i think!!!!!! check it out :)

Zander Mead •
Hey Lorin!
If you had a time machine that could take you back to any point in time to see one artist/band/musician/composer perform , who would it be?
I wanted to keep this post somewhat short to help keep your eyes from falling out as well. Thank you for all the amazing memories.
Zander

LORIN •
if i had a time machine, i don’t think i would spend it travelling around catching shows (although wow, could you imagine!!!! maybe i would go see one of the Sex Pistols first shows, who knows) – but the idea of time travel…..fuck, man!!!!!! you’re making my mind race :)

Lenny Pepperbottom •
What “impossible” technology do you just absolutely thirst for, so that you could intensify the the bassnectar experience?
What are some of your interests concerning the development of future technology?

LORIN •
read “The Age of Spiritual Machines” by Ray Kurzweil (inventor of the K-2000 sampler, purveyor of speech synthesis, and a genius inventor, who know works as THE HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY at Google – fuck of a job title, eh?)… anyhow, read that :)

Steffen Quaid Mahler •
NINJAS OR PIRATES!

LORIN •
Ninjas methinks, i don’t wanna rob nobody!

Gavin •
How is your creative process when you are working solo different compared to when you are collaborating with others? Do you feel you prefer one over the other?

LORIN •
solo is great, just takes way longer. i will admit that i am a fucking control freak creatively, so when i collaborate, i usually seize control and make most of the final decisions, which is probably a bummer for my buddies, its just how i operate though… i have a fanatic/obsessive insistence on quality standard, and the ‘quality’ is very personalized and subjective, so i just make sure it ‘sounds right’ to my ears. Thats why my remixes like the Naked & Famous ‘No Way’ remix, or the Purity Ring ‘Flood on the Floor’ remix don’t really “sound different from the original”…. I’m not tryna fux with perfection! Both of those tracks were EXCELLENT just the way they were, but were 100% not playable becuase they were written by indy bands and not created as bass music. The time spent on both of them was SO INTENSIVE< and i did so much work with is basically not audible unless you compare the drops side by side, and in that case you're like "oh fucking christ" cuz its night and day... For Naked & Famous, i had to replay the guitars completely. I tried doing is with their guitars (which sound great) but were distorted in a certain way (a rock and roll way) which made them sound horrible when Seth pushed them during mastering. He basically came back to me and was like "if you wanna use these guitars, then i can't master this" so i went to Ken Bryant (who i made Boomerang with) and have him replay everything from scratch. First he sent it to me with his own distortion and again it wasnt right. So i had him replay it all while LISTENING TO IT with distortion (so he would attack the strings with aggression) but send me a clean signal (so it sounds like a fucking demonic hyena is drunkenly playing an acoustic guitar) - in that it was all clean.. I then customized settings in Guitar Rig, and created new groups of a zillion layers, to get that sound, and now it was controlled, so Seth could master the final track. And that was just the godamn guitars.... redid the bass and drums completely as well, and a lot of other magic. Same kind of approach for Purity Ring...which reminds me, if you're a fan of that band (and i am) then hound them to let me release this remix :) - gnaw htebazile •
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? What’s your biggest fear..? Also, if you could do one thing with your time on this earth what would it be? ie: end global warming, overthrow Gov., fly into the sun etc. etc..

LORIN •
biggest fear is not death, but rather mortality…limitation, having to make choices within a finite context which execute the universe of infinite dreams and possibilities

Michelle Caldera •
who inspires you the most?

LORIN Mod Michelle Caldera •
empathy :)

Anais Guevara •
what books were you reading when you were 21 ? were you as lost as some of us are ? i have HUGE dreams and minuscule confidence ; were you ever filled with self doubt to the point it was crippling and stopped you from sharing your art ?

LORIN •
OH BUDDY! I wish i had more time to talk with you about this, because I would write a fucking novel. I have so much to say about personal growth, development, happiness, attaining goals & dreams (or not), …just managing life… in another life i would love to be a full time life coach…. NOT out of some narcisisstic need to boss you around or assume I know best, but just because I love to help, and I’ve had a lot of luck helping people sort through the confusions in life. i think of it in terms of “navigating” – how to navigate the mysterious terrain of this existence, with all it’s unseen forces, and surpise twists & turns… even just the fact that we are CHEMICAL BEINGS inside of PHYSICAL BODIES who feel so intensely with such sensory overload that we hallucinate SPIRITUAL SOULS, and all the chaos & beauty & pain & joy therein: i could fucking talk to you about this for days…. Honestly I have wanted to start a pod cast or some kind of interaction mechanism to share advice, i just don’t wanna come off as preachy, and there are a lot of behind-the-scenes complications.
I orignally intended on using $/BH not as a vote-your-charity campaign, but actually to develop an ‘app’ of sorts which would be like WIKIPEDIA except about ADVICE, not INFORMATION ….I wanted some system of open sourced problem solving which could be shared.
I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me for help & guidance, many times suicidal, other times just deeply troubled or lost. I used to call people up, and make 3 way calls to 211 (its a number like 911 which is a free emergency phone service for counslelling) but was advised that I was creating liability this way. I also didnt LOVE the results of 211 advice…i’d be sitting there on a 3 way call with a suicidal fan and a 211 responder thinking (ack! this advice blows! don’t listen to this guy!)… so i wanted to do it myself, but …i just havent had the time.
Anais, some bullet points:
1. When deciding what you wanna do or be, don’t feel pressure to decide prematurely. A lot of us fumble well into our 30’s before anything clicks. That said, don’t be lazy. Be hard working, disciplined, and interactive with life. Make the most of every moment. Prioritize being productive over having fun, prioritize health & sanity over getting high, prioritize cultivating a rich personality who is generous, emapthic, smart, and capable over being cool….
2. Turn to your family & friends…respect your family even if they are different from you, and make effort to connect with them. Turn to friends who arent too cool to talk about real shit, and make less time for the party buddies…Don’t be afraid to ask for help or opinions…if you have nobody to turn to try a librarian, or a school counsellor or something
3. THERAPY: if there is one thing i am disapointed about its that people think “therapy” is a bad thing…a sign of weakness. I have seen a therapist many MANY times in my life, to help get me through challenging times. This is not a psychiatrist who will be pushing drugs and pharmaceuticals on you! This is a patient, expressive, insightful genius/guide who can be a good lsitener, and build trust with you, and share wisdom and advice… a MFC (Marriage Family COunsellor) could work, or even a job coach or a college counsellor… think about how easily people excercise to improve their bodies… how often people run or go to the gym to work on THEIR PHYSICAL BODIES…. imagine if everyone took as much care on their MENTAL/EMOTIONAL BODIES…. kept a jounral, reflected on their thoughts, shared their thoughts with others, seeking constructive critique and advice…. talked to a therapist or counsellor once a month EVERY month….i think the world would be a million times healthier….
i guess more on that another day :)

Jonathan Gardner •
If you could pick a trait that humans have and completely get rid of it in everyone. What trait would you pick to get rid of and why?

LORIN •
Let me first say that i don’t think the result of this would be GOOD, and therefor remind you I am not qualified to be a god or a president, because my reflex would be to make everyone extremely empathic to the point that they prioritize others (and ‘the greater good’) above themselves… and i think this would create chaos because the natural world is all about a balance of positive and negative, and we can’t just all sit around breeding and singing Kumbaya by the fire… so …. let me just stop and say this is too complex of a question, but i enjoy your mind, Jonathan!

Nasanina •
My mind runs all over the place but I know with this I’ve continuously struggled with acceptance and expression. So as a person, I wanna know if there’s anything you could say to that, as someone who is clearly not part of the ordinary and can see things others can’t. What would you say to those who are being held back because they can’t pass a point of high anxiety to express themselves?
annndddddd as a huge fan, a few weeks ago a friend in our group dug up your song “Nation” with Excision. May I say. that song is another level of heavy. And not a few days later, I was driving home from work with my iPod on shuffle and a recording from your Bisco X set came on. I never listen to these because the quality is poor, but for some reason I spaced out and this particular recording continued to play, and it had a part of ‘Nation’ mixed with ‘Do It Like This’. ‘Nation’ wasn’t even mentioned in the title… I also think it’s quite funny that the same year Bisco makes a come back at a new ground is the same year I Netflix “marathon-ed” ‘The Office’. So my question is, do you believe in synchronicity?
Because I do… Thank you.

LORIN •
that song “nation” was never finished, and never called “nation”….Jeff called it that (it made me wince…i called it “WOMP 88”..which is a pretty lame title also! but it was just a working title on an Ableton session)…. I think the notion of “nations” is whack, and i would never have released it as that, but he had a bounce of it (an mp3) which leaked and then it kind of stuck as the name…. that said…the beat is awesome and mixed perfectly with BLOW…and Do it Like this mixes perfectly with both those tunes, so you are on it. Your first question is really good, and i’d like to respond, but it would be so robust, check what i just wrote to Anais….
In terms of Anxiety, I will say this:
DISCLAIMER: i cannot give medical advice of any sort, so this is just my whimisical opinion:
I am dubious of the pharmaceutical industry.
haha, i just wanna leave it at that, but i’ll continue:
I am dubious of 90% of pharmaceutical presctriptions which treat emotional sensations like sadness, fear, or worry (anxiety)
(again this is opinion) IN MOST CASES, NOT ALL: when you treat an emotion with a drug, you’re fucking yourself. you aren’t solving the issue (which can be better solved with a clear, sober brain, a strong disciplined work ethic, and a good team of friends and advisors – a support group) you’re making it worse…you’re clouding your mind, and you’re likely getting high on some drug which is designed to MAKE TONS OF MONEY not help you…and is full of side effects. XANAX? “Doctors” prescrive XANAX? are you kidding me? ADDERALL?!?!?!?!? Doctors prescribe METH?!??! to KIDS?!?!? are you kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiddiing meeeeee???!??!?!?
i wish you were
obviously a tiny percentage actually need this stuff, but let’s be honest: most college students don’t need adderal, but they use it because its performance enhancing. We humiliate Lance Armstrong for juicing so he can win a bike race, and then our “doctors” prescribe meth to kids so they can still party and be undisciplined and still get good grades, likely without learning.
oh wow…im digging myself in here, look. this is too complicated of a topic, and there is no way i can really address all the aspects of Anxiety here, im typing a million miles a minute, and all im gonna hear is one kid say “how dare you, i am prescribed Adderall and i need it” and then the whole discussion turns into a shit show….
so re-wind:
I would encourage YOU to try not medicating yourself, but rather accept that anxiety is a common feeling. Do you think that squirrels do not feel constant anxiety or stress or worry that they will be eaten by a predator, or attacked by a car, or get cancer, or not have a date to the prom?! HELL YES THEY DO… have you ever seen how fast a squirrel moves? its like CONSTANT NEUROTIC ANXIETY OVERLOAD…. or a deer, or a bird…or anything…. life is threatening and chaotic, and despite the fairy tales, there is no Destiny, and no “reason” for life, no meaning of life, nobody at the wheel, and no significance other that what we desperately invent to try and appease ourselves… so yeah, welcome to hell, life is scary as fuck
but. its also beautiful. and its rich, and its RICHLY DIVERSE and a million other things. And you can do a lot to reduce anxiety by being careful, smart, interactive, healthy, disciplined, wise etc…
you are likely anxious in RESPONSE to stimuli (maybe about health – live a healthier life with more excercise, better diet, a regular talk counsellor, and a million otehr things…. maybe about money – work harder in school, work harder at work, party less, improve your personality so you can generate more money via a job. maybe about social situations: again, be more disciplined, smart, interactive and careful about the friends you keep and how you spend your time) …. i bet if you live a more careful, healthy, smart, creative, interactive, wise, disciplined, hard working, LOTS OF GIVING life style, you will feel less anxiety
if i have offended anyone, please remember im typing fast as fuck, and i don’t think these are complete thoughts, just brainstorm
;)

Sonya Waters •
Hey Lorin!
Could you please tell me about your inspiration for your new album title and album cover art?
Thanks! I hope you get to my question :)

LORIN •
hey Sonya
i wanted to use the colors Red, Black, White, and Blue… we made a zillion different sketches, and wound up with the moth, and the black sun, and i already had written “into the sun”…i was gonna make this insane fucking artwork and call it “Speakerbox” but then summertime was approaching and i just loved the moth idea…. then i scrapped it, and decided to call it “Mixtape 13” because i simply do not consider it an album, its just a mixtape to me, with the separate songs available… but last minute they decided “fuck it dude, this is more robust than any album you’be made – theres 17 songs! its an album” so we went with what we had, and i love it too :)

Christina Webb
Hey Lorin! First of all THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO! :) secondly, I am wondering what gave you the itch to re-make old tracks such as Enter the Chamber, Dubuasca, Blow & my personal fave, Breathing?

LORIN •
i wanted to re-make everything, and it was just a matter of the basic limitations. I ran out of time (almost finished ‘Leprechauns Arise”…almost!) and also many of the songs on MTU were too complicated, or lost on old machines, or for some reason had complicated techincal restrictions. But also, all 5 of the songs included are deep personal favorites for me.

Cooper Barnes •
Hey Lorin,
I think it was Red Rocks where you made a comment about being bummed cause you’re not able to experience one of your shows from the crowd. When you’re in the crowd, where is your go to spot for a show- are you riding the rail, lost in the middle, or more of an outskirts guy?

LORIN •
when i used to go and feel anonymous i would spend most of my time being social and interactive. at my first rave i just got lost in the crowd, i danced with my eyes closed (headbanged, to be honest) and enjoyed how friendly people were, then i met a few people and spent all night and morning in conversation until like 11am… the second time i went to one, i went and met the promoters and asked if i could help, and from then on, i would arrive and immediately bolt from my friends and go wandering around seeing if anyone needed help, and just making friends. I always wanted to be a part of it, helping make it happen, and giving…. musically i would go deep (and we used to bring drums and percussion out and play along to the music, but that got annoying if the hippies tried to jam and effed it up ;) and i just loved dancing and jumping around like a freak for hours on end…. these days, the events are more “shows” with crowds facing stages, like an “electronic music concert” or something… and what i enjoyed was freeform abandon when you could just let loose, get freestyle wildstyle and then dissolve :)

Debra Yoder Nelson •
Where is one place out in nature that you have never been but would love to visit ?

LORIN Mod Debra Yoder Nelson •
honestly, i have not been to the Grand Canyon, and i will asap. But as in most things, I am less interested in what is new/novel and more interested in what is best/classic: what i already love: i just wanna spend my time in my favorite places, less than i want to explore new ones :) California is so beautiful :)

Shauna •
Hello-
Just wondering if you like corn dogs? Thanks fam

LORIN •
hahaha – i love healthy food, lots of vegetables :)

Andrew Hardin •
What is your opinion on religion? Where do you think we will all go after this magical journey ends?

Well the key there is that i do think this magical journey ends, and so that means there is an inherent LIMITATION to everything. We are mortal, finite, limited beings. And many argue that that is where beauty comes from: from the limitation. If you could live forever and be invincible and eat infinite strawberries, i bet you would get super bored of strawberries. If you have ever felt overwhelming sexual chemistry with someone whom you have never touched, and then in the write moment held their hand…you know it’s enough to almost give you a heart attatck…even just petting their hand with your finger tip. Yet after you have had sex with them for 18 hours straight, even if it’s your life partner and you’re completely in love…. in that moment after 18 hours of getting wildstyle you probably won’t be as pulverized by simply holding their hand…you may have lost feeling in your hands by that point…wait what am i talking about agian? oh yes! religion?
i think religion is sad, pathetic, dangerous, selfish & ugly. I am deeeeeeply anti-religious. In fact i am unconstitutional in that i don’t even believe in freedom of religion, i wish it would disappear. But i understand *WHY* people love religion: it gives them peace, it helps them feel less scared, it gives them purpose, and helps them through hard times, it explains the unexplainable, and puts them dead center of the universe, in touch with the boss, ….a VIP backstage pass to the show of their life…. but it’s no more real than the tooth fairy or santa clause or any kind of typical human fantasy like “soul mate” or “prince charming” or “living happily ever after”…. so i respect those who are strong enough and smart enough and brave enough to admit it. Because you have to be really strong to say “i know i’ve been lying to myself, and it felt good to believe it, but if i am gonna be completely honest i need to admit that its a lie and it’s not real, and so that scares me because now i cannot explain anything, and there is less meaninging and purpose,and now im giving up my VIP backstage pass, does anyone have a ticket i can scalp?”
but personally, it was the most beautiful transition in my life…i love prioritizing truth over fantasy, and i find SO MUCH UNCONTROLLABLE BEAUTY IN EACH MOMENT i don’t even have room for fairy tales and religion.
I also know and understand that there is an uncomprehensible amount of unexplainable magic which exists and which we can all feel…. if we want to call this “god” jsut for short hand, then yes, of course we all feel god…it is beautiful, special, miraculous, and deeply deeply deeply precious. But if god created all this, and us, then i’m ok accepting that i can never understand or explain it. While its fun to ponder, it’s also important to me to just sit back and enjoy the magic, the mystery, and the pure sense of awe.
If you have time read “Thoughts & Ideas by Albert Einstein” it’s one of the best books i’ve ever read, and i’ve read the Bible cover to cover at least 3 entire times. Now i deface the bible if i find one in my hotel room because i think it’s poisonous.
I think religion exists to divide, to breed hate & self righteousness, to reinforce nationalist & patriotism, i think it is partially responsible for most of the war & pain & suffering in the world
and since i am not a fan of war or pain or suffering or injustice, and since i am a fan of love and family and friendship and health and beauty and awe and wonder…. i am anti religious
:)
ok, that’s it for me today, have a great day all

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