Charting on Beatport is no easy feat, especially when your Drum & Bass track has to compete with the biggest names in electronic music. But with their recently released “GNASTY” on Dim Mak Records, that’s exactly what Tristan ChantZ and THAT808 were able to do.
Since its release on June 17th, GNASTY peaked at #67 on Beatport’s Dance / Pop chart, according to SongStats.com. To illustrate the extent of this accomplishment, as of June 30th, the Dance / Pop category had only 11 songs in Beatport’s Overall Top 100. In comparison, Drum & Bass featured just one in the overall top 100: Miracle by Sub Focus, Culture Shock, and Fragma at position 25. In other words, there is a strong chance GNASTY outperformed the majority of Drum & Bass entries in that genre-specific Top 100, as it was competitive in the even more crowded Dance / Pop space.
The story behind GNASTY is one of cross-border creativity and a good old-fashioned inside joke. Tristan ChantZ and THAT808 worked on the track long-distance, with Tristan in Los Angeles and THAT808 in Canada. During a phone call, Tristan sent over a new beat. THAT808 blasted it in his truck (affectionately named “Kesha”) and immediately responded with, “That shit is nasty.” Tristan agreed, “Hell ya, it’s absolutely NASTY,” but THAT808 took it one step further by saying, “Nasty with a G!” The phrase stuck. It became an inside joke they ran with throughout the production process. They’d already played with misspelled titles before with their 2024 release, Phunky with a PH, so it made perfect sense to embrace the humor again.
The track begins with fresh vocal takes inspired by the joke by THAT808, and is followed by an atmosphere of fluttering vocal chops layered over the sounds of critters in a swamp. Seriously, it sounds as if a gaggle of frogs decided to host a 3am drum & bass rave in your backyard, with the track even featuring ribbit samples at key moments. Overall the sound design is sharp, throaty, and reminiscent of SNAILS. If you haven’t heard it already, you’re late to the frog party.
Tristan ChantZ, from Los Angeles, is a versatile producer and DJ known for thick bass lines and infectious grooves. He’s played venues like Avalon and CatchOne, shared the stage with DLMT, MKLA, and Jayceeoh, and released original music on Dim Mak and Space Yacht. He often teams up with his wife Lido Leks to make high-energy “macro house”, and maintains a strong social media presence to connect with fans.
GNASTY’s chart success is frankly proof that bass-driven music has the power to compete at the highest levels—even in a crowded, genre-spanning space like Dance / Pop. It’s not just about the sound; it’s about the attitude, the humor, and the willingness to lean into the weird, the wonderful, and the spontaneous.
GNASTY by Tristan ChantZ & THAT808 has been added to our “Bass Music To Ponder Your Orb To 2025 — Mugic.us ” Spotify playlist.