Marc Soucy requires no introduction on this site, as we have been featuring the star’s epic compositions consistently for the last few months. Naturally, when we heard he had just released American Velocity, we were curious and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience in detail!
The track opens with a bold soundscape akin to the National Anthem, but darker, more dramatic and almost set in a dystopian future reality. The rolling marching drums are intertwined with cymbal crashes and an eerie orchestral energy that feels celestial, spacey futuristic and almost a bit scary!
American Velocity could be the score of a Star Wars movie, the Handmaids Tale or an apocalypse film, or maybe just reality as we know it considering the dark state of times that seem apparent these days, no matter how much we try and escape them.
The opus expands with an almost Irish folk adjacent energy, tripping into a Hillbilly jig and keeping us astutely on our toes throughout. The energy lightens up and we are reminded of the charm of the Americana identity. Less menacing, and more playful. Like that scene from Thelma and Louise, before they shoot the guy!
As with all of Marc Soucy‘s compositions, we are never bored – the next switch up feels almost like an 8-bit video game, it is a subtle evolution but we are back in the realms of a Nintendo game from the 1990, maybe a Mario Kart track set on a farm.
The composition ends with an air of positivity and possibility, reminding us that the initial darkness can be overcome and that love will eventually prevail. This is the prophetic nature of Marc’s compositional mastery – always intentional!
Marc confesses, “As a concept within my STIR series, American Velocity sits somewhere in between Montana and The Paradigm’s Shift, celebrating the continued growth and contributions of an American spirit on the rise. The space program, modern medicine, and technology are emphasized. Musically, American Velocity tracks the music of European classical traditions, especially turn of the 20th century composers, through the Americanization of these music influences as folk and popular styles became more dominant.”
Marc Soucy composed, performed, produced, and mixed the piece entirely by himself, without using AI or music-generating tools. Inspired by composers like Debussy and Copland, the music honours the American spirit and creativity and was done in his home studio using keyboards, virtual instruments, and careful editing.
We have added American Velocity to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream Marc Soucy‘s growing discography, and anticipate future releases from the visionary composer!