Shapes Of Light

Genre: Electronic

Shapes of Light is a DJ/Producer duo composed of Andrew Berman and Nicolas Russo-Larsson. Based in Boston, these two college students from Tufts have been steadily boosting their online presence by publishing eclectic bootlegs and original tracks. Recently, the two have released their debut Chroma EP on Lessthan3 Records which managed to climb into the top charts on Beatport. Peaking as the #9 overall release and the #4 and #2 in the Electro-House and Dubstep charts, respectively, Shapes of Light is quickly establishing themselves as contenders in the dance music scene with their dark and euphoric sounds.

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Andrew Berman: Music is a compulsion of mine. I produce extensively for Shapes of Light in addition to my solo project, Madeaux. Before I was involved in producing music, literature was my addiction. It was through novels and poetry that I realized the power of the arts. Through literature, writers allow their emotions and beliefs to transcend the page, allowing the reader to live vicariously through characters and experience things that they never could’ve known otherwise. Music has upped the ante in that regard because you can physically broadcast your ideas through massive speakers to legions of fans, allowing for this colossal give and take between the DJ and the crowd. Nicolas Russo-Larsson: My connection to music is very mathematical and design-oriented. In college my study of architecture expanded my horizons and allowed me an alternate viewpoint toward music. I feel that music allows me to balance logic with emotions.

 

Interview

Home Town: Andrew Berman (Miami, FL) Nicolas Russo-Larsson (Newport Beach, CA)
Currently Living: A: I’ve been studying at Tufts in Boston so I’ll be there for the next year. N: I graduated from Tufts last year and am living in the city.
Origin Of Name: A: We came up with our name at lunch one day but I don’t remember how we even arrived at it. N: Yeah, we were just brainstorming a name and that clicked.
Weapon of Choice: A: We have an unreleased track called “Get Some” and that has been getting people moving for the past several months. N: We did a bootleg of Nari and Milani’s “Atom” and it works every time.
Source of Power: A: Drive. I want us to make it more than anything else so I’m comfortable with slamming down 12+ hours of production daily until people recognize the name. N: Watching Steve Angelo play chopsticks on the piano.

Was there one particular moment in the recording or mixing process for your Discovery Project entry that made you feel like you were creating something pretty damn special? 
Andrew Berman: We built “Vixen” from the ground up in order to deliver how we imagined the EDC experience. The goal of the song was for people to have fun and we knew we had succeeded when we pressed the track out and blasted it in my room, because we were having a hell of a time imagining how people would react.

Are there any dots to connect with where/how you grew up to your musical output?
Nicolas Russo-Larsson: I remember one of my architecture professors in college once compared great architectural space to symphonic music in the way both pull at your emotions, and that is when it really clicked for me. I never fully understood my personal connection to music until I learned to combine music and design. In elementary school and middle school I played piano, but struggled to appreciate and take the time to learn music theory—which is odd considering I was always a math nerd. I have also always been drawn to some form of design. When I was very young I loved drawing perspectives of high-speed trains, which transitioned into a passion for graphic design and architecture. In college it all begin to click, I learned to apply my mathematical side to music theory and apply my new found interest in electronic music to designing musical productions.

What’s the strangest part of your job?
A: To make a career out of DJing and producing takes a lot of work. I’m surprised when people who club a lot, pick it up and quickly expect fame and success. You are building an identity with each track and mix that you put out and furthermore you better have something to say. 

Tell me about your most memorable night out as an artist or as a fan.
N: I remember my brother and I went to Together As One for 2009/2010 New Year’s Eve. We ran into the tent just as Nero was taking the decks. We were weaving through the crowd as Joe Ray opened with “Stress.” “And the cracks begin to show” cut through the ominous symphonic strings and bass growls of “Stress,” and I remember my brother and I both stopped right there and felt how amazing the energy was…it was at that moment I told myself that his is what I want to try to create.

How important is it for you to experiment and take on the risk of failure?
A: I am working on music every single day, experimentation is a perpetual process for me. I don’t understand what failure is in regards to experimentation because in my opinion it is all a building process to become a better producer and musician.

What advice would you offer someone thinking about entering the Discovery Project competition?
A: Avoid the obvious bangers. Let your style come through with your own productions and the deeper cuts.
N: Experiment with your track list in order to give tracks unique context in the mix.

EDC Orlando 2012 Mix:

 

 

 

 

Soundcloud:

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