Raphael Weinroth-Browne unveils 'Speed of Light' single - a daring and deeply personal dialogue with Bach
Photo Credit: Curtis Perry
Internationally acclaimed Canadian cellist and composer Raphael Weinroth-Browne returns with ‘Speed of Light’, a visceral reworking of J.S. Bach’s Prelude to the G Major Cello Suite. Far from a mere interpretation, this piece doesn't hold back but drags every ounce of feeling from the cello, intertwining centuries old musical heritage with sweeping cinematic flair. Paired with a stunning video by Dark Fable Media (Sleep Token, TesseracT), 'Speed of Light' blurs the line between classical tradition and contemporary vision, forging a vivid conversation across time.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/S6aQaObAjnY
Stream 'Speed of Light': https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/raphaelweinrothbrowne/speed-of-light-2
Commissioned by the acclaimed UK-based James Wilton Dance, the track was originally conceived as part of the score for a new contemporary dance work entitled BACH Reimagined - a meditation on time, transformation and embodiment. With its angular motifs, Middle Eastern inflected melodies and unrelenting intensity, 'Speed of Light' stands on its own as a fierce, living exchange between past and future.
Blending Baroque intricacy with a progressive edge, the track’s production, mixed by Adam Noble (Leprous, Katatonia) and recorded by Darren McGill (The Dirty Nil, PUP), is both pristine and immersive. Across five exhilarating minutes, delicate cello arpeggios collide with crushing distortion soaked riffs and relentless rhythms, building to a cathartic, transcendent crescendo.
Raphael reflects on the creative process: "In 2024, I was commissioned by James Wilton Dance, an incredible UK-based contemporary dance company, to create an 80-minute soundtrack to their latest work, entitled BACH Reimagined. James and I are both avid metal fans and one of the guiding threads of this piece was the intersection between Baroque counterpoint and modern heavy music.
"'Speed of Light' was one of the first pieces that came out of this writing process. My first impulse was to take the very familiar repeated arpeggio from the prelude to the G major cello suite by Bach (popularly known as “the cello song”) and reframe it as a jagged, nasty riff. I also decided to redecorate the pattern, transposing it into every metal guitarist’s favourite scale, the Phrygian mode.
"Lately I’ve taken an interest in integrating contemporary pop rhythms into my music; the four on the floor kick and offbeat bass accents are a cheeky wink at the reggaeton beat that is so ubiquitous these days. Combined with driving riffs and solos, I think they give a feeling of forward propulsion as well as groove, both of which are great for dance."
The end result is more than a reinterpretation, ‘Speed of Light’ is a confrontation with legacy, an exploration of what classical music can become when refracted through modern sensibilities and global textures. As Raphael explains, “It’s a spiritual successor to Bach, but built in the present, for now.”
He adds, “With this track, I wanted to evoke both a feeling of ferocious determination and uplifting transcendence. The song’s third act sees the clouds parting for a brief moment before the layered cellos forge ahead to a dramatic finish. I like to think of the music itself as the protagonist in an epic narrative and for the progression of the piece to be its character arc. This one has evolved into quite the banger at live shows and it’s always a wild ride to perform it.”
Celebrated for his emotionally charged performances and boundary pushing artistry, Raphael Weinroth-Browne has become one of the most innovative cellists of his generation. With over 200 studio credits, including the Juno Award-winning W5: Grey Skies & Electric Light by Woods of Ypres, his work spans metal, classical, ambient and film. His music has appeared in major film and TV soundtracks and his cello arrangements have gone viral, earning praise from Steven Wilson, Opeth, and Katatonia.
As a touring and recording member of prog-legends Leprous, Weinroth-Browne has played some of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals, from London’s Royal Albert Hall to Hellfest in front of 40,000 people, and helped shape the sound of three of the band’s studio albums. His solo debut Worlds Within (2020), a single-instrument concept album built entirely from cello, was lauded for its emotional depth and genre-transcending ambition.
In recent years, Raphael’s deepening work in the world of contemporary dance and experimental performance has solidified his place as a boundary breaking composer and collaborator. His commissioned score for BACH Reimagined toured prestigious UK and German venues in 2025, performed live in dialogue with movement.
With ‘Speed of Light’, Raphael Weinroth-Browne continues to ask urgent and beautiful questions about sound, time and meaning. This release marks the beginning of a new artistic chapter, one that promises to further blur the boundaries between concert hall, rock stage and cinema.
More new material will follow in 2025, a year that is already shaping up to be a defining moment in his extraordinary career.
Catch Raphael live on the following dates:
May 18 - Ottawa, Canada - Solo performance at Speakeasy Tapas Lounge
May 31 - Toronto, Canada - Solo performance at Prepare the Ground Festival (918 Bathurst)
Jun 1 - Kitchener, Canada - Solo performance at Open Ears Festival (The Registry Theatre)
Jun 18 - Calgary, Canada - Solo performance at Sled Island Festival (BLOX Arts Centre)
Jul 17 - Ottawa, Canada - Solo performance at Rainbow Bistro supporting PAKT
Jul 25 - Suffolk, UK - Performing with James Wilton Dance at Latitude Festival
Raphael Weinroth-Browne online:
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