Freekbass Joins Bergantino Family, Talks Funk, Bass, and TikTok Success

Bergantino Audio has announced that funk bassist, producer, and performer Freekbass has joined their family of artists. The Cincinnati, Ohio-based musician and TikTok sensation is using the company’s Forte HP Ultra amp matched with an HG410X cabinet.

“Freekbass channels the spirit of legends like Bootsy Collins (who has mentored and collaborated with him) while pushing the boundaries of the genre with modern innovation and high-energy performance,” Bergantino writes.

To celebrate the partnership, Bergantino has shared a new interview with Freekbass to explore his musical background, his funky style, and his upcoming album.

Let’s start from the very beginning, like all good stories. What first drew you to music as well as the bass?

I remember being at a hardware store with my dad when I was about 4 or 5 years old. We were standing by the big front window of the store and a person walked by with a big boombox and it was playing “More Bounce to the Ounce” by Zapp. I was hypnotized and mesmerized by the sound I was hearing, specifically the sound of the bass. I didn’t even know what it was yet, but a few years later in grade school, a touring jazz band came to my grade school and they sat me in front of the bassist. I knew then that was the instrument I had heard and I knew I had to play this instrument! I was already playing drums at that point, so the rhythm side on bass was something I was already developing.

Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths, and/or areas that you’d like to explore on the bass.

One of my biggest influences on bass, who I was lucky enough to record and tour with, waskeyboard and synth genius Bernie Worrell (Parliament-Funkadelic/Talking Heads). Even though he was a keyboardist, he was one of the most inventive and prolific “bassists” out there. From bassline classics such as “Flashlight” and “Smokey,” Bernie’s groove and sonic sensibilities is something I was heavily influenced by. And of course, all of the knowledge as not just a bassist, but a producer, from one of my mentors, and the person that gave me my name, Freekbass, funk legend Bootsy Collins.

You write and compose your own songs for all of your albums. Can you share with us how you learned about music and composing?

As I mentioned above, Bootsy and Bernie both gave me lifelong tools and knowledge for writing and producing songs, along with vocalist and songwriter Gary “Mudbone” Cooper (P-Funk, Bootsy’s Rubberband, Sly Fox). Also, I grew up playing with and learning about songwriting and producing from one of my lifelong friends, Itaal Shur, who won a Grammy for Song of the Year for writing the Santana song “Smooth” with Rob Thomas.

Freekbass, you have a very unique funky style. Have you always been a style freek and who is your designer?

When I wear t-shirts and jeans I feel like I’m playing dress-up…lol. So yes, being a little over the top has always felt at home with me. My wife, Angie Wilson, designs a lot of my clothes — things like a custom stuffed panda coat she made me for the TikTok Live Awards in LA last year. I also work with a very cool clothing company called Ciciful, and Yessglasses makes me a lot of the custom frames you see me wearing.

Who are your influences?

If I had to name two of my main musical influences it would be Sly Stone and David Bowie. Both were incredibly gifted songwriters who always were pushing the boundaries, which I love and was drawn to.

Every bass player’s favorite part of an interview and a read! Tell us about your favorite bass or basses.

:) I love them all!!! As all of us bassists do…ha! But, my go-to, who I record and tour with, are Ernie Ball MusicMan, Dingwall, and I really like the CORT Space5 they sent me to check out.

What other instruments do you play?

I started off as a drummer, which I still play. Guitar, some keys, and my go-to composition instrument is the AKAI MPC sequencer/sampler/drum machine. I learned so much about the MPC from Bootsy.

You are a major presence on TikTok where you perform nightly for your thousands of viewers on your show The Freekquency and you are also one of the top 100 Creators on TikTok—in fact, number four in the USA! How has TikTok and other social media platforms impacted your music and helped you grow as an artist?

Game changer for me. The fact that I can go to my studio, turn on my phone, and play for folks all over the world every day still blows my mind. If you would have told me two years ago I’d be livestreaming on TikTok every day, I would have not believed it. But I love it so much, and my community there are absolutely the best!

Can you share more about “The Freekquency” with us?

The FREEKQUENCY is the name of my live-streaming bass-centric show at TikTok.com/@freekbass, and now it’s on YouTube.com/@freekbass too. It’s me creating new live grooves, along with the community there. We’ve been releasing a single a month over the last year from those creations, and a few vinyl albums are on their way with all of them!

Describe the music style of Freekbass for me.

Funk for the Future!

What is your all-time favorite song to perform?

I have a newer single called “Dance Automatic” which I really like playing live and on livestreams. It was created on The FREEKQUENCY on TikTok LIVE.

I know you are working on a new album, can you share more about this?

Yes! It is all of the songs we’ve created on The FREEKQUENCY on TikTok LIVE over the last year and a half. Super excited to hear these songs on vinyl!

What is the message you like to give to your fans?

Thank you for letting me hang out with you every night on my livestreams! I’ve gotten to be friends with so many of you, and you always inspire me to be a better musician and human being!

What led you to Bergantino Audio Systems?

I kept hearing and seeing folks that I admire play Bergantino. Then at the NAMM show last year, Dingwall had one of your systems for some content we were filming, and I fell in love with the sound and tones I was getting from the amp and cabinet. It made my bass tones sound so rich, which can be tricky sometimes with the amount of pedals I use.

Can you share a little bit with us about your experience with the new Bergantino Forte HP Ultra amplifier and some of the feature sets you like?

I love the classic sound! Super warm and organic. As I mentioned before, I play with a lot of pedals, and if it’s not the right setup, they can get a little harsh sounding at times. The Bergantino amp and cabinet give such a full sound to my bass at any volume level. Plus, I run a lot of my samples and beats through the system live, and it’s like having a mini-PA next to you on stage. And of course, it is a visually beautiful amp and cabinet.

You also have an HG410X speaker cabinet. Thoughts so far?

Love, love, love. The tones, the size, and the look! And it travels great on the road!

Tell us about your first music teacher. What lesson did you learn from this person and still use today?

I’ve had many, but Bootsy gave me some of the best advice for having a long career in the crazy music industry: “Don’t get too high on the highs, or too low on the lows. Just keep steady and moving forward and you will have a very long career in music.”

What hobbies do you have outside music?

I’m a pop culture junkie—specifically movies, and more specifically, superhero/comic book movies. I’ve been on different comic book movie podcasts talking about some of my observations on different movies.

Because we all love food! What is your favorite food, Freekbass?

I’m a vegan, so I love tofu cooked many ways, and I eat avocados almost every day! Plus, I’m convinced we are put on planet Earth to drink coffee.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us that I missed?

I LOVE BEING A BASSIST!