The Mainstream Underground: Aurora Borea-listen!

So to keep us in this electrorhythmasynthic funk we got going on here, I decided to take on a review from some of the recommendations that I've been receiving. Now before I get into the artist himself, I must say - this is exactly what I've been looking for, from both a music and recommendation standpoint. First of all, this guy grooves. He is just off the beaten path, but is still progressing enough so that his music is actually reachable for his fans. His style is very well rounded, and combines some pretty amazing music culture from the past with the new technology of music's future. An audio adventure through the ages, if you will. This is exactly the stuff I want to share, and I truly appreciate the recommendations from people. I had been first introduced to this artist about a month ago during my finals but after receiving a few other recent recommendations about him as well, I figured it was necessary to feature him next. So introducing Colorado's own cross-genre, electro-inspired lovechild - Pretty Lights.

Pretty lights is a music project created by Derek Vincent Smith that takes music from all generations and genres, breaks it down, and just like a puzzle, puts it all back together into something it truly never was before. He's a craftsman, and the attention to detail is certainly observable. Now he deals a lot with samples from other artists, which has sadly gathered a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to their use in today's music. Many people feel that it's just a cheap way to just steal from the success and creativity of previous icons, and yes, this can be a valid point. Artists who abuse the sample so that it's impossible to draw the line between what is theirs and what isn't *cough* Kayne West *cough* run the risk of seeming unimaginative and stale. Pretty Lights, on the other hand, takes a very good look at music from the past and finds the best way to seamlessly incorporate it in present day creations.

There is plenty of amazing talent to be admired from the past, and Pretty Light pays homage to it by including samples from more recent icons like The Notorious B.I.G to early legends like Etta James. In the end it's not the sample you use, but how you use it. Pretty Lights has taken some of the more obscure music from previous years, and molded it into something that everyone can enjoy. So to everyone from hip-hop lovers, to jazz listeners, to southern blues singers; I must say that Pretty Lights is a force to be recognized. Smith has plenty of music out there for your to listen to, but I decided to highlight two that I think provide great contrast to each other "Hot Like Sauce" and "Finally Moving".