Photo provided by Crankdat
On October 25, Christian Smith a.k.a Crankdat released his intense two-track EP, Fearworld, in honor of his love for Halloween and spooky szn. Although the EP is only two tracks long, both songs perfectly capture the spirit of Halloween, while still remaining distinctly different from the other.
“Horror Hour” is the first track on the EP, and it swiftly establishes the eerie soundscape with a ringing bell and ticking clock. When I close my eyes, I’m instantly transported to the courtyard of a haunted mansion with dark, cloudy skies. Quickly, chants emerge and speed up before the build up introduces a heavy bass. Over time, the chilling chants and bass merge together, which precedes the wonky oscillations that come later in the track. During the last half of the track, screams enter, signaling a drastic turn for the worse.
“Phantom Cry” is the second track. The introduction’s rhythm definitely gives me Stranger Things vibes, and it’s paired with a sample of someone saying they are losing their mind. Shortly after, a high pitched phantom squawking, sounding inhumane, screams as a sinister laugh follows. The switches between the phantom cry and the heavy wubs are so fun to listen to, I just know I need to hear this live soon.
The first time I heard Crankdat was a couple years ago when his remix of Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” blew up. After I heard it for the first time, I was instantly hooked, and it’s still one of my favorite remixes of all time. The way he transformed the song into something entirely new, captivating and dance-floor ready just mesmerized me. It shocked me even more when I discovered he was just a kid in Cleveland, Ohio – only one year older than me.
It’s not incredibly surprising to see the immense success he’s achieved, though, even considering his young age. Crankdat is truly an artist in every sense of the word: he designs his own artwork, executes his own live show visuals and is the sole mastermind behind everything within the Crankdat project. His multi-faceted, unique sound design and mission to create a full audio experience for fans truly shines through in his work. Over the years, it’s been amazing to see how much he’s been doing within the electronic scene, even gathering support and regular plays from artists such as Marshmello and DJ Snake. Breaking through the music scene is no easy task, but with raw talent and the drive to create, it’s easy to say that Crankdat’s hard work has earned him his successes and recognition.
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