Pretty Lights

Overview

Fresh from dazzling the crowds at Stereosonic, Pretty Lights bring their spectacular show to the Oxford Art Factory this week, giving you one more chance to see them before they head back to the States. Producer Derek Vincent Smith and drummer Adam Deith promise to deliver a performance that will not only showcase Smith’s mad production skills and Deith’s deft drumming, but will also take electronic performance to the next level, thanks to a fully immersive and spectacular light show.

With a background in grunge and hip hop before discovering electronic music, Smith has carved his own niche fusing diverse elements together in a combination of intricately woven samples, digital production and synths. He performs live on stage with a drummer and an increasingly intricate light show. A soulful groove permeates most of his sound, but the mix is wide, ranging from beats and bass, funk and soul, to glitch and grime.

The last two years have seen Pretty Lights make waves across the festival circuit in the US, where Smith has continued to push his live performances to the next level. His productions have also been gathering a steadily increasing number of followers, with downloads of his music jumping from just a few hundred a month to over 10,000. Oh, and did I mention he gives his music away for free? Well for a small donation anyway. This unique business model gives him creative freedom when using samples and allows him to maintain his artistic integrity, and to keep pushing the boundaries of electronic music.