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.". Pretty Lights' 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. 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.
Pretty Lights released A Color Map of the Sun on July 2, which is Grammy nominated for the Best Dance/Electronic Album . The two-CD collection contain the 13-song album A Color Map of the Sun plus a second album, Live Studio Sessions From A Color Map of the Sun.
A Color Map of the Sun builds on the original Pretty Lights sound and style that Smith pioneered. He spent a year composing and recording music and vocals that emulated genres and time periods that spanned the last century, then pressed it to vinyl. He used that vinyl along with a custom built analog modular synth to create A Color Map of the Sun. The resulting album is analog electronica – soulful, electro hip-hop that pays respect to music’s immense power to touch listeners emotionally, kinetically and inspirationally.
For more information and to download all Pretty Lights albums at no cost, visit http://www.prettylightsmusic.com.
Flitting between moody downtempo and upbeat, densely layered material geared for club play, Colorado's Pretty Lights was the project of Derek Vincent Smith. Smith spent his high school years making hip-hop and ultimately dropped out of his freshman year at the University of Colorado at Boulder to focus on his music. He made his recorded debut as Pretty Lights in 2006 with the full-length Taking Up Your Precious Time, which he supported with gigs for acts including STS9, the Disco Biscuits, and Widespread Panic. From there, he kept up a busy release schedule for the rest of the 2000s, issuing the double album Filling Up the City Skies in 2008 and another full-length, Passing by Behind Your Eyes, the following year. In 2010, Pretty Lights went on an extensive North American tour, playing that year's Coachella, Ultra, Movement, and Electric Zoo festivals, among other stops. Smith continued touring into 2011 and also developed his Pretty Lights Music imprint, releasing albums by Michal Menert, Gramatik, and Eliot Lipp. In 2012, Smith appeared in the music documentary Re:GENERATION Music Project and began work on Pretty Lights' fourth album. Instead of sampling existing recordings, Smith worked with longtime drummer Adam Deitch, Soulive's Eric Krasno, the Harlem Gospel Choir, and members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Treme Brass Band to create vintage-sounding original music that he then refashioned into the Pretty Lights sound. The results were 2013's A Color Map of the Sun, which became the first Pretty Lights album to be released physically and digitally at the same time. ~ Heather Phares & Andy Kellman, Rovi
Gazing At The Glare
Pretty Lights Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't get lost in the world, you gotta march to your drum;
Better foster your hope and get lost in your love;
Cause then the wisdom will come, the knowledge will come, and all the silence of man will be a song getting sung."
The lyrics of Pretty Lights's song 'Gazing At The Glare' convey a message of self-discovery and the importance of finding one's purpose. The opening line "Who am I, if the sun don't shine and the moon don't glow?" suggests a feeling of confusion and uncertainty about one's identity when things are not going well. In times of darkness, it is easy to lose sight of oneself and get lost in the chaos of the world. The artist urges to not get lost and to march to one's own drum, indicating the significance of individuality and having a unique purpose in life.
The line "Better foster your hope and get lost in your love," encourages the listener to focus on nurturing their positivity and passion for life, as this is what will guide them towards their path of enlightenment. When one is consumed with love and hope, wisdom and knowledge will naturally follow. The final line "all the silence of man will be a song getting sung," is metaphorical and suggests that every person has a story to tell and their own unique contribution to make to the world. When a person can tap into their inner being and discover their passion, their silence will transform into a beautiful melody that adds value to the universe.
Line by Line Meaning
Who am i, if the sun don't shine and the moon don't glow?
Without the natural beauty of the world, who am I to define myself?
Don't get lost in the world, you gotta march to your drum;
Don't let the chaotic world consume you, find your own rhythm and purpose.
Better foster your hope and get lost in your love;
Nurture optimistic thoughts and immerse yourself in loving relationships.
Cause then the wisdom will come, the knowledge will come, and all the silence of man will be a song getting sung.
When you focus on hope and love, you will gain wisdom and knowledge, and your existence will become a valuable contribution to the world.
Contributed by Nathan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@WeeleyTube
Will always have a special place in my heart for pretty lights, was a broke ass 16 year old when this came out and he was so ahead of the game he released this on the pirate bay for free when it was at its peak. Smart and charitable. My guy.
@izxzxy
THIS ONE BUMPS
@shannynshultz327
Loved this song then, love this song now, will always love this song.
@outofmind9222
Song is so dope whole album is I’d trade this albums existence for all the current pop radio music in a heartbeat
@MrMattanFriends
Agreed.... easily my favorite PL album
@CanIUseYourJohn
It's been eleven years?? Holy. This still slaps, good driving music.
@SoldiesBC
This EP along with the other two are amazing from start to finish
@lolPantsProductions
How does this not have more views??
@jcarnie2030
ikr
@jcarnie2030
high five