I wonder what people from past generations would think of music nowadays? I don’t mean lyrically, but the actual sound. Take Pretty Lights for example – Derek Vincent Smith’s use of traditional instruments are only a small portion of his entire sound set.
Smith’s use of untraditional beats has set him, and many other electronic musicians, apart from conventional music. His newest album, Spilling Over Every Side, the second EP of his 2010 trilogy, is a step in a new direction, although not a leap forward from his previous work. The most noticeable difference is each song’s length, topping at close to nine minutes on “High School Art Class”. I’m not sure I prefer the lengthiness, but as he points out, there’s a “sort of dimension flip” occurring in each song.
In a document included with Spilling Over Every Side, Smith points out that he’s tried to incorporate different genres into his work, “transitioning between something pretty and organic to something heavy and electro”. Although this may be true, I don’t see Smith pushing forward and building from his previous work – it’s more of a side step. I’m sure if I was out hitting up one of his shows, this would be some awe-inspiring shit, but I expect his albums to be on the highest levels, only because I respect his craft so much.
Despite all my criticisms, it’s still phenomenally fresh, especially compared to countless other electronic albums I’ve heard over the past few months. I’ve been a big fan of his for a while, and with this latest addition, Pretty Lights continues to impress meh.
As always, you can hit up his site, PrettyLightsMusic.com, and head over to the downloads section to pick up this, and any of his other albums. Just make sure to give back the love if you enjoy his tunes – I just got a t-shirt form his store and it’s quality. Or go to the North Coast Festival this upcoming Labor Day weekend, and show him some support. Plus you might see me there (if you’re so lucky).
[audio:HotLikeDimes.mp3,LettheWorldHurryBy.mp3|titles=Hot Like Dimes,Let the World Hurry By]
Download: Let the World Hurry By | Hot Like Dimes
Pretty Lights Info.:
Genre: Electronica, Hip-Hop, Downtempo
Location: Denver, Colorado
Members:
Derek Vincent Smith: DJ, Producer
Cory Eberhard: Drums
Albums: Passing by Behind Your Eyes | Making Up a Changing Mind | […]
Similar Artists: Emancipator | DJ Frane | Bonobo | Sound Tribe Sector 9 | Big Gigantic
Links: PrettyLightsMusic.com | MySpace | Wikipedia | Facebook | Twitter | Last.fm | AllMusic
Spilling Over Every Side Info.
Release Date: July 29, 2010
Download Link at PrettyLights.com