I’m always searching for good bass guitar.  I hate it when it’s mixed out of audible range, and I love when it’s full, supple, and groovy.  So, here are my top 10 favorite bass performances of 2015.

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10. Corey Isaacks – Groove Think – “Intellect”

Fun, bubbling bass that takes skills

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9. Tom Tamlander – Octopie – “The Adventures of Harry and Walrus Kane”

Groovy and retro

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8. Jonas Reingold – The Tangent – “A Spark in the Aether”

Retro, and gleefully so

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7. Nick Beggs – Steven Wilson – “Hand.Cannot.Erase.”

It’s Nick Beggs.  No explanation necessary.

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6. Martin Skrebergene – Leprous – “The Congregation”

Polyrhythmic spasms

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5. Brendan Brown/Michael Millard – Arcane – “Known/Learned”

Polyrhythmic and yet smooth

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4. Martin Schnella – Seven Steps to the Green Door – “Fetish”

Gentle Giant inspired grooves meet heavy prog

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3. Dave Couper – Caligula’s Horse – “Bloom”

Stunning bass lines that really help form the heavy side to the album

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2. Kristian Torp – Gazpacho – “Molok”

Still one of the most inventive, yet under-appreciated, bassists out there

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1. Mariusz Duda – Riverside – “Love, Fear and the Time Machine”

My favorite bassist does it again with strong grooves and outside the box thinking