Derek Smith, known primarily as Pretty Lights, has been rocking our headphones and concert halls for the past seven years with his complex instrumental riffs and unconventional chord progressions. For many producers at the time, he was the much needed inspiration in the chaotic emerging American electronic music world, seamlessly fusing hip-hop with dance music while bringing a new angle to live performance setups. In the years to follow, his artist collaborations and label, Pretty Lights Music, continued to push boundaries and inspire the younger generation of musicians.
His newest album, A Color Map of the Sun, is a proper follow up to his previous, Passing by Behind your Eyes, appropriating that hip-hop-oriented foundation with the typical PL glitch-hop personality. Tracks like “Color Of My Soul” and “Around The Block” are perfect examples.
Yesterday, Datsik released an official remix of “Around The Block”, adding a much heavier bassline and those gritty Datsik wobbles and synths that we’ve come to know and love. It will come as no surprise that he absolutely nailed this remix, turning it into a dance floor destroyer suitable for any dubstep set. Unlike many “dubstep remixes” of great tunes, this one avoids changing the tune so much that it renders it indiscernible from the original; the Pretty-Lights-influenced synths and background pads still play a huge role.