Pretty Lights

{{Short description|American electronic music producer (born 1981)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox musical artist | background = group_or_band | name = Pretty Lights | alias = Derek Vincent Smith | image = Pretty Lights at the Aragon, Chicago - 8 November 2013.jpg | caption = Pretty Lights performing in 2013 | origin = Fort Collins, Colorado | genre = {{hlist|Electronic|hip hop|soul}} | years_active = 2004–2018 2023-present | label = Pretty Lights Music, 8 Minutes 20 Seconds Records | website = {{URL|prettylightsmusic.com}} | current_members = Derek Vincent Smith Michal Menert Borahm Lee Alvin Ford Jr. Chris Karns | past_members = Brian Coogan Cory Eberhard Adam Deitch Brandon Butler Eric Bloom Scott Flynn Eric Krasno }}

'''Derek Vincent Smith''' (born November 25, 1981), known by his stage name '''Pretty Lights''', is an American electronic music producer. Pretty Lights was originally a music project consisting of Smith and Michal Menert, who left after the release of their first album and returned in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pretty Lights Bio, Music, News & Shows|url=http://djz.com/featured_djs/pretty-lights/|website=DJZ.com|access-date=March 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329070724/http://djz.com/featured_djs/pretty-lights/|archive-date=March 29, 2013}}</ref> Rick Rubin once described Pretty Lights as "the face and voice of the new American electronic music scene".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3024453/how-electronic-star-pretty-lights-conquered-music-the-free-download-way |title=How Electronic Star Pretty Lights Conquered Music The Free-Download Way |last=Beer |first=Jeff |date=January 10, 2014 |website=Fast Company |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115183534/https://www.fastcompany.com/3024453/how-electronic-star-pretty-lights-conquered-music-the-free-download-way |archive-date=January 15, 2014 |access-date=July 10, 2018}}</ref>

==Early life== Smith started skateboarding with Michal Menert in the 8th grade. The pair, together with a drummer Menert knew, began making music after Smith brought a bass guitar to a skating session. Paul Brandt (Paul Basic) eventually replaced their original drummer. Calling themselves "The Freeze", the band consisted of Derek Vincent Smith on the bass guitar, Michal Menert on the guitar and keyboard, and Paul Brandt on the drums. The group was influenced by artists like the Beastie Boys, Tha Alkaholiks, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, The Roots, and The Casualties as well as by old school hip hop, funk, punk rock, and the skater culture.<ref name="Interview 2013/10/19">{{cite web|last=TBM|title=Michal Menert [Interview]|url=http://thebeatmpls.com/2013/10/19/michal-menert-event-preview/|website=Thebeatmpls.com|access-date=January 3, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103200707/http://thebeatmpls.com/2013/10/19/michal-menert-event-preview/|archive-date=January 3, 2014}}</ref> The band placed second in a community battle of bands in their sophomore year.<ref name="Pretty Lights Interview 2011/01/22">{{cite web|last=Baca|first=Ricardo|title=The Reverb Interview: Derek Vincent Smith, a.k.a. Pretty Lights|url=http://www.heyreverb.com/blog/2011/01/22/the-reverb-interview-derek-vincent-smith-a-k-a-pretty-lights/26757/|work=Reverb|publisher=The Denver Post|access-date=January 3, 2014}}</ref> After graduating from Rocky Mountain High School, Smith attended University of Colorado at Boulder, but dropped out during his freshman year to focus on his music instead.<ref name="The Denver Post">Wenzel, John: "Pretty Lights' tunes are a thrill that you don't have to buy", ''The Denver Post'', 9-27-09</ref>

==Career== ===2004–2009=== Derek Vincent Smith and Michal Menert began working on Pretty Lights in summer 2004.<ref>{{cite web|title=Archive of Voicebox Records|url=http://makeshiftgods.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603211125/http://makeshiftgods.com/|archive-date=June 3, 2004|website=Voicebox Records|access-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> In 2007 and 2008, Pretty Lights began playing late nights for large acts such as STS9, The Disco Biscuits, and Widespread Panic. Some of his first appearances outside of Colorado were at the end of 2008 on October 31 at Club 6 in San Francisco, CA,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jambase.com/Articles/15433/Post-Umph-Halloween-in-SF |title=Post-Umph Halloween in SF on JamBase |website=Jambase.com |date=February 28, 2007 |access-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> November 14 at The Parish Room in Austin, Texas, December 6–7 in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the former venue known as The Gypsy,<ref>{{cite web|author=Pretty Lights |url=http://eventful.com/fayetteville_ar/events/pretty-lights-/E0-001-017441768-7 |title=Pretty Lights in Fayetteville, AR |website=Eventful.com |access-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA45DS3xB0Y |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/XA45DS3xB0Y |archive-date=December 20, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Pretty Lights - Finally Moving Fayetteville Arkansas |publisher=YouTube |date=August 7, 2010 |access-date=March 13, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and a December 20 show in Richmond, Virginia at the Canal Club. In the summer of 2009, under the moniker Pretty Lights, Smith played at several major American music festivals, such as Bonnaroo, Forecastle, Wakarusa, Rothbury, Electric Daisy Carnival, Camp Bisco, and the 10KLF. The following autumn, he went on a multi-city tour of the United States.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Coplan|first1=Chris|title=Pretty Lights fall 2009 tour to be blindingly awesome|url=http://consequence.net/2009/08/pretty-lights-fall-2009-tour-to-be-blindingly-awesome/|website=Consequence.net|date=August 10, 2009|access-date=March 8, 2015}}</ref>

===2010–2011: Pretty Lights Music=== In 2010, Pretty Lights played at the 2010 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, the 2010 Marchone Music Productions Illumination Show in Nashville, the 2010 Evolve Festival in Nova Scotia, Movement 2010 (the Detroit Electronic Music Festival), the 2010 Starscape Festival, Camp Bisco, Nocturnal Festival at Apache Pass, Texas, the 2010 Electric Zoo at Randall's Island in New York City, New York, the North Coast Music Festival in Chicago, Illinois, and the Outsidelands Festival in San Francisco, California. In early 2011, he headlined SnowBall in Avon, Colorado, along with Bassnectar and the Flaming Lips. In June 2011, Pretty Lights played a late-night set at Bonnaroo, where he debuted the song "I Know the Truth." Smith also debuted his state-of-the-art light show in early 2011 involving LED towers made to look like a cityscape. In July 2011, he headlined at the Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan, at Camp Bisco in Mariaville, New York, and at the All Good Music Festival in Masontown, West Virginia, where he performed a special "once in a lifetime" track, a remix of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads."

Smith toured with drummer Cory Eberhard from August 2007 to July 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/derek-vincent-smith-and-cory-eberhard-of-the-pretty-lights-news-photo/102682365 |title=Derek Vincent Smith and Cory Eberhard of the Pretty Lights pose... News Photo |website=Gettyimages.com |access-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> In late July 2010, Smith replaced Eberhard with Adam Deitch as drummer, debuting at Wanderlust on July 30.<ref>[http://lostinsound.org/2010/07/27/adam-deitch-is-pretty-lights-new-drummer/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516143943/http://lostinsound.org/2010/07/27/adam-deitch-is-pretty-lights-new-drummer/|date=May 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/pretty-lights/new-drummer/10150242122640322 |title=New Drummer |website=Facebook.com |access-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> Smith stopped touring with a live drummer in 2011.

On January 25, 2011, Smith released two albums on his newly formed record label, Pretty Lights Music. The record label offers free downloads of all Pretty Lights albums, plus releases from PLM artists including Michal Menert, Break Science, Gramatik, Paul Basic, Eliot Lipp, and SuperVision. Pretty Lights continues to distribute music for free, and frequently appears at festivals across the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spinner.com/2011/01/11/pretty-lights-music-free-downloads/ |title=AOL Radio - Listen to Free Online Radio - Free Internet Radio Stations and Music Playlists |website=Spinner.com |access-date=December 11, 2013 |archive-date=July 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703033145/http://www.spinner.com/2011/01/11/pretty-lights-music-free-downloads/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===2012–2013: ''A Color Map of the Sun''=== In 2012, Pretty Lights was featured in the musical documentary "Re:GENERATION Music Project" producing the track "Wayfaring Stranger," featuring Country music stars LeAnn Rimes and Ralph Stanley for a collaborative effort mixing two genres, namely electronic and country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://regenerationmusicproject.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703221734/http://www.regenerationmusicproject.com/#section4|url-status=dead|title=RE:GENERATION|archive-date=July 3, 2013|website=Regenerationmusicproject.com|access-date=August 26, 2020}}</ref>

Pretty Lights released a new full-length album titled ''A Color Map of the Sun'' on July 2, 2013. It is the first Pretty Lights album that does not rely on borrowed samples; Smith instead composed and recorded tracks with session musicians in studios in Brooklyn, New Orleans and Denver and pressed the recordings to vinyl, samples of which were then combined with modular synths and digital production methods.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thissongissick.com/blog/2013/pretty-lights-produced-his-own-vinyl-records-new-album-a-color-map-of-the-sun/ |title=Watch: Pretty Lights produced his own vinyl records then sampled them for his new album "A Color Map of the Sun" including new track [VIDEO] |website=Thissongissick.com |date=May 19, 2013 |access-date=December 11, 2013}}</ref> For his fall 2013 tour, Smith toured with a full band including drummer Adam Deitch, keyboardist Brian Coogan, keyboardist Borahm Lee, trombonist Scott Flynn and trumpeter Eric Bloom.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.jambands.com/news/2013/10/04/pretty-lights-announces-full-live-band-for-fall-tour#.UqTt4Xl3vIU |title=Need We Say More? > News > Pretty Lights Announces Full Live Band for Fall Tour |website=Jambands.com |date=October 4, 2013 |access-date=December 11, 2013}}</ref>

On December 6, 2013, A Color Map of the Sun received a nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album in the 2014 Grammys.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1718657/grammy-nominations-list-2014.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208030413/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1718657/grammy-nominations-list-2014.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 8, 2013 |title=Grammy Nominees 2014: See The List - Music, Celebrity, Artist News |website=MTV.com |date=December 6, 2013 |access-date=December 11, 2013}}</ref> On December 10, 2013, Pretty Lights released A Color Map of the Sun Remixes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nymn.com/pretty-lights-releases-a-color-map-of-the-sun-remixes/ |title=Pretty Lights Released A Color Map of the Sun Remixes |publisher=New York Music News|date=November 19, 2013 |access-date=December 11, 2013}}</ref>

===2014–2018: New Orleans reinvention and Pretty Lights Live=== Following the 2014 Grammy Awards, Smith relocated to Los Angeles to begin work on a new album at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La studio. After several months of writing and recording, Smith relocated to New Orleans in mid-2014. Over the following two years, Smith recorded music with local musicians and played sporadic shows with the Analog Future Band.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.offbeat.com/articles/pretty-lights-looking-back-from-future/|title=Pretty Lights: Looking Back From the Future|work=OffBeat Magazine|access-date=March 17, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2015, Pretty Lights headlined the Suwannee Hulaween music festival the last weekend of October.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jambase.com/article/suwannee-hulaween-2015-finalizes-lineup|title=Suwannee Hulaween 2015 Finalizes Lineup|website=JamBase.com|access-date=August 26, 2020}}</ref>

Following Analog Future's final show at New Orleans' Buku Music + Art Project in March 2016, Smith formed the new band Pretty Lights Live. The new band features Smith, drummer Alvin Ford Jr., keyboardist Brian Coogan, keyboardist Borahm Lee, and turntablist Chris Karns.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://prettylightsmusic.com/pretty-lights-an-episodic-festival/|title=Pretty Lights – An Episodic Festival - Pretty Lights Music|date=May 31, 2016|work=Pretty Lights Music|access-date=March 17, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> On May 31, 2016, Smith announced that the band would embark on a five-stop "Episodic Festival" U.S. tour with two-day stops in Gilford, NH, Morrison, CO, Telluride, CO, Chicago, IL, and Nashville, TN.<ref name="Billboard">{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/7386172/pretty-lights-an-episodic-festival-live-band-special-guests-dance|title=Pretty Lights Announces 'An Episodic Festival' With Live Band & Special Guests|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 17, 2017}}</ref> Shortly after, Coogan left the band and was replaced by Brandon Butler.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://riverbeats.life/meet-the-musicians-behind-the-pretty-lights-live-band-2017-2/|title=Meet the Musicians Behind the Pretty Lights Live Band|date=December 21, 2016|website=Riverbeats.life|access-date=September 30, 2018}}</ref>

In late 2016, Smith revealed that he was working on his first new album in four years, with a tentative release date set for April 2017.<ref name="Billboard"/> Pretty Lights Live is slated to play at several major U.S. music festivals in 2017, including Summer Camp Music Festival<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pjstar.com/news/20170223/second-round-of-summer-camp-announcements-headlined-by-pretty-lights-gramatik-wacka-flocka|title=Second round of Summer Camp announcements headlined by Pretty Lights, Gramatik, Wacka Flocka|last=Bruch|first=Thomas|work=Journal Star|access-date=March 17, 2017|language=en}}</ref> in May and Camp Bisco in July.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://edmchicago.com/2017/02/24/bassnectar-pretty-lights-live-griz-announced-camp-bisco-2017/|title=Bassnectar, Pretty Lights Live, GRiZ announced for Camp Bisco 2017|date=February 24, 2017|website=EDM Chicago|access-date=March 17, 2017}}</ref> The band then performed in Detroit, MI, Minneapolis, MN, and Philadelphia, PA, over the New Year's holiday period.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prettylightsmusic.com/2017-new-years-run/|title=2017 New Year's Run - Pretty Lights|date=October 20, 2017|website=Prettylightsmusic.com|access-date=September 30, 2018}}</ref>

"[T]he only shows of the summer, [and] possibly all" of 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prettylightsmusic.com/red-rocks-amphitheatre-august-10th-11th/|title=RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE - AUGUST 10TH & 11TH - Pretty Lights|date=June 27, 2018|website=Prettylightsmusic.com|access-date=September 30, 2018}}</ref> took place at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 10 and 11, celebrating the tenth consecutive year of Pretty Lights performing there.

Shortly after his 10th year anniversary shows at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, Smith took a break to focus on himself and his music.

===2023–present: Swirl Bridge Era===

On April 4, 2023, after a nearly 5 year hiatus, he announced a return tour, entitled "The Soundship Spacesystem Tour" with 27+ dates across the country, with 4 band members, Borahm Lee, Chris Karns, Alvin Ford Jr., and the returning Michal Menert, together referred to as the Pretty Lights Live Band.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=2023-04-04 |title=Pretty Lights Flicker Back on After Nearly Five Years In the Dark With Tour Announcement |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pretty-lights-hiatus-tour-dates-new-music-1234709510/ |access-date=2023-08-05 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2024, they followed up their comeback tour with 8 multi-stop runs dubbed the "Check Your Vector" Tour with stops at Hampton, Bethel, Red Rocks, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, St Augustine, Boston, and Minneapolis as well as festival appearances at Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits.

2025 brought two additional festival appearances, as well as the inaugural Yahn Dawn at Meadow Creek—Pretty Lights' own multi-day camping festival in Buena Vista, Colorado. At this festival, Smith announced that he and his wife were expecting a son which indicated a slower concert circuit for the remainder of 2025 and potentially 2026.

==Style== thumb|Pretty Lights at the Aragon Ballroom in November 2013

Smith's music relies heavily on digital sampling and crosses many genres, forming a combination of "glitchy hip-hop beats, buzzing synth lines, and vintage funk and soul samples".<ref name="Annika Heinle, The Stanford Daily">{{cite web|url=http://www.stanforddaily.com/2009/10/23/pretty-lights-are-pretty-amazing/ |title=Pretty Lights are pretty amazing |author=Annika Heinle, The Stanford Daily |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118033207/http://www.stanforddaily.com/2009/10/23/pretty-lights-are-pretty-amazing/ |archive-date=November 18, 2010 }}</ref> Pretty Lights's sound is generated by manipulating samples and organic beats using the Novation X-Station, Monome and the Akai MPD32. Smith uses these digital controllers to program the music production software Ableton Live 8. When performing live, Smith uses two Macbook Pros running Ableton Live 8 and two Akai MPD32s.<ref name="Annika Heinle, The Stanford Daily"/> Smith usually considers his music as "Electro Hip-Hop Soul", a mix between elements of electronic based music, and beats from hip-hop and soul music.

==Members== * Derek Vincent Smith - production, instrumentation, vocals (2004–present) * Michal Menert - production, instrumentation, vocals (2004-2010) (2023-present) * Chris Karns (DMC World Champion) - turntables/sampling/video dj (2013–present) * Borahm Lee (Break Science) - production, keyboards (2014–present) * Alvin Ford Jr - drums (2016-present)

===Former members=== * Cory Eberhard - drums (2007–2010) * Adam Deitch - drums (2010–2016) * Brandon Butler - keyboards (2016–2018)

===Former touring members=== * Brian Coogan - keyboards (2013–2016) * Scott Flynn - trombone (2013; sporadic appearances) * Eric Bloom - trumpet (2013; sporadic appearances) * Eric Krasno - guitar (sporadic appearances)

==Discography== {{more citations needed|date=July 2018}}

===Studio albums=== *''Taking Up Your Precious Time'' (2006) *''Filling Up the City Skies'' (2008) *''Passing by Behind Your Eyes'' (2009) *''A Color Map of the Sun'' (2013)

===EPs=== *''Making Up a Changing Mind'' (2010) *''Spilling Over Every Side'' (2010) *''Glowing in the Darkest Night'' (2010) *''The Hidden Shades'' (2014) *''Dual Fusion Unity'' (2023)

===Live sets=== *2009: MORRISON, CO @ Red Rocks performing as ''Pretty Lights'' *2010: NYE 2009 (Midnight at The Vic Theatre) *2011: ALBUQUERQUE, NM - "''I.D-Fest" (a.k.a. Identity Festival)'' @ The Pavilion) *2011: WASHINGTON ("''I.D-Fest"'' ''a.k.a. Identity Festival)'' @ The Gorge) *2012: LAS VEGAS (Electric Daisy Carnival @ L.V. Motor Speedway) *2014: MORRISON, CO @ Red Rocks performed as "Pretty Lights Live<ref name=":0" />" ('''Derek Vincent Smith''' was accompanied, in addition to his 7 band members, by a full Orchestral Symphony consisting of 28 members) *2017: 31 "Flips" from 2016 Episodic Tour<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRI0bqhn-Vebh0JS-KlZsloeAarOCEIdP|title=Pretty Lights :: Flips - YouTube|website=YouTube|language=en|access-date=March 17, 2017}}</ref>

===Compilations=== *2010: Defocused on the Bright Diamonds (Released by Joshua Davis) *2010: Unreleased 2010 Remixes *2017: Pretty Lights USB 2.0

===Singles=== *2011: "Pretty Lights vs Radiohead vs Nirvana vs NIN" *2011: "I Know The Truth" *2011: "Pretty Lights vs Summertime" *2011: "Pretty Lights vs Led Zeppelin" *2012: "We Must Go On" *2012: "You Get High" *2012: "Pretty Lights vs The End Of The World" *2013: "The Day is Gone" *2013: "Around the Block" (featuring Talib Kweli) *2013: "Give Your Love Away" *2014: "Lost And Found" *2015: "DJ Sona's Ultimate Skin Music - Ethereal" (Nosaj Thing x Pretty Lights)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxa1Y71Lgyg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/cxa1Y71Lgyg |archive-date=December 20, 2021 |url-status=live|title=DJ Sona's Ultimate Skin Music - Ethereal (Nosaj Thing x Pretty Lights) |publisher=YouTube |date=February 3, 2015 |access-date=March 13, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> *2016: "Only Yesterday" *2017: "Rainbows & Waterfalls"

===Remixes=== *2010: "Chicago Bulls Theme" (Pretty Lights Remix) *2011: "Solar Sailer" (Pretty Lights Remix) from TRON Legacy: Reconfigured *2011: "Country Roads" (Pretty Lights Remix) *2011: "It's Tricky" (Pretty Lights Remix) *2012: "Wayfaring Stranger" (Pretty Lights Remix) *2012: "Halloween Funtime Remix" *2013: "Exodus" (Pretty Lights Remix) *2013: "I Put A Spell On You" (Pretty Lights Remix)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official|prettylightsmusic.com}}

Category:Electronic music groups from Colorado Category:American remixers Category:Rocky Mountain High School (Colorado) alumni Category:Pretty Lights members