Derek Vincent Smith calls his fourth album, “A Color Map of the Sun” (July 2, Pretty Lights Music), “the most challenging, massive project” he could envision. The DJ/producer, who performs as Pretty Lights, certainly put in his time. The album, the first Pretty Lights LP to get a proper physical release in addition to being available for free download, has been in the works since 2010. “It’s something that I’d always wanted to do and I was always working toward,” he says.
The album also marks the DJ’s first sample-free creation. Best-known for combining seemingly disparate aural snippets within his tracks, the 31-year-old holed up last year at Brooklyn’s Studio G, and later in New Orleans, enlisting the help of such artists as Talib Kweli and Preservation Hall Jazz Band director/tuba player Ben Jaffe to re-create his trademark sample-style sound.
“Ultimately the goal of the album was to still have it sound like I was sampling golden-age vinyl samples,” he says.
The diverse album includes elements of funk, soul, blues and even ragtime. “My mind frame was to create music from every section of my favorite record store,” Smith says. It also showcases his musicality. “It’s the right time for a DJ/producer to step up and show the world it’s not all dancing onstage and hitting the play button.”
Smith’s manager, Red Light Management’s Ryan Reed, says releasing a physical copy of “A Color Map of the Sun” is in direct response to fan requests. “As much as anything we’re trying to service that desire from his fan base,” Reed says. “It’s better to go ahead and offer this to reach the most people.”
Pretty Lights’ previous three full-length albums, the most recent 2009’s “Passing by Behind Your Eyes,” have successfully reached his audience through a free-download-only model. (The three albums have collectively been downloaded 1.6 million times, according to Reed.) Reed insists this strategy remains central to Pretty Lights’ business: The album will again be available for free download. “Giving away more [copies] than ever is definitely still very much part of our picture of success for this album,” he says.
The physical release, however, opens the door for more inventive opportunities. In addition to an accompanying album of live studio recordings, the deluxe version of the LP includes a 28-page full-color photo booklet. Smith is also wrapping up edits on a documentary exploring the making of the album.
Reed anticipates the album will be primed for the synch world. “I’m really excited to explore the full potential of licensing opportunities we can do for this album. It’s a growing part of his business,” he says, adding that he foresees the album specifically working well for videogames and in film. Pretty Lights has had previous placements with shows including “CSI,” with EA Games and in the world of outdoor sports.
The album’s unorthodox creation has Smith adopting a similar attitude to his live show: He plans to bring a band with him on the road. “I’m conceptualizing and building and preparing for the coolest and most challenging live tour I’ve ever done,” he says.
Pretty Lights is set to play select festivals this summer, including Governors Ball in New York and Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn. A full-fledged fall tour is in the works. “We’re definitely taking a bit of a different approach with this tour,” says his agent, Creative Artists Agency’s Hunter Williams, who adds that he’s eyeing “everything from classy theaters to arenas.”