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. |
