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Michal Menert (born June 10, 1982) is a Polish-born American electronic music producer and the founder of Super Best Records. He was also the first artist on the Pretty Lights Music label and was an integral part of Pretty Lights, producing Pretty Lights debut album, Taking Up Your Precious Time as well as contributing to several tracks after his official departure from the project. Menert tours with a 7 piece band including MC, violin, and DJ.

Early life

Michal Menert was born in Kielce, Poland, and spent his early years in Kraków, when Poland was still part of the Eastern Bloc, under the rule of the Soviet Union in the early 1980s. His parents were professionals in academia and industry, and would fill the house with banned books and Western music. His father, Tadeusz (Tad) Adam Menert, had a passion for music and played drums in a small Polish psych-rock band.

In 1986, he "was forced to leave Poland due to various political reasons", Tadeusz Menert later wrote. He and his family migrated to West Germany. From there they migrated to the United States in 1987 with the help of a sponsor they met through Antic's letter column, and moved to Loveland, Colorado, where Tadeusz Menert became a librarian at the Larimer County Detention Center.

Menert started skateboarding with Derek Vincent Smith in the 8th grade. The pair, together with a drummer Menert knew, began making music after Smith brought a bass guitar to skating session. In his freshman year of high school Menert met Paul Brandt who eventually replaced their original drummer. Calling themselves "The Freeze", the band consisted of Derek Vincent Smith on the bass guitar, Michal Menert on the guitar and keyboard, and Paul Brandt on the drums. The group was influenced by artists like the Beastie Boys, Tha Alkaholiks, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, The Roots, and The Casualties as well as by old school hip hop, funk, punk rock, and the skater culture. The band placed second in a community battle of bands in their sophomore year.

Career

Early 2000s: May to December

After high school Menert attended college for one year with Smith and Brandt. In the early 2000s, under the name AES, Michal began producing hip hop music both on his own as well as with friends in the music groups Gone, Listen (stylized Listen.), and Makeshift Gods. Menert's first solo album, May to December was released on April 27, 2003 In repayment of back rent for studio time, Menert worked part-time with Derek Vincent Smith as an engineer at Morningwood Studios in Fort Collins.

2004–2006: Taking Up Your Precious Time

Derek Vincent Smith and Michal Menert began working on Pretty Lights as a side project in the summer of 2004, producing the first album, Taking Up Your Precious Time in 2005 while on a trip to Europe. The album was released the following October. Believing it did not make sense to charge for a product that individuals would simply rip off the internet, Menert and Smith mimicked the business model of Steely Dan by releasing the album for free. They hoped that the music would catch on and they could make money playing shows. As a side project the pair did not feel any pressure to make money on the music. Menert and Smith initially promoted the album by reverse searching people's music interests on Myspace and sending messages to them about the free album.

On December 7, 2006, twenty-four-year-old Michal Menert was robbed at gunpoint and severely injured by three Loveland, Colorado gang members during a drug deal. Menert fled the scene and was found by police on a sidewalk in downtown Loveland. He was admitted to McKee Medical Center in Loveland with a stab wound in the chest just missing his heart and a tip to wrist laceration with tendon damage on his dominant hand. While Menert was in the hospital, Pretty Lights was becoming more well known and after discussion Derek Vincent Smith proceeded with the project on his own.

2007–2011: Dreaming of a Bigger Life

After Menert left the hospital in 2007 he learned his father, who had previously been diagnosed with cancer, had become more sick and needed a caregiver. While caring for his father, Michal collaborated with friend Benjamin O'Neill on a never released project called The Years in 2007 and 2008 and worked with Paul Brandt on their collaboration Half Color in 2008. A few years later (c.a. 2009) on his way to his first show after his injury, Menert was pulled over for swerving and arrested for distributing narcotics to an undercover officer two years prior. Pleading guilty to a lesser charge, Menert was sentenced to three years of probation, six months in prison, and 200 hours of community service. Due to his father's declining health Menert served his six months under house arrest rather than in prison.

While taking care of his father and under house arrest, Menert worked at Walmart and produced his album Dreaming of a Bigger Life. By spring 2010, Derek Vincent Smith had produced two solo albums under the name Pretty Lights and the project had undergone a shift in sound. Rather than rejoin Pretty Lights, Menert chose to create a solo project under his own name. On June 8, 2010, one week after his father's death due to cancer, Menert released Dreaming of a Bigger Life for free as the first album of the newly formed Pretty Lights Music label. Menert's debut live performance was at the 2010 Sonic Bloom music festival in Bellevue, Colorado.

2012–2014: Even If It Isn't Right

Menert released his 27-track album Even If It Isn't Right on April 24, 2012. Collaborating artists on the album include SuperVision, Paul Basic, and Derek VanScoten.

From November 2012 to April 2013, Michal Menert released a four-part series of singles called Elements. A vinyl release followed in 2014.

2015–present: Dream Season, Elements and Space Jazz

In April 2014, Elements was released as an EP on Super Best Records. Menert, described Elements as a tribute to alchemy. Elements became a name-your-price digital release followed by vinyl shortly after. Menert produced the album with Mux Mool.

Menert released Space Jazz on April 21, 2015. His first full-length album since "Even If It Isn't Right" in 2012.

Starting in 2016, Menert established a working relationship with Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart. Since then, he has worked at Hart's Studio X in California, co-produced his 2017 release 'Ramu,' and went on the road with Dead & Co as an Ableton engineer from 2017 to 2018.

In January 2016, Menert played Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater as Half Color along with Big Grams and Adventure Club, and later year in October 2016, he was back at Red Rocks with The Floozies.

Space Jazz was released on vinyl February 19, 2016.

In August 2017, Menert reunited with Derek Vincent Smith and joined Pretty Lights at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington.

In 2018, Menert released his solo record Slow Coast 2 & in 2019, Slow Coast 3, which both consisted of downtempo soundscapes inspired by living on Northern California coast.

Michal Menert & the Pretty Fantastics delivered '1' in Fall 2016 and with an updated lineup, released 'From the Sea in November 2018.

Super Best Records

Michal Menert works with producers he chooses for his own record label, Super Best Records. Super Best Records roster currently include Late Night Radio, KEEPLOVE?, JK Soul, Shuj Roswell, Mux Mool, Maddy O'Neal (formerly from Krooked Drivers), The PARTY People, Tnertle, Willdabeast.

Michal Menert Big Band

The Michal Menert Big Band – an 18-piece ensemble led by Menert – debuted in 2014. The band has performed Menert's catalog to large audiences at notable locations including a November 2014 performance at Fillmore Auditorium in Denver and an April 2015 performance at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Menert also played at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with the Floozies in October 2016 as well as many notable summer music festivals such as Summer Camp Music Festival and Sonic Bloom Music Festival.

Michal Menert & the Pretty Fantastics

Michal Menert & the Pretty Fantastics debuted in 2015. This is a 7 piece band made up of Menert on keys, bass & samples, as well as a DJ, violinist, and MC. Other current members: Matt VanDenHeuvel, Nicholas Gerlach, Jules Thoma, Richard 'Sleepy' Floyd, Jason Scholla, and Borntown Macleod

In 2016, the Pretty Fantastics released their first full length album '1' followed by 'From the Sea' in November 2018.

Michal Menert & the Pretty Fantastics first played at Red Rocks on September 9, 2017, with STS9 and again on August 10, 2018, with Pretty Lights.

Discography

References

1. Rhodes, Nick (23 March 2012). "Getting To Know: MICHAL MENERT". Headstash. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
2. Menert, Tadeusz (May 1988). "Poland to USA via Antic I/O". Antic. Vol. 7, no. 1.
3. ^ "Tadeusz (Tad) Adam Menert". Coloradoan. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
4. ^ TBM. "Michal Menert [Interview]". thebeatmpls.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
5. Baca, Ricardo. "The Reverb Interview: Derek Vincent Smith, a.k.a. Pretty Lights". Reverb. The Denver Post. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
6. "May to December". cdbaby. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
7. Todosijevic, Zlatko. "Interview with Michal Menert". Soundfuse. Soundfuse Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
8. "Derek Vincent Smith at the Gothic Theatre". Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
9. "Voicebox Records Archive". Voicebox Records. Archived from the original on June 3, 2004. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
10. ^ Reen, Jash. "Interview: Michal Menert (Pretty Lights Music)". Wild City. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
11. ^ Chester, Britt. "Michal Menert is stronger than ever on Dreaming of a Bigger Life". Denver Westword, LLC. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
12. "Michal Menert Interview: Get Ready To Learn A Lot, Including How To Pronounce "Michal Menert"". Sophistefunk. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
13. https://web.archive.org/web/20130601122714/http://m.rockymountainnews.com/news/2006/Dec/15/two-arrested-third-sought-in-stabbings/. Archived from the original on June 1, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2014. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
14. "3rd arrest in stabbing of 2 men in December". M.rockymountainnews.com. 2007-01-25. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
15. "Two men arrested in December stabbing in Loveland". Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
16. Menert, Michal. "The Years – Remember June". SoundCloud. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
17. "Half Color". Facebook. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
18. "Tri State Indie – An Evening Cruise with Michal Menert + Insane Electric Factory Show". Tristateindia.com. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
19. "Interview: Michal Menert (Pretty Lights Music)". Thewildcity.com. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
20. "PRETTY LIGHTS MUSIC (THE RECORD LABEL)". Facebook.com. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
21. Almodovar, Tyler (17 May 2013). "Michal Menert – Your Ghost (Part 4 Of "Elements" Series)". White Rave Rafting. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
22. "Michal Menert – It's finally (almost) here! Space Jazz,... | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
23. "Savoy and Michal Menert Big Band at Red Rocks". Westword. Retrieved 2019-09-24.

• 1982 births
• Living people
• People from Kielce
• American electronic musicians
• American people of Polish descent
• Pretty Lights members