Wenatchee, WA · dubstep · bass-house

Ghastly

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Genre-hopping producer who moves between bass house and full-on dubstep in a single hour — ghoulish branding, versatile drops.

Ghastly is the recording name of David Lee Crow, who grew up in Washington state before moving to Los Angeles to chase a career in music. Before he produced anything, he sang in the deathcore band The Irish Front, later teaching himself production first in Reason and then Ableton. Jobs in Los Angeles came and went fast, and there were stretches spent sleeping in his van and showering in public restrooms while trying to get a foothold.

His early releases sat in bass house and electro house, put out as he built a name on the club circuit. Since then he has pushed further into dubstep and experimental bass, treating a set as room to move between tempos rather than settle into one. Horror imagery runs through his artwork and branding, tying the records together as much visually as sonically.

He has released through Owsla, Buygore and Dim Mak, among other American dance labels. A meeting with Mija at a rave led to the collaboration "Crank It," finished with Lil Jon, and Skrillex brought him onto Owsla after the two connected at Burning Man. He has also worked with Jauz, on "Miami Connection," among other pairings.

More than once, Crow went back to his family's farm in Arizona to save money before returning to try Los Angeles again. Once labels started paying attention, he wrote and released steadily, climbing festival bills and chart positions. His debut album, The Mystifying Oracle, arrived in May 2018.

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