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New Year with Gareth Emery: English DJ and producer Gareth Emery will help you welcome in 2022 when he performs at the Academy in New Year’s Eve.

Back in July, he told us about his recent album The Lasers: “The Lasers is my imaginary band that I wish I was a member of. When I wrote the album, it felt like a band album. Then I started thinking, ‘If I was going to start a band now what would I call it?’ Most of my favorite bands have ‘The’ in their name, and I’m known for crazy laser shows. I almost told myself that it’s a new project, which allowed me to have a little bit more freedom because I could drop the expectation that comes with making albums under my own name. When it was finished I decided to put it under my own name but call it The Lasers.”

He also spoke of changes in the electronic scene: “When I started, I was playing underground trance in the nightclubs of England. These are hot, sweaty venues. You could barely see the DJ because the smoke would be so thick. They’re open till 6 in the morning, everybody would be off their tits, so the music is dark. Probably the first real change is when I started playing a lot in the United States, because the venues weren’t open as late. I feel as well like the scene in America was more alcohol-based whereas the scene in England was more drug-based. When I moved to the U.S., my music just became a little less underground, a little more commercial, with a few more vocals.”

See for yourself in Los Angeles this weekend.

New Year with Gareth Emery: The event takes place at 10 p.m. on Friday, December 31 at the Academy. 

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