Living up to the name "pretty lights," he creates a light show for concertgoers that is flat out mind blowing. PL's live performances are nothing short of amazing. His latest album "The Color Map of the Sun" deviates from this norm, with 100% production of the music done in concert with other musicians and singers. Historically, he has been dubbed a masterful sampler forging his tracks from hundreds of other songs. As the name Pretty Lights might convey, his shows can be expected to be full of pretty lights and laser shows, which beam across the stage to the glitchy dance music blaring through the speakers.ĭerek Vincent Smith - better known as Pretty Lights - is the mastermind responsible for the visionary combination of dub, funk, jazz, hip-hop, soul, and electro, to create a one-of-a-kind sound. He has also made an appearance on the late night television show Conan, which has presented his music to a wider audience. Pretty Lights has gained the popularity to consistently sell out tour dates and play huge festivals such as Bonnaroo, Ultra, and Coachella. The album also featured collaborations with several notable musicians like Talib Kweli who appeared on the song “Around the Block” and Eligh who appeared on “So Bright”. It reached the number two spot on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Charts and it received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album.
The album was both a commercial and critical success. Instead of using samples, Pretty Lights composed all of the music and used analog synths to achieve some of the grittier tones on the album. On Pretty Lights’ 2013 album “A Color Map of the Sun” Smith decided to challenge himself by making the album without the use of any samples.
The smooth sounds of the Fender Rhodes electronic piano and jazz flute are consistently heard in his music and nicely juxtapose the modern electronic sounds that he produces with synths. He is fond of using old school samples that are chopped up and placed throughout his music to create a chill, laid back sound. Smith’s music caught the audience’s attention with his ability to mix hip-hop beats, jazz riffs, funk, and electronic music together to create interesting sounds. This album featured the hit song “Finally Moving”, which is a consistent crowd pleaser during Pretty Lights' live shows.Īfter the release of Pretty Lights’ debut album Smith began touring regularly and started to gain a large following after opening for huge acts such as STS9 and Widespread Panic.
Smith and his friend Michal Menert officially formed Pretty Lights in the Summer of 2004, but didn’t release their first album “Taking Up Your Precious Time” until 2006. Smith wrote hip-hop music throughout high school and college, and would later drop out of college to pursue music full time.
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