Gareth Emery applies classic training to electronic remixes

“It’s definitely helpful to have a background in musical theory. It is kind of a blessing and a curse,” says Emery, who performs Sunday at Marquee Dayclub.

The blessing: When he creates a melody in his head, it’s easy for him to quickly write and record a first draft, the Englishman says.

“I can hear stuff and play it straight away,” Emery says. “And you tend to know why things should work. And if they don’t work, you know why they’re not working.”

The curse: It’s harder for Emery, 32, to intuitively break music rules that were drilled into his head years ago.

“People who have no knowledge whatsoever of musical theory tend to be very creative. They’re not thinking within a set of rules,” he says.

Example: Eddie Van Halen took piano lessons but could never read sheet music, then he switched to guitar and popularized his finger-tapping and harmonic styles.

As Emery says, “When you learn classical music, it is very rule-driven: ‘This is how you put a piece of music together.’ There are very strict rules you follow. And almost the best records go and do something very different.”

So the challenge Emery faces with songwriting – and I’ve heard this from other classically trained musicians – is going against that grain.

“You almost have to unlearn those rules to maximize your creativity,” he says.

Emery has succeeded wildly. He has written, performed and produced very pretty hits, such as “Concrete Angel” featuring singer Christina Novelli, and “Sanctuary” with vocalist Lucy Saunders.

But he also remixes other people’s singles, of course, by using both music theory and his time-tested, club-tuned DJ ear.

He says the important thing about remixing a fellow artist’s song is to evaluate what it already does well and less-well, then to try to improve it.

“I’ll deal with some tracks where the original has a great vocal, but wasn’t produced well,” he says. “You just take that great vocal and shove it into the best possible light.”

Other times, a song needs to be arranged differently to work better on the dance floor, he says.

And it’s pivotal for him to recognize when a song is already so great, its excellence can hardly be enhanced, he says.

“I’ve turned down remixes, just because I felt the original ticked every box going.”

Emery, who was once in a punk band, spins and remixes great electronic songs regularly in Vegas, as a resident DJ at Marquee, Marquee Dayclub, Lavo and Tao Beach.

He does so in between international touring, and hosting a SiriusXM show on the Electric Area satellite channel.

The Vegas clubs feel like home now, he says.

“It’s nice when you play a city so often, you get a good vibe of how the crowd is and what works,” he says.

Plus, he stays in great hotels, eats fine cuisine, gambles and has lots of fun, he says.

“That makes it more than just going to do a gig,” Emery says. “It’s generally a very fun place to be, at least for two or three days. Any more than that, you start to lose money!”

Oh, yes, I’ve heard that from many other musicians, too.

Doug Elfman’s column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.