Chester Hansen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chester Hansen
Hansen at the 2017 Haldern Pop Festival
Background information
Birth name	Chester Anton Mathias Hansen
Born	(1992-05-01) May 1, 1992 (age 33) Ottawa, Ontario
Origin	Toronto, Ontario
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter producer
Instruments	Bass guitar upright bass guitar keys
Years active	2010–present

Chester Anton Mathias Hansen (born May 1, 1992) is a Canadian musician. He is best known as the bass player for the instrumental band BADBADNOTGOOD. Chester is also a songwriter who has won a Grammy Award. He often works with his bandmates and producer Frank Dukes. He has helped write hit songs for famous artists like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Daniel Caesar, and Kali Uchis.

Chester's Early Life and Music Journey

Chester Hansen was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on May 1, 1992. He grew up in the Nepean area of the city. He went to Canterbury High School, which is a special school for arts. When he was younger, he played the piano. In high school, he started focusing on the bass guitar. As a teenager, Chester began making and releasing his own music. His early music mixed hip-hop, jazz, and electronic sounds.

Forming BADBADNOTGOOD

In 2010, Chester went to Humber College in Toronto to study music. In his first year, he met two other music students. Their names were Alexander Sowinski and Matthew Tavares. They started making music together, and this became the band BADBADNOTGOOD. The band became very popular in 2011. They posted jazz versions of songs by the group Odd Future online. Their first album came out that fall. Chester left college in February 2012 to focus on the band.

BADBADNOTGOOD's Albums and Awards

With BADBADNOTGOOD (BBNG), Chester Hansen has released five full-length albums. One of these albums was a collaboration with the rapper Ghostface Killah. The band has also been nominated twice for the Polaris Music Prize. This is a big award for Canadian music.

Working with Other Artists

In the early 2010s, Chester started working with Frank Dukes. Frank Dukes is a producer who often works with BBNG. Chester and his bandmates created original music for hip-hop artists to use as samples. For example, the Canadian artist Drake used a song Chester wrote with Frank Dukes called "Vibez." This song was used in Drake's 2014 hit "0 to 100 / The Catch Up." ..... Chester also works as a songwriter and producer for other artists.

Chester's Unique Music Style

Chester Hansen's bass playing style is often compared to music from the 1960s and 1970s. People notice his deep, warm bass sound. One music critic said that Chester combines old sounds and skillful playing with modern music.

Instruments Chester Plays

As a bass player, Chester often uses a Gibson Grabber and an old Gibson SB-300 bass. When he plays live, he uses different bass guitars and amplifiers. These include a Gallien-Krueger 800/700 RB and a Gallien-Krueger Fusion 500. He also uses a D’Angelico Excel SD. Chester has mentioned that he likes to use thick, flat-wound strings on his bass. He also likes to set the strings far from the neck of the guitar.

Besides bass, Chester often plays keyboards on recordings. He has perfect pitch, which means he can tell what musical note something is just by hearing it.

Music Chester Has Made

With BADBADNOTGOOD

• BBNG (2011)
• BBNG2 (2012)
• III (2014)
• Sour Soul (with Ghostface Killah) (2015)
• IV (2016)
• Talk Memory (2021)

Awards and Recognitions

As part of BADBADNOTGOOD

As a Producer and Songwriter

Chester Hansen has won several awards for his work as a producer and songwriter.

Images for kids

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  Chester Hansen at the 2017 Haldern Pop Festival