Aphex Twin meets Air on Christian J Smith’s latest single ‘Electric Velocity’. This short piece is written by Smith as a translation of some of his deeper emotions into sound, and it is engaging and melodic with a unique twist on the dubstep sound we are all familiar with.
Based in Yonkers, New York, Christian J Smith is a musician and producer who makes music from his living room, capturing some immense amount of emotions into melodic synth lines, alluring chord structures, and some rhythmic wizardry that gives his music a sense of melodic uniqueness, all of which is explored on ‘Electric Velocity’ and its sequels ‘Electric Velocity 2’ and ‘Electric Velocity 3’. Inspired by everything from the music of Skrillex to normal acts of daily life, there’s an element of warmth to ‘Electric Velocity’ that is decidedly rare in purely electronic music and ever rarer in dubstep.
The usual clacks, bangs, and rhythm twists of dubstep are all there, but what makes ‘Electric Velocity’ -and maybe all of Christian J Smith’s music- stand out is a clear cut sense of harmony that’s not only defined and beautiful, but also whimsical and unusual, making for a thoroughly interesting listen. What also makes ‘Electric Velocity’ distinct is a confident melodic part that’s unconventional and tightly written around the mystical and unusual chords. How everything revolves around the piece’s harmonic progression makes for a breezy and engaging listen that’s nuanced and curious.
Christian J Smith’s work is both engaging and profound. With a unique approach that makes his purely electronic music effort sound and feel tangibly human, Smith manages to capture emotions with his chords, melodies, delicate layering, and fantastic sense of pacing.