Brite Lite Brite

Calling Luke Johnson and Andrea Stankevitch workaholics would be an understatement. But when your job is music, it can be easy to get addicted. Individually, they each hold full-time positions at Berklee College of Music and perform with multiple bands and producers, but together they form Brite Lite Brite, an electro-dance group with layers of bass-ridden dubstep and haunting vocal textures. Stankevitch sounds much like a feminine Conor Oberst atop Johnnson’s dance-driven club beats, singing longingly of unrequited love and disappointment. The dark, restless quality of their compositions is undoubtedly a nod to their acoustic roots, noted on tracks like “Song On the Radio” from their debut album Universe Universe. Since its release in 2009, the duo has been scrounging their limited down time to finish their sophomore album, Stalker, due out later this year. During a rare free moment, Johnson chatted with us about sleep deprivation, cyborgs and their upcoming Lollapalooza performance.

So how did Brite Lite Brite get started?

Well, Brite Lite Brite got started a long time ago as a different band called Tatter. We met at Berklee College of Music when we were both students there, along with another guitarist—I was playing guitar back then—a drummer and a bass player. So that basically evolved into an acoustic duet with me and Andrea. And then that evolved into incorporating some electronics until we pretty much went full electronic, and at that point we changed the name to Brite Lite Brite.

What moved you to change your sound to electronic?

I was very into the electronic scene in the late ‘90s in Buffalo, NY and Toronto, Canada. So that was a huge influence on me, and I always wanted to produce electronic music. I felt that I had a lot in my head that I couldn’t really create with a guitar and my voice. So then I studied that at Berklee College of Music, and as I learned more we started to incorporate a little bit until eventually we said, ‘Hey, this is awesome. Let’s use drum hits and base hits and sing over live, real-time production.’

What have been some of your biggest influences as a group?

Biggest influences for us would be the whole of electronic music, really every genre. We don’t really pin ourselves down with one genre. We’ve listened to a huge variety of artists over the years. Also, science itself and technology, and the way that technology’s been moving. I’m a firm believer that we as humans are almost cyborgs at this point in the way that we interact with computers. The only true difference between us and real cyborgs is in itself, like we still have to type and then look instead of just instantly know. So I wanted to create the closest brain to computer to synthesizer interface possible so that I could basically just think electronic music. That’s what I’ve been working on ever since, and through countless innovations of the system, I think we’ve managed.

Is there a specific place you find most inspiring when you produce?

For me, my own studio is where I produce because it’s right in the heart of Cambridge, Mass., right in Central Square, where the electronic music scene in the northeast is strongest. There are clubs right on the street where I play and go to see really great DJs all the time.

Do both you and Andrea still work full-time at Berklee?

We do, yeah. Andrea works in student affairs I believe, and I work in the electronic production and design department, and I also work at a couple other colleges. I teach classes at Rhode Island School of Design and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

What do you like about teaching? How is it different from producing?

I love teaching because, really, you start them with on knowledge coming in, and then by the end you get to see what they can create, and sometimes that’s really phenomenal. To see that kind of improvement, as well as the interest when they present a student topic and they just latch onto it, makes you want to go to the lab and immediately do it after class. It’s really rewarding for me.

So is that something you’d like to continue?

It is. I want to do both. Those are the two things I want to do. I want to teach more college classes and eventually become a full-time professor, which, believe it or not, would actually give me more time than I have now because I’m doing that and working at Berklee as a studio supervisor. That would give me more time to produce and release tracks and play shows.

Your life sounds crazy busy. How do you find the time and energy to work on Brite Lite Brite?

It’s tough. I just don’t sleep. I replace sleep with coffee. During the winter I basically work 80-hour weeks. I have a couple classes to teach every week, which is a day each not counting preparation, and I work full-time at Berklee, and I produce overnight. But it’s all really rewarding work; I like all of what I do.

You and Andrea are both pretty involved in outside projects as well, right?

Yeah, that’s right. We collaborate with a lot of electronic producers. I perform with a couple other bands. One of them is Into the Alpha, made up of myself, Al Cleveland and Cobi Mike. Cobi Mike is the singer from Gentlemen Hall, who recently just got signed onto, I think, Justin Bieber’s label. So they’ve actually just made it, but we still play together. He’s a phenomenal singer and has great musical ideas, so it’s a lot of fun working with them. Then I play in another one that’ really a live hip-hop/dubstep band.

Do you feel that it’s important for you and Andrea to continue to work independently?

Important? Maybe. I think it’s more that we both just love doing it so much that we latch onto every good opportunity that pops up and say, ‘I wanna work on that.’ Any dream team bands that are put together, if we’re offered to join it, it’s hard to turn it down.

Let’s talk about your upcoming album, Stalker.

Well, this time there’s really no holds barred whatsoever. Some of the tracks are just bass in your face, complete craziness, and some of them are really out there. It’s more cohesive as an album, too. The last one was very, very diverse. There was some electronic stuff, some acoustic stuff. This one is all electronic, very danceable—ranges from house to dubstep to disco house. I think that it came leaps and bounds further with my production skills and the technology that I understand and know how to build and use. We’ve created groundbreaking new sounds that the technology just wasn’t there for in the past.

Why did you decide to name it Stalker?

That’s gonna be the last track on the album, which we’ll be playing at Lollapalooza. It’s a heavy bass, dubstep-inspired but more house oriented, really creepy, creepy track.

Do you have a favorite track from the album?

Yeah, actually, our single that we just released, “Never Let You Out of My Heart.” That, to me, is my favorite piece of art that I’ve ever created. I think it’s a really sweet, sweet song. You could call it dubstep because it follows all of the basic dubstep rules, but you could also waltz to the song. It’s full and smooth; it’s just really beautiful.

What do you want listeners to understand about your music?

Well, first and foremost, I am not a DJ. I don’t DJ, I don’t know how to DJ. We’re actually a live electronic performance duo. We actually play most of what we do live with drum sequencers, step sequencers, synthesizers, live, real-time vocal effects and a whole lot of controllers. I want people to know that so that they understand, and they’ll hear little mistake that are shown, that kind of shows that this is an actual band that plays music. I actually don’t use my laptop, or I don’t look at my laptop or touch my laptop throughout the whole show. Part of the time my screensaver starts by the end of it, because I’m actually playing on controllers rather than using my laptop.

You’re playing at Lollapalooza in a few days. What does that performance mean to you?

This will probably be the biggest show we’ve played so far, and I’m really, really honored to play Perry’s stage of all stages. I was a huge fan of [Perry Farrell] and Jane’s Addiction. It’s an honor that we got the spot, really. It shows that people do appreciate what we’re doing, and it’s exciting. Last time we played a show at Virgin Mobile FreeFest a couple years ago and it was great, but this time we’re opening for Flux Pavillion and Steve Aoki, who are some of my heroes. I absolutely love them.

What can fans expect from your live set?

They can expect a lot of energy. It may be over the top for a band that’s opening at noon. They can expect some very, very interesting sounds, some beautiful vocals and some surprises. They can definitely expect some surprises. They hear Andrea sing and it comes out all glitched-out, I think they can get pretty excited about that.

Ideally, where do you see BLB in the next few years or so?

Hopefully we’ll be playing Lollapalooza in Brazil, in Chile and Chicago again. I hope that our album sales are doing well, and somehow we’ll find a way to quadruple the rate at which we’re producing and putting out music. And I hope to have my correct brain-to-speaker interface completed by then.

BRITE LITE BRITE WILL PERFORM FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 AT LOLLAPALOOZA. THEIR LATEST SINGLE, “NEVER LET YOU OUT OF MY HEART,” IS OUT NOW. - Dana Getz

If you enjoy the infectious sounds of electro-pop, and experimental music, you will love dialing into the latest release from Brite Lite Brite “Never Let You Out of My Heart”. The award-winning electronic music duo consisting of Andrea Stankevitch and Luke Johnson introduce a series of innovative instrumentals and unforgettable vocals on their latest release by Beautiful Module. Check out the cutting-edge style of Brite Lite Brite on their new music video “Never Let You Out of My Heart” now illuminating the world on YouTube. - Glitter & Stiletto's

When two Berklee College of Music grads form any type of band, it's bound to be good. Brite Lite Brite, an EDM duo consisting of Lukas Johnson (producer, synths) and Andrea Stankevitch (vocals), are focused on creating interesting live techniques and real-time production. Having already opened for headlining acts like M.I.A., Joan Jett, and Ludacris at the Virgin Mobile FreeFest in 2010, and the Cure, Mumford & Sons, the Killers, and Nine Inch Nails at Lollapalooza 2013, Brite Lite Brite clearly understands how and where to be involved. Recently, Stankevitch discussed with us how attending Berklee influenced where they are now, plus what the pair's most memorable Sonicbids gig has been.

How would you describe your sound to those who haven't heard your music yet?

We're a combination of Skrillex-like sounds and female vocals with crazy, cool vocal effects.
Quote_blogBerklee was essential in establishing both of our careers in music.

You're both Berklee alumni. What did you study there? Do you feel attending music school had a big impact on your career?

I studied songwriting and Luke studied music synthesis, now called electronic production and design, at Berklee. Berklee was essential in establishing both of our careers in music. My private voice instructor, Joanne Whitaker, taught me not only how to sing, but also to believe in myself and my originality and creativity around storytelling and songwriting. Songwriting professor Henry Gaffney taught me to seek inspiration through life experiences and to be true to myself when it comes to my songwriting. As a Berklee student, Luke was heavily influenced by Michael Brigida, whose modular synthesis sound design skills blew his mind on a daily basis.

You were semi-finalists in both the 2008 and 2011 International Songwriting Contest, and have won other contests like the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and 100% Music Songwriting Contest in the electronic genre. Did this open any doors for you?

As a result of winning these contests, we were invited to become a part of multiple music publishing libraries, including EMI Publishing, where we signed our biggest deal for our song "Sky Turns Red."

What was the most memorable gig you've gotten through Sonicbids?

Our most memorable gig through Sonicbids was being selected to perform at Virgin Mobile FreeFest in 2010. That was our first big music festival experience, and it really inspired us to want to play more music festivals. It was an amazing experience for us to open for headlining acts M.I.A., Joan Jett, Matt & Kim, LCD Soundsystem, and Ludacris. It was also amazing for us to have the support of Sonicbids staff members who attended the festival and gave us encouragement right before we went onstage to perform.

Any advice you have for other artists on how to get the most out of their Sonicbids profile?

Always keep your EPK updated with your latest music, photos, and upcoming tour dates. Also, be sure to search the gig opportunities frequently, as new gigs become available all the time.
What can you tell us about your upcoming album, Stalker?

Stalker is titled after our song [of the same name] that will debut on the album. "Stalker" is inspired by one of my favorite songs of all time, "Thriller." After recording the song at Luke's studio, I freaked myself out when I left that night and felt like someone was following me back to my apartment. Our album will also include our latest single, "Never Let You Out of My Heart," and an official music video for that song will be released on February 27, 2015, one month before the album is released.

For more on Brite Lite Brite, check out their website and follow them on Twitter. - Kathleen Parrish

Spotlight: Brite Lite Brite
BY MARGARET PRICE

GENRE: Indie Electronica
HOMETOWN: Boston
ARTISTIC APPROACH: DIY work ethic and passion for the craft.
www.britelitebrite.com

When Brite Lite Brite’s Andrea Stankevitch and Luke Johnson sit down to create a song, what emerges is infinitely more complex than what some describe as glitchy electro-pop. Johnson, who handles the electronic part of things, begins by creating sounds and beats at rehearsals and Stankevitch layers expertly-crafted lyrics and a melody over his synths, bass and sound effects.

Once a basic song structure is in place, the duo revises and arranges the raw song until both are happy with the result. And with influences like pop stars Madonna and Lady Gaga and seminal electronic acts like Justice and Skrillex, what inevitably emerges is something indefinable, but most definitely worth listening to. “Our passion for songwriting, sound, and music technology motivates us to produce the style of music that we create,” says Stankevitch. “We’re a DIY band that wasn’t told what our music should sound like. We have total control of our music and production and that’s what it’s really all about.”

Brite Lite Brite’s first album, Universe Universe, was released in September 2009, and the band is currently in the studio recording their second album, Stalker. For the duo, the recording process is pretty non-standard, as they develop and use music technology that gives them hands-on real-time control of synths, drum sequencers, samplers and FX sequencers, which allows them to really feel the music as they create it. Take, for instance, their recent single, “Radioactive Love,” which was actually a live, in-studio improv performance that produced a single 20 minute audio file, which the band then edited down before recording the final vocal track. “Our live performances and our studio recording techniques are one in the same, which is part of what gives us our organic-electronic sound,” she says.

The future’s looking brighter and brighter for the band, who aims to keep producing songs that push the envelope of electronic music. “We also want to never stop creating the music we love and to share our music with as many people as possible,” she says.

Photo: “C.W. Southworth/MediaForge” - Margaret Price

Why we picked them:

"Twitchy, Scandinavian-sounding electro-pop imbued with urgent, even desperate, vocals."

Recommended if you like The Knife, Lykke Li - SPIN Magazine

Voters Name Music Newcomer as a Fan Favorite in Virgin Mobile’s Annual “Book the Band” Contest

After four weeks of surveying music fans online through Virgin Mobile’s FreeFest “Book the Band” contest, thousands of voters and Virgin Mobile’s panel of judges have selected Brite Lite Brite as the up-and-coming band to open at the mobile carrier’s annual rock festival next month. Brite Lite Brite will open for such headliners as M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem, Pavement, T.I. and Ludacris.

Brite Lite Brite representing Boston, Mass., will invade the stage for the performance of a lifetime at the Virgin Mobile FreeFest on Sept. 25 at Merriweather Post Pavilion, in Columbia, Md. With entertainment spanning across two stages, a dance tent, and acres of arts and attractions, FreeFest will host Brite Lite Brite as they take to the stage with their fusion of electronic and pop music.

“The outpouring of support for the five finalist bands this year was awesome and it was cool to offer our loyal fans a free download of a music track,” said Ron Faris, director of Brand Experiences, Virgin Mobile USA. “Brite Lite Brite clearly has a large number of loyal, crazy fans who made their voices heard through the Book the Band contest. We are stoked to be able to provide Brite Lite Brite with a bunch of tickets to distribute to their fans that helped them earn their spot on the stage at FreeFest.”

“We’re really excited for all of the Sonicbids members who participated in this contest as Virgin Mobile is a cool, music-minded brand and this was a great experience for them,” said Panos Panay <http://panosbrew.sonicbids.com>, founder and CEO, Sonicbids. “Brite Lite Brite’s dedicated fan base catapulted them to victory and I’m confident the FreeFest audience will enjoy their music at the event next month.”

Fans and judges selected five finalists from more than 1,400 bands entered the contest hosted by Virgin Mobile USA and Sonicbids, the website that helps bands discover and book gigs. Brite Lite Brite won by receiving the majority of the thousands of votes placed online via download of a free music track from Aug. 23 to Aug. 30. Bern & The Brights came in a close second place. The other participating bands were Ivan Ives, League510 and Maria Kanellis.

For more information about Brite Lite Brite and to learn how you can score free tickets, visit the Book the Band section of the Virgin Mobile FreeFest website http://www.virginmobilefreefest.com. Fans can also sign up for news and updates here.

About Virgin Mobile USA
Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint's prepaid brands, offers millions of customers control, flexibility and connectivity through Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk plans for mobile phone service and prepaid Broadband2Go high-speed Web access. Virgin Mobile branded handsets are available at more than 40,000 retail stores, including Target, Walmart, Best Buy and RadioShack. Top-Up cards are available at approximately 150,000 locations nationwide and can be used for Broadband2Go services. Purchase and experience Virgin Mobile on the Web and at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and www.virginmobileusa.com.

About Sonicbids
Sonicbids is the website the helps bands get gigs and promoters book the right bands. Our community includes more than 245,000 bands and 21,000 promoters and licensors from all around the world. With festivals, clubs, colleges, music licensing and much more, Sonicbids offers a diverse range of gigs for every kind of musician. Last year alone, Sonicbids booked more than 71,000 gigs on the site. The company, founded in 2001 by Panos Panay, continues to focus on its core mission of empowering the artistic middle class. Get a gig or book a band at www.sonicbids.com. - BUSINESS WIRE

Brite Lite Brite is a unique blend of electronic performance art and pop sensibility. Spin Magazine has described them as “twitchy, Scandinavian-sounding electro-pop”, and the world over has been taking notice. The duo of Andrea Stankevitch (Vocals, Guitar) and Lukas Johnson (Guitar, Electronics) have been ruling the Boston scene since their inception in 2007 and are now looking to take their music to the next level. Recently, they received the chance to do just that by winning the Virgin Mobile Freefest “Book the Band” Contest on Sonicbids. They’ll take the stage with the likes of M.I.A., Pavement, LCD Soundsystem and more on September 25th at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD.

Idle Chit Chat

Stankevitch started writing music at the age of 14. “I started taking guitar lessons and would just turn my poems and other writing into songs. I love storytelling, and most of my songs come from experiences in my own life,” she states. After years of writing and playing music, she decided to pursue that love of composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston. It was there that she met Johnson.

“I heard Andrea around campus, and I loved her songs. I knew that I had to play music with her,” Johnson explains. Johnson was also a student at Berklee, studying Music Production and steadily becoming obsessed with the marriage of music and technology. “I always had a fascination with creating sounds with synthesizers and other controllers that process sound. I just wanted to get out all these sounds I had inside my head, and using technology was like having a brain to speaker interface,” he says of his first experiments with using production.

The duo originally began playing music together in a full band called Chatter, and they had yet to incorporate any electronic influence. Soon, the two found themselves breaking off from the full band and playing shows as a duo. They called themselves Acoustic Chatter as a nod to the band they broke out of. Over time their electronic influences began to creep into their writing, and they slowly evolved to the sound we hear today.

Turn on the Magic of Shining Lite

The more the duo experimented with an electric sound, the further away from Acoustic Chatter they became. Soon, they decided they would need a new name fitting of their new sound. “Luke has a home studio and it has a lot of bright LED’s that light up from all of his electronics. It reminds me of a big Lite Brite. So, that’s where the name Brite Lite Brite came from,” Stankevitch explains. With a new sound and a name to match, they set about creating their debut album “Universe Universe,” which was released in September of 2009.

Eyes on the Prize

Regardless of name changes and style evolution, the duo has steadily worked to create a buzz around their music since their start in 2007. Over their short time as a band, they’ve won numerous songwriting competitions, and even were selected by MTV to open for Locksley for the “Choose or Lose Tour” in the fall of 2008. And they lent their talents to the Gap “Born to Play” campaign with Sonicbids where over 700 live acoustic performances took place simultaneously in Gap stores all over the country.

“Using social media and networking has been so great for us. You don’t need a label these days. You can record at home, though you need some training to make it sound good. But you really only need to send your music out for mastering. Everything else is DIY,” says Johnson. “With Facebook, Twitter, Sonicbids, and even Myspace still, you can get your music to so many people. We’ve used all of the social networks to get gigs, whether large ones or just house parties.”

We Can Dance If We Want To

“Putting out a great record is key, but we really love the live experience,” Johnson states. As a witness to Brite Lite Brite’s live show, it’s hard to believe that so many sounds can come from two people. Johnson uses a uniquely designed controller for all of their live shows. It has over 120 buttons, 30 faders, and more. He uses synthesizers to create new sounds, and even runs Stankevitch’s vocals through the system as well so he can manipulate her voice as she sings. And though it is a huge technical undertaking that can sometimes seem non-interactive, the duo always make sure the audience feels involved. They turn microphones on the crowd and use their sounds (claps, cheers, etc.) to create synthesized beats and other sounds to incorporate in the song. And recently, they have added a visual aspect to the show with projectors.

“We want people to have a full artistic experience,” says Stankevitch. “We love when people dance at our shows, but we also want them to take in the storytelling and the true art of what we’re doing onstage.” Johnson agrees, “If people don’t talk afterwards, it’s not great art.” - Marya McLaughlin- Sonicbids

"Brite Lite Brite, made up of singer/guitarist Andrea Stankevitch and guitarist/electronics master Luke Johnson, is one of the most talented acts I have had the pleasure of representing.

Brite Lite Brite brings a fresh feeling to the over-saturated market of electronic music. Johnson programs intricate beats, providing pulsating rhythms that serve as the backbone of the band’s song structure. Over these beats, droning guitar melodies are layered to give a spacious atmosphere in which Andrea’s vocals dance, tumble, whisper, and scream. If the beats are the backbone of the music, these haunting vocals are surely the heart.

Brite Lite Brite is a standout act from the Spring CMI, and they have the potential to reach a wide audience with their debut album, Universe Universe. The duo is whole-heartedly invested in the music they make, and you can hear this devotion in the songs. Brite Lite Brite is unlike any other that I have had the chance to work with, and I have high hopes that they will go far with their unique combination of electro-acoustic sounds. Take a moment to hear it for yourself at www.britelitebrite.com."
Matthew Baker
Music Marketing Project Manager
Platform One Entertainment

- Matthew Baker, Music Marketing Project Manager

Boston electronica duo Brite Lite Brite are what Daft Punk would sound like if either Thomas Bangalter or Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo were female. "I Just Want U2 Myself," the opening track from their Universe Universe debut album, mixes indie elements with house. It would be just as likely to be played in an indie bar like Ottawa's Zaphod Beeblebrox as it would in Toronto's gay village.
- CHARTattack - Featured Artist Brite Lite Brite