The impressive case of the “technically impossible” bassline
The guitar has long hogged the limelight, with the bass typically hailed by laymen to be a much simpler, more accessible alternative. Of course, that is not always the case. When utilised for appropriate means, the bass can be brilliantly technical, with its background a predominantly rhythmic one, and there have been many examples of incredibly challenging basslines produced by masters of the craft. Whether this be Geddy Lee’s performance on the Rush song ‘YYZ’ or Les Claypool’s on the Primus classic ‘Jerry Was a Racecar Driver’. However, according to DJ Deadmau5, one of his songs includes a bassline so tricky that he described it as “technically impossible”.
During a live stream in December 2017, Deadmau5 listened to Sparkee’s nu-disco remix version of his 2009 track ‘Strobe’. Blown away by the bassline Sparkee added, Deadmau5 praised the remixer’s “serious” bass programming skills, saying: “I would love to hear someone try and fuckin’ shred that live; that would be insane. Some of the way that you programme that bass is like technically impossible to do”.
Enter one of the internet’s best bass virtuosos, Davie504. In a follow-up video from February 2018, the four-string whizz challenged Deadmau5’s assertions about Sparkee’s bassline. “Deadmau5 was listening to a remix of ‘Strobe’ and said that the bassline of that remix was ‘technically impossible’ and he would love to see a bass player play that part live,” Davie504 wrote in his video’s bio. “So let’s see if that’s really an impossible riff”.
It’s safe to say that Davie504 showed that the bassline was not “technically impossible”, as Deadmau5 had previously asserted. Obviously, we don’t know how many attempts it took him to master, but in the video, Davie504 storms through the bassline on Sparkee’s remix of ‘Strobe’ as if it were nothing.
Despite being proven wrong, Deadmau5 wrote in response on Twitter, “Well…. Sheeeit”. The DJ continued his praise of Davie504 on Twitter, saying: “Watched a few of your others… damn son, you’re a regular Tosin Abasi on that thing… serious talent dude!”
Davie504 responded: “Thanks a lot man, you made my day! Well if you have other impossible bass lines you would like to hear on a real bass, feel free to hit me up.” Deadmau5 replied: “I think I meant it was impossible for me to play”.
Watch Davie504 play the “impossible” bassline below.
