Pretty Lights - Where Pretty Lasers and Pretty Music Meet

Derek Vincent Smith, otherwise known as Pretty Lights has been one of my favorite electronic musicians ever since I was introduced to him by my very good friend in Colorado many moons ago.  I have received a few amazing little videos from Mr. A.K. (the same genius who handed me Gramatik) and I wanted to share those with you as well as some of my favorites from back in the day.

PRETTY LIGHTS









Derek Vincent Smith hasn't been on the scene for that long, but he made a name for himself playing a bit for STS9, The Disco Biscuits, and many other Colorado hometown favorites.  He was a University of Colorado freshman dropout, who decided school was to take the backseat to his music career.  It turns out he made the right decision in this case.  He has since his departure from CU-Boulder become one of the premier electronic and remix artists of this decade.  He is well known for his flawless beats, and incredible taste in all things light.  His setups are incredible, and unfortunately I am only able to say this because I saw them on a video, and not live.

I have been incredibly impressed over the years with his seamless beats, and how well he has adapted an ear for remixing certain tracks.  The one Mr. A.K. sent to me was a remix of seven Led Zeppelin tracks that literally blew my mind.  I would never have thought I would like such a thing.. but it turns out I was wrong.  He also remixed Solar Sailor which was off of the soundtrack from Tron Legacy, which was solely created by Daft Punk (another favorite of mine).  He took what was already a great song, considering what it was for, and knocked it out of the park.  That's my take, you be the judge...

-Solar Sailor (Remix)-
This is a sort of hip-hop/dub-step rendition of Daft Punks song, and I just think it is really really tight.  The production value is extremely high, and I think it would be a hell of a thing to listen to live with all his crazy lights and lasers flashing in your face.




-Pretty Lights vs. Led Zeppelin-
This is just... awesome.  It is a really nice mixture of classic rock and hip-hop type beats.  I love his ability to use the down-beat on this.  It also does a nice job of showcasing how his performances come together.




-Summer's Thirst-
This song is off of his Taking Up Your Precious Time album, which was my entree into the Pretty Lights world.  I just really like the down-tempo aspect of it, and it has some very light and airy keys that I think provide a unique sound.  Somewhat repetitive, but I am a fan.




-Almost Familiar-
This is another favorite from Taking Up Your Precious Time.  Has some cool off-tempo work, and once again a solid hip-hop base, with some smooth electronic elements over the top.



-Finally Moving-
This too is from the Taking album, and is pretty much his staple track from that album.  This is a pretty classic hip-hop beat, and it has some vocals which never hurts!




-I Know The Truth-
This song is has a very strong dupstep element to it, and I can see a lot of people not being that interested in that.  However... if you have ever been to a dubstep show live, it will probably change your mind.  The video you will see with this one is a live performance of PL's from Bonaroo, and it looks like a hell of a lot of fun.  I would suggest if you get to see this guy live, and don't mind noodle-dancing with a bunch of hipsters, have at it.




-Time (Pink Floyd Remix)-
This is the last one for this particular article, but I felt it was important to include, because his name (Pretty Lights) was actually taken from a Pink Floyd song...  So with that said, I was interested to see what he would do with his originator's music.  Its an interesting and rather glitchy remix, but something I had to include nonetheless!




So if you are looking for more from Pretty Lights, I can either ask Mr. A.K. for his suggestions or you can just take a quick hour and listen to some of these tracks here above.

Though this genre may not be for everyone, I can definitely attest for how incredible this guys production value is, and how talented he is with his ear for remixing.  It's a lot harder than many would think; and though it isn't the same as playing an instrument, or singing, or some other God given talent, I would argue that having the knack for finding what works, and making it sound so good is indeed a gift.  Be that talent from God, on loan from God, or from some alien planet.  You have to admit, he does what he does very well.

Hope you enjoyed, and as always, comments welcomed!

-CS