The Cynic Project

The Cynic Project is the name of a predominantly trance project started in 1999 by American musician and producer Alex Smith. It is known for its uplifting melodies, as well as standard club beats. It rose in popularity with the upbringing of mp3.com in 2000, where it hosted its music, which was downloadable for free. Much of the earlier works were relatively short, considering trance standards. The project originally started as an experiment and developed into the high energy trance project it is today. During Smith's time with MP3.Com, he has worked with various artists that has enhanced his sound and overall quality. Although the names of such people are unknown, they were very much involved with the creation and overall sound of songs such as Grid(Matrix), Eurodance Megamix, On Top of The World, and many others.

Smith formerly lived at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities Campus). He studied piano from grade school through high school with private teachers and also played the double bass.[1] Creating electronic music using MIDI and MOD tracking software has been a hobby of his for years, but his music was never recorded or distributed until the summer of 1999. Smith currently is aboard as an instructor at DubSpot in the New York, NY where he educates on technique and style mass in music productions.

Smith began to earn significant profits from mp3.com's "payback for playback program."[2] His dance track Matrix (now known as 'grid') hit #1 on the mp3.com music charts in November 1999, and in December he was the top earner on the site, receiving $5,261 in profits, which mp3.com paid based on revenue from on-site advertisting.[3] Smith went on to build a home studio and started production on a CD. The first CD release, Soundscapes Sampler, was completed early in spring 2000. A Sidewinder single was released in the summer and Soundscapes 2000 was released in the fall of the same year.

Smith's inspiration for writing electronic music started when he heard Robert Miles' Children on vacation in Paris. He soon discovered the trance genre and cites several favorite artists including ATB, Ayla, BT, Ferry Corsten, Chicane, DJ Tiesto, Lange, DJ Sakin, Tomski, Rank 1, Energy 52, Kosmonova, and Solarstone.[1]

One of his biggest hits, Grid ][ (Trance Mix), was originally known as Matrix ][. Mp3.com forced every artist to rename every song that contained a commercially dubious name, even though the song had the name before the first Matrix movie was known to the public.

On August 23, 2011, The Cynic Project released a self titled album that is currently being sold at Amazon as a digital download. The album features 27 tracks and includes many of the best songs produced by The Cynic Project including Matrix ][ as track #5.

Discography

  • Soundscapes 2000
  1. Eurodance Megamix
  2. Start The Dance [Club Mix]
  3. Grid ][ [Trance Mix]
  4. Into The Night [Club 2000 Mix]
  5. Sidewinder
  6. Formant
  7. Beach Visions
  8. Lost In Paradise
  9. Liquid Images [Ambient Dub]
  10. After The Storm
  11. Trance Experience
  12. Tropical Destination
  13. Sidewinder [Ripsaw Mix]
  14. Red Horizon
  15. Cherry Earth
  16. On Top Of The World
  • Soundscapes Sampler
  1. Start The Dance [Eurodance Mix]
  2. Grid ]|[ [Trance Mix]
  3. Trance Generation
  4. Endless Palm
  5. Dream Formula [Raymond Wave Mix]
  6. Start The Dance [Trance Mix]
  7. Into The Night
  8. Dream Formula
  9. Another World
  10. Blue Cherry
  11. Liquid Images
  12. Church [Dance Mix]
  • Sidewinder Single
  1. Sidewinder
  2. Sidewinder [Raymond Wave Club Mix]
  3. Grid [Trance Mix]
  4. Formant
  5. Sidewinder [Rough Edit]
  6. Sidewinder [Route 909 DnB Edit]
  7. Sidewinder [Ripsaw Mix]
  • Mixed And Remixed Volume 1
  1. Trans Symphony
  2. Dreamin [Cynic Project Remix]
  3. Eurodance Megamix ][
  4. Red Horizon
  5. Sonar
  6. On Top Of The World
  7. Far From Home
  8. After The Storm [Dreams Mix]
  9. After The Storm [Club Mix]
  10. Beach Visions [Raymond Wave Club Mix]
  11. Beach Visions [Waves Remix]
  12. Warm Fuzzy
  13. Kirsten
  14. Sonar [Rough Mix]
  15. Waterfalls
  16. Waterfalls [Waves Edit]
  17. Danceparty
  18. A Cynical Christmas
  19. Bonk! [Rave Edit]
  20. Island Adventure
  • Mixed And Remixed Volume 2
  1. After The Storm [Raymond Wave Remix]
  2. After The Storm [Wellenrauch Remix]
  3. After The Storm [Zincaito Remix]
  4. Sidewinder [System Evolution Remix]
  5. Sidewinder [Raymond Wave Remix]
  6. Sidewinder [Raymond Wave Preliminary Mix]
  7. Grid [Route 909 Remix]
  8. Grid [Route 909 Remix Preliminary]
  9. Start The Dance [Technoloop Remix]
  10. Endless Palm [Raymond Wave Remix]
  11. Angels [Demo]
  12. Final Beat [Demo]
  13. Beyond Darkness [Demo]
  14. Experience [Demo]
  15. Canon in D [Silver Mix]
  • Mixed And Remixed Volume 3
  1. Falling (Preview featuring Jennifer Grimm)
  2. Ocean [Fast]
  3. Ocean [Slow]
  4. DeLite
  5. DeLite [Dull Mix]
  6. Dreaming of Tomorrow
  7. After the Storm (Preview Dreams Mix feat. Jennifer Grimm)
  8. Night
  9. Night [Preview Version]
  10. Night [Sagacity Vocal Dub]
  11. Structure
  12. Happy Theme
  13. Be a Star (feat. Nathan David Preview Version)
  14. U Need To Connect
  15. Falling [Original Acoustic Mix]
  16. Drifting
  17. Sidewinder [Moe Happy Hardcore Mix]
  18. Dream Formula [Xiod Remix]
  19. Raymond Wave Remix Concept
  20. Matrix [Skr Team Remix]
  21. Start The Dance [Route 909 Remix]
  • After the Storm
  1. After the Storm (Alucard's Prairie of Rolling Thunder Remix)
  2. After the Storm - Radio Rain Mix (original)
  3. After the Storm - Radio Rain Mix (version)
  4. After the Storm - Radio Rain Mix (club mix)
  5. After the Storm - (Raymond Wave Remix)
  6. After the Storm - (Wellenrausch Remix)
  7. After the Storm - [club mix]
  8. After the Storm [Zincaito rmx]
  9. Falling - Memories of Tomorrow Trance Mix
  10. Falling - Alex's Vocal Edit
  • Cynic Project Favorites
  1. Grid ][ [Trance Mix]
  2. Red Horizon
  3. Beach Visions
  4. JP8080 [demo]
  5. Trance Experience [demo]
  6. Sidewinder [Raymond Wave Remix]
  7. Structure
  8. Night [preview version]
  9. Be a Star
  10. Let's Go
  11. Robot
  12. Wrecked
  13. Drifting
  14. Beyond Darkness [demo]
  15. On Top of the World feat Shelia

References

  1. 1 2 Alex Smith interview
  2. ↑ "Some Musicians Discover Audience, and Cash, Online". The Wall Street Journal Online. 15 August 2000
  3. ↑ "Me and My MP3". The Motley Fool. 11 January 2000.
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