The first song I heard by SOPHIE (per a friend's recommendation) was his 2013 single "Bipp," a light, bendy, and slightly monotonous pop tune featuring pitched-up female vocals and a catchy chorus hook reminiscent of electropop circa 2006. Although I didn't have this track on repeat, it was a unique enough sound to spark my interest in the producer and keep an eye out for new content.

When SOPHIE dropped the 12" "Lemonade" (with the B-side "Hard" that was not unlike Drukqs-era Aphex Twin), I was completely floored. It growls and squelches with aggressive production elements, while gender-ambiguous voices coyly chant "lemonade" and "candy boys" repeatedly. The track's shining moment is its chorus, in which a high-pitched voice sings about how their significant other gives them a "fizzy feeling," all over twinkly synth stabs that feel as though they're moving at hyper speed. My obsession with this song grew with each and every listen, and I couldn't help but promote it and the artist via social media at least two or three times a day.

I want to say with certainty that there is no other artist like SOPHIE, but that's not necessarily true. There's a certain familiarity in his work that draws listeners in—a certain warmth amid the chaos. Perhaps it's the way he sort of pays homage to cheeseball pop tunes from the 90s, or the way his syncopated synth chords bounce jovially in warm harmony, like a guilty pleasure tune you can't help but belt along to when it plays on the radio.

But is the joke on us? Is SOPHIE poking fun at the pop genre by combining it with sinister production elements? Or is this simply a product of a melding of a variety of influences? Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure: SOPHIE's sugary sweet production plays well to his aesthetic.

Aside from his album covers that resemble 3D CGI models from the late 90s, SOPHIE's side project with PC Music founder A.G. Cook, "QT," is equally aesthetically captivating. In this scenario, we see QT, the elusive frontwoman who dons brightly-colored clothing and sharply-cut wigs. She has also recently performed alongside SOPHIE on various live dates. QT can almost always be seen holding a can of her eponymous energy elixir, avidly promoting the product as some sort of spiritual essential. QT is a physical manifestation of SOPHIE and Cook's music—an eternally bubbly pop mascot that represents the two's "commercial" ideals and, strangely enough, she manages to secure the artists' anonymity even more.

Anonymity has been key in SOPHIE's success not only because it makes him that much more intriguing, but because it creates a sort of otherworldliness for his music, as if the music exists on its own as a living, breathing, creature.

Another aspect of SOPHIE's brand that I particularly love is his use of space in his production. His music is almost illusory in the way that he utilizes unconventional music components in a bare-bones sort of way, while giving off the impression that it's huge and complex. Most of his songs lack even a steady kick drum, but SOPHIE fans can still bob their heads to his phantom beats. One of my favorite tracks of his happens to be an unreleased track I first heard during his Boiler Room set. It's a spacious tune with nothing but growling sub bass, taunting synth leads, and a few claps here and there. Despite its simplicity, it got the crowd roaring immediately. That isn't to undermine his craft, however. SOPHIE's production is crystal clear and incredibly intricate. I can only imagine that every musical choice he makes is very deliberate.

And that is perhaps the most beguiling question of all: What are SOPHIE's intentions, and what is the hidden dialog beneath his music? I hope at least a little bit of this will be unearthed in his future endeavors. For now, however, I'll continue to bask in his mystery… and fangirl about him on every social media platform.

Mitch Grassi is one half of Superfruit and one fifth of Pentatonix, a Grammy nominee for their record "Daft Punk." Their recent albums, September's PTX, Vol. III and holiday collection That's Christmas to Me are in available now.

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