Pretty Lights is the musical vision of the ultra-versatile Colorado based producer Derek Vincent Smith, accompanied in the live setting by drummer, Cory Eberhard. Together these two achieve a raw energy rarely reached in the realm of electronic music. At a time when music lovers from almost all subcultures and genres are finding common ground in the basic form of bangin' beats, Pretty Lights is giving the people what they want; electro organic, cutting-edge party rocking beats, that fill venues with energy and emotion and send dance floors into frenzies. What makes Pretty Lights truly different though, is that the beats carry serious soul.
Fans across all genres are coming together to fuel the Pretty Lights movement. One only need to download Filling up the City Skies, the free double disc that was released for download only a few short months ago at www.prettylightsmusic.com, to see what the hype is about. The two-disc release is a 26 track journey through past, present, and future. Smith juxtaposes collages of beautiful vintage samples against backdrops of futuristic synthesis and dirty broken beats, creating a sound that can snap your neck while simultaneously shedding your tears. The album has been downloaded well over 50,000 times from the Pretty Lights website in the few months since its release, proving that the PL sound is not only getting around, it's spreading like a virus.
What makes the next summer set of shows all the more intriguing is that, somehow, amidst the relentless touring, Smith is nearing completion of the next Pretty Lights album. Scores of unheard new material is sure to be dropped along the way, considering a quote direct from Smith’s own blog, “Maintaining productivity, and striving to constantly create fresh new music is the only way to keep this adventure exciting for myself…I couldn’t bear to tour on the same record for more than a few months…”
Pretty Lights will be continuing to make its name on the festival circuit this summer which will include appearances at Bonnaroo, 10k Lakes, Rothbury, High Sierra, Wakarusa, and Camp Bisco.
From Lastfm:Pretty Lights, real name Derek Vincent Smith, is an electronic music artist from Colorado. Since July 2010, Adam Deitch has assisted during live performances. The name comes from a Pink Floyd poster that read "Come and watch the pretty lights!"
Smith's music is the byproduct of digital sampling and crosses many genres, forming a combination of "glitchy hip-hop beats, buzzing synth lines, and vintage funk and soul samples."
The Pretty Lights album "Taking Up Your Precious Time" was produced by Derek Smith and Michal Menert. Considered the debut PL album, TUYPT was released online for free download in the fall of 2006 and in the first year was downloaded over 5000 times across the globe. Since the release of TUYPT, Michal & Derek have been working on different projects, intending to explore new visions and satisfy their thirst for musical diversity.
In the fall of '07, Derek began performing in venues around northern Colorado beside live drummer, Adam Deitch, with the desire to showcase new solo material intended more for the live setting/dance culture. This combination has pushed the envelope of live electronic music and continues to evolve the sound encompassed by the PL collective.
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From Wikipedia:Pretty Lights is an electronic music duo from Colorado consisting of Derek Vincent Smith and Adam Deitch. Since July 2010 Adam Deitch assists during live performances. Smith's music is the byproduct of digital sampling and crosses many genres, forming a combination of "glitchy hip-hop beats, buzzing synth lines, and vintage funk and soul samples."