Atlantic Connection

Biography

The story

Nathan Hayes adopted the Atlantic Connection name to channel his deep affinity for soulful, bass-driven music that spans genres. While originally from North Carolina, Hayes later gravitated toward electronic and bass music communities, eventually relocating to Los Angeles and operating via his own imprint (Westbay Recordings) as a home base. Over time he has developed a reputation in the drum & bass and liquid bass scenes as a purveyor of emotionally rich and introspective soundscapes.

Atlantic Connection's catalog includes original tracks, VIP mixes, remixes, loops, and sample packs. He has also released "The D&B Samples," a collection of loops and stems derived from his drum & bass works, as well as "B-Sides (Drum & Bass)" which compiles deeper cuts, VIPs, and unreleased material. These releases illustrate both his creative range and his role as a curator of his own sonic archive. (Bandcamp credits confirm Nathan Hayes as writer/producer for those projects.)

Though his output is primarily in electronic bass music, Hayes often weaves in reggae-inflected moods, dub atmospheres, and melodic sensibilities that nod to roots tradition. He has cited influences ranging from LTJ Bukem to J Dilla in how he thinks about rhythm, tone, and feel. In features and press he has described his sound as "future-soul" within the bass music realm. (As noted in a "Best Drum and Bass" spotlight, Hayes blends genre boundaries in his work.)

Over the years, Atlantic Connection has collaborated with other artists in the drum & bass space (for example, a collaboration with Random Movement) and placed music on respected deep / liquid labels. His consistency in releasing quality tracks and EPs has earned him a loyal underground following across the D&B community.

The ReggaeEDM analysis

Where the reggae meets the electronics

Reggae roots / side A

Rhythm: Atlantic Connection occasionally integrates offbeat syncopation, echoing reggae or dub subdivisions beneath faster drum & bass breakbeats, thereby creating a hybrid rhythmic feel.
Bass: He utilizes deep sub-bass foundations reminiscent of reggae's heavy roots lines, but adapted to the faster tempos of drum & bass, often with warm filtering or modulation to emulate dub bass movement.
Vocals/Message: While much of his work is instrumental, guest vocalists and MCs appear in his catalogue (e.g. feature verses). His melodic and harmonic choices often evoke emotional tension, introspection, and connection, aligning with the conscious spirit found in roots reggae.

Electronic techniques / side B

Sound Design / Texture layering: Hayes builds lush pads, atmospheric reverb layers, and textural ambient flourishes over rhythmic cores to create immersive soundscapes.
Time-domain processing / delay & echo: He uses delay, echo, and feedback chains (in dub style) to sculpt rhythmic echoes around drums, giving tracks depth and space.
Hybrid tempo fusion & dynamic transitions: Though grounded in drum & bass, Atlantic Connection sometimes experiments in the 140 to 160 bpm range, shifting between intensities. He also uses VIP mixes and alternate arrangements to recontextualize tracks in different subgenres (e.g. liquid, deep, minimal).

What to listen for

Essential works

2024
Around the Way
Illustrates his melodic sensibility paired with emotive production and crisp low end.
Digital Landscape (album)
A strong mid-career statement where his fusion of ambient, bass, and textured rhythms coalesce.
2019
Alkaloids
Darker and more experimental, exploring texture, weight, and abstraction.
2012
Love Architect
One of his earlier full-length works showcasing a foundation in melodic sensibility.
2025
Hoogshagenii EP
His latest EP demonstrating fresh directions and current artistic vision.

Influence on ReggaeEDM

Why they matter here

Innovations: Atlantic Connection's primary innovation is not that he fully adopts reggae, but that he infiltrates its atmospheres, aesthetic, and spaciousness into bass music and hybrid electronic genres. His melodic bass + ambient layering approach offers a bridge between ambient dub, soul, and drum & bass, a sonic space that ReggaeEDM artists can draw from for texture and emotional depth.

Impact: While he may not be a household name in mainstream ReggaeEDM circles, within bass and underground electronic communities he is respected for subtlety, hybrid genre vision, and the emotional resonance of his tracks. His work inspires producers who seek to fuse soulful, dub-inflected textures into bass-forward frameworks.

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