Daniel Goldstein is the Denver-based mastermind behind the musical project Lane 8. He started making tracks back in 2012 and was signed to Above & Beyond’s Anjunadeep label the following year. His debut album Rise came out in 2015 after which he launched his label and event series both entitled This Never Happened. His sophomore album Little by Little was released on his label in 2018, and two years later we are blessed with his third full-length effort Brightest Lights.
Lane 8 has fostered a devoted following with his concept of This Never Happened.
“We live at a time when distractions from reality are never further away than our fingertips. Our phones offer us unlimited stimulation and temporary comfort. The possibilities of technology are endless, but they also limit the possibility… the possibility to truly experience and submit to the moment.”
Daring his audience to enter a space where all that matters is the music and the people experiencing it with you, Daniel encourages the dancefloor to be a phone and photo-free space. By removing the pressure to capture moments through broadcasting or recording, he offers his fans the freedom of living in the now and the ability to witness the magic that occurs at the intersection of sound and presence.
“We are so bombarded with negative energy these days that it is sometimes easy to forget all the beautiful and positive things that happen every day. However small or seemingly insignificant, Brightest Lights is about celebrating and embracing the ups and downs of life and trying to see the world in a positive light.”
When Lane 8 announced the Brightest Lights album (and subsequent tour) in late September 2019, he released the title track featuring Poliça, a collaborative reunion as they worked on ‘No Captain’ off Little by Little together. As on previous albums, featured artists sometimes appear more than once throughout the work. The pair also team up on two other songs for this most recent album, ‘Shooting Arrows’ and ‘The Rope.’ Arctic Lake also is featured on two tracks, ‘Road’ and ‘Don’t Let Me Go.’
“There were many times between 2010 and 2015 when I was convinced it wasn’t going to work out… There were a lot of turning points to get where I am now – getting support from A&B and ODESZA made a huge huge difference. But I think the other factor that pushed things through was that I never lost the pure joy of making music.”
With the exception of ‘The Gift’ which is a more progressive track a la Eric Prydz, Brightest Lights – like much of Lane 8’s work – is a beautifully crafted melodic deep house dreamscape, a worthy successor to his well-received sophomore album. Delicate chord progressions and soothing beats carry this 13-track LP on both the purely instrumental tracks as well as the tracks with choice vocals. Pulling at the heartstrings, each song finds a way to move you: ‘The Flood’ is uplifting, ‘Don’t Let Me Go’ is yearning. The full spectrum of emotions can be felt in just a little over an hour.
“I think the main thing that has kept me productive over the years is that I’ve always been able to channel the excitement and the adrenaline rush of a great show into making new music. I’ve said this before, but I can’t even count how many times I have come home on a Sunday after a weekend of shows and immediately put together a new song.”
Since the release of his last album two years ago, Lane 8 has certainly not been quiet. In addition to putting out his remix album, he’s blessed us with sporadically sprinkled singles in addition to his seasonal mixes (which are generally between 2 and 3 hours long). He’s deliberately positioned himself at the forefront of our minds, making us want more and knowing he’ll deliver. As a prolific and consistent artist, Lane 8 has showed no signs of slowing down. With Brightest Lights, Lane 8 has taken a winning formula and expounded upon it – reminding us exactly why we love him.
Brightest Lights is out now via This Never Happened. Listen below.
Words by Grace Thomas
