"Lights Out" was written all the way back in 2010/2011 by Reid Zakos, and Toronto based DJ/Producer/Beat-maker Elliott Cesta, also known as DJ Shaw T. At the time, Reid had recently come out as gay and also became legal drinking age in Calgary, Alberta that year. He began going out to gay nightclubs and bars and began to accept himself and his queer identity with a group of close friends dubbed "The Fab Four". Reid was inspired by artists such as Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, Rihanna, and Britney Spears at the time, and he approached writing this topline with confidence, swagger, and talk-singing-pseudo-rap with confidence and self-acceptance. His pre-gaming albums before going out around this time were "Femme Fatale", "Loud", and "Born This Way" obviously! As he was recording and writing the demo he had a few lyrics flowing but wasn't sure of a title or a concept yet. Divine timing and inspiration hit as coincidentally, all the lights in Reid's room burnt out. He instantly thought "Oooh! Lights Out would be a great title" and then proceeded to finish the song in under 10 minutes. "Lights Out" quickly became a favorite and quotable track of Reid's friends, and was performed at many house parties and local nightclubs. Fast forward now to 2023, Reid was encouraged by close friends to possibly revisit the song and consider releasing it on streaming platforms. He was hesitant at first, but decided to re-record the vocals, alter a few lyrics, and give it an official release treatment because he thought the rest of the world should have access to this fun track and "get wild, be free".more

I worked with TaiCobra to create a song that mirrored his own experience of a one-sided love. I layered, sampled, and designed the majority of the sounds on this track to convey the longing, anguish, and foolish hopefulness that is so relatable in a relationship where feelings may not be reciprocated. My hope is for listeners to feel empowered, find solace, and vibe-out while listening to this song.more

A Remix I made way back in 2019. thought I'd share it here to get it some love. (Please ignore the 10 seconds of silence in the end)more