WhenIfirstsawCaseonBassbackstageinNewYork,Iwasabitwary.

Hisappearancewassomewherebetween
militarymercenaryandfashionmodel.Helookedlonewolfdangerous.Hegaveoffasenseofsuperioritysittingby
himself.Iimmediatelydidn'tlikehimandhadneverheardofhimanyway(hedidzeropromotionofhismusic).

ThenIheardhimperformonhisbassguitarandbecameconvincedhemadeadealwiththedevil.Hismusicwas
mysteriousashell.IcametofindoutlaterthemusichewasplayingwascalledBassTones.Iarrangedaninterview
withhim.

Itwasacuriousinterview.Forstarters,CaseonBasshasatleastfourdifferentnameshegoesby.Hewon'ttellme
hisrealname.Healsoisachronicmoverhehaslivedin10differentplacesthepast4years,sometimesinbig
citieslikeNewYorkorSeattle,othertimesinruralAppalachiantownslikeAthens,Ohio.

Butbeforethisnomadiclifestyle,aftercollegeheworkedasanofficeaccountantforseveralyearsandhatedit
immensely.Notsatisfiedwiththemoneyhewasmakingandthelifestylehewasliving,helefthisaccountingjobin
2011atage25andbecameamercenaryminesweeperintheCaucasusregion.(Themoderntermforthisiscalleda
"militarycontractor",butCaseonBasspreferredtocallhimselfamercenary).Itpaidoverdoublewhathemadeasan
accountant.HeworkedprimarilyinthewartornregionofChechnyaidentifyingandclearingminefields.

"Theworkwedidwassomewherebetweenmilitaryandhumanitarian,"saidCaseonBass"Neithersidehadany
mapsofwheremostoftheminesandboobytrapsweretheywerelaidyearsago."Theworkwasslowgoingand
obviouslydangerous."Wetooknochances.Somepeoplethinkmineclearingisgettingupcloseanddisarmingthe
minethatiswaytoodangeroustodoonaregularbasis.Wewouldstandbackanddetonatetheminesfroma
distanceoncewewereabletolocatethem.80%ofourtimewasjusttryingtolocatetheminestherewereatonof
falsepositiveswiththeminesweeperbecauseofalltheshellingandspentammointhearea.Iknowabsurdviolence
hadtakenplacehere..."

CaseonBassdidthisworkfor18monthsandsavedup$150,000USdollarswaymorethanwhathecouldhave
madeasanaccountantinthesameamountoftime.HereturnedtotheUSat26,andthenawhitehotcreativeburst
began.HestartedmakingexperimentalmusicwithCasebere&JoynerandthenhissoloBassTonesseries.Hehas
publishednolessthan12albumsthispastyear.

Strangeforamusicianhowever,isthefactthathedoesnotparticipateinanysocialmedia,sayinghedoesn'tbelieve
init.Thatmaybedetrimentaltohiscareer.

Andaftertalkingtohim,Istilldon'tunderstandhowhecreatedhismysteriousmusic.Itsoundslikemusicfrom
anotherworld,withacompletelydifferentmeaningthanmostmusic.Idon'tknowhowitrelatestohispastfromwhat
hetoldme.

"I'mjustgivingthankstomyCreator,"isallhesaid.