Luke Smith (record producer)

Luke Smith (born 4 May 1978) is an English record producer, mixing engineer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, songwriter, guitarist and vocalist of the band Clor. His production and writing credits include Foals, Depeche Mode, Foxes, Anna of The North, Keaton Henson, Crystal Fighters, Slow Club, Everything Everything, Fryars and Petite Noir. He has worked on such popular and critically acclaimed albums as Total Life Forever and Sounds of the Universe.

Career

Clor

From 2003 to 2005, Smith founded with Barry Dobbin and provided lead guitars and vocals for the band Clor.^[1] He co-wrote and produced their eponymous sole album which was released in 2005^[2] to critical acclaim.^[3][4][5] In May 2006, Smith and his co-founder announced Clor had split up.^[6] Later, in 2010, their album was voted number 1 topping NME's “100 greatest albums you've never heard".^[7][8]

Production and writing

In 2007 to present, Smith has produced a number of critically acclaimed releases.^[9] Of his work, Smith’s most noted is his production of the seminal second album Total Life Forever by Foals in Gothenburg in 2010^[10] and programming of the twelfth studio album Sounds of the Universe by Depeche Mode in 2009.^[11][12]

He has writing credits on a number of these recordings; he co-wrote The King of Anxiety, the debut EP by Petite Noir, from which the song "Chess" has 4.5 million streams.

His recordings have been released on labels Mute, Parlophone, Domino, Pias, Moshi Moshi, Kitsune, Transgressive, Geffen.^[13]

Production and Writing

Artist	Product	Release details
Shitdisco	"Kingdom of Fear"	2007, Fierce Panda
Fryars	"The Ides" EP	2007
Depeche Mode	"Sounds of the Universe"	2009, Mute Record
Everything Everything	"Photoshop Handsome" single	2009, Polydor
Charlotte Hatherley	"New Worlds"	2009, Fullfill
Foals	"Total Life Forever"	2010, Warner
Slow Club	"Paradise"	2011, Moshi Moshi
Crystal Fighters	"Champion Sound" single	2011, Zirkulo
Eugene McGuinness	"The Invitation to the Voyage”	2012, Domino
Is Tropical	"I’m Leaving"	2013, Kitsuné
Theme Park	"Theme Park"	2013, Transgressive
Fryars	"Power”	2014, Fiction Records
Petite Noir	"King of Anxiety" EP	2014, Domino
Crystal Fighters	"Everything is in my Family"	2016, PIAS
Part Company	"Seasons"	2017, Labelgum
Anna of the North	"Lovers"	2017, PIAS
Yasmine Hadman	"Al Jamilat	2017, Crammed Discs
Noémie Wolfs	"Hunt You"	2016, Universal Music Belgium
Highs	"Dazzle Camouflage"	2017, Indicia
Bazart	"2"	2018, PIAS
Life	"A Picture of Good Health"	2019, PIAS
Chartreuse	"Even Free Money Doesn't Get Me Out of Bed" EP	2019, PIAS
Keaton Henson	"Monument"	2020, PIAS
Keaton Henson	"Fragments" EP	2021, PIAS
Blanketman	"National Trust" EP	2021, PIAS
Foxes	"The Kick"	2022, PIAS

Performance and music direction

Smith is a multi-instrumentalist and provides guitar and keyboard performances, amongst other instruments played by him, on nearly all of his productions.

Smith was appointed and worked as the Musical Director of Lily Allen's Sheezus world tour^[13] which played in the UK, Europe, US and Australia.^[14] He played guitar live as well as being responsible for the show's music at large. In 2019, Luke worked on musical direction for the Raconteurs.

He has scored the music for a number of film, radio and TV projects.

Remixing

Smith is well known for his remix work including his remixes of "Hotride" by The Prodigy^[15][16] and "After Dark" by Le Tigre^[15][16] in 2004, Perfume by Sparks^[17][18] in 2006, "Nothing But Green Lights" by Tom Vek^[19][20] and "Sister In Love" by Envelopes^[21][22] in 2005, "X-ray" by The Maccabees (band),^[23][24][25] "Behave" by Charlotte Hatherley^[26][27] and "Reactor Party" by Shitdisco^[28][29][30] in 2006, "Benedict Arnold" by FrYars^[31][32] in 2008. Smith going under the name Lagos Boys Choir also remixed the hit singles "Focker" by Late Of The Pier, "Bullet Proof" by La Roux and "Miles Away" by Depeche Mode throughout 2008 and 2009.^[33][34]

Nominations and awards

In 2010, the album Sounds of the Universe was nominated and shortlisted for the Best Alternative Music Album award in the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.^[35]

In 2010, the album Total Life Forever was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize.^[36]

His work Spanish Sahara, the lead single off the album, won the 'Best Song' award at the NME Awards in 2011.^[37]

References

1. "Clor - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music". BBC. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
2. "Clor - Clor". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
3. "Clor - Clor | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
4. "Clor : Clor | NME". NME. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
5. "Clor: Clor". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
6. "Clor split up | NME.COM". NME. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
7. "100 Greatest Lost Albums - This Week's NME | NME.COM". NME. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
8. "Tomorrow's Nme The 100 Greatest Albums You've Never Heard..." Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
9. "Luke Smith (3)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
10. "Foals announce new album title and release date | NME". NME. 23 February 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
11. Sounds of the Universe (CD liner notes). Depeche Mode. Mute Records. 2009. CDSTUMM300
12. "'Sounds Of The Universe' The Album". 20 February 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
13. "Luke Alexander Smith". Luke Alexander Smith. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
14. "Lily Allen Concert Setlists". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
15. "Clor Split". Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
16. "Clor split up". Moopy. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
17. "Sparks - Perfume (Clor's EAU de Perfume Remix) - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
18. "Get millions of songs". Music.apple.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
19. "Tom Vek - Nothing But Green Lights". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
20. "Nothing But Green Lights (Clor Remix) — Tom Vek". Last.fm. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
21. "Envelopes - Sister In Love Re-Mixes". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
22. "Sister In Love (Clor Remix) — Envelopes". Last.fm. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
23. "The Maccabees - Precious Time / X-Ray". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
24. "X-ray (Luke Smith Remix) — The Maccabees". Last.fm. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
25. "Back To Mine with Harriet Jaxxon". 14 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
26. "Charlotte Hatherley - Behave". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
27. "Behave (Luke Smith Remix)". YouTube. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
28. "Shitdisco - Reactor Party". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
29. "Reactor Party (Luke Smith MPC Remix) — Shitdisco". Last.fm. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
30. "Bang Gang Deejays mix Light Sound Dance". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
31. "frYars - The Perfidy EP". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
32. "UPDATED: frYars gets himself a new EP, tours with Goldfrapp". Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
33. "Miles Away / The Truth Is (Lagos Boys Choir Remix) — Depeche Mode | Last.fm". Retrieved 15 August 2020.
34. "Bulletproof (Lagos Boys Choir Remix) — La Roux". Last.fm. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
35. "Grammys 2010: Selected winners". News.bbc.co.uk. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
36. "XX, Mumford & Sons, Paul Weller feature as 2010 Barclaycard Mercury Prize Shortlist is announced | NME.COM". NME. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
37. "Foals' 'Spanish Sahara' voted Shockwaves NME Awards Best Track | NME.COM". NME. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2020.