Nick Marks | "Cinematic Chromatics, Vol. I"

New York artist Nick Marks drops his debut EP, Cinematic Chromatics, Vol. I, on September 22nd 2023.

The release includes three singles already released this year: Ride The Dragon, Dorongo and Paradiso. Completing Vol. I will be a two-part track titled Prelude/Arc of Light. Marks has been rapidly gaining attention for his genre bending cinematic jazztronica, in which he marries two disparate paradigms of his artistry: that of the concert music/film scoring world, and the underground scenes in which jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul and electronica cross-pollinate.

Cinematic Chromatics Vol. I will be the first in a three volume series, broadly fitting umbrella of ‘new era jazz’. The trilogy gracefully moves between various aural ‘mood-boards’ and showcases Marks’ musical universe, which has been described as “a twisted jazz fusion of orchestrated funk bruk electronica - dare I say, of Herbie Hancock proportions” (Gerry Bayly, You And The Music)

Vol. I draws on Marks’ expansive vision for melding jazz and electronica within expansive through-composed forms and a symphonic/cinematic aesthetic. Vol. II follows the cinematic aesthetic and traverses boundaries into the neo-soul/hip-hop worlds with hints of Drum’n’Bass. Vol. III meets somewhere in the middle. While most tracks are instrumental, story-telling and connecting with listeners is at the core of each tune.

The Cinematic Chromatics trilogy is born out of a love and passion for bringing together elements that satisfy the ear, move the body and connect to the heart. It speaks to the complex layers that intertwine in life. For Marks, writing music is a journey in how to best make sense of living among contradictions in our everyday life.

Completing Vol. I is the new track Prelude/Arc of Light. This ‘curtain-raiser’ is an homage to Marks’ impressionist classical influences, presenting the principles of this music in a modern ‘jazztronica’ context. Imagine Claude Debussy being commissioned to write the opening for an artist on the Brainfeeder label. The 21-piece string orchestra + 1 Bassoonist (performed by the Budapest Art Orchestra) establish a main theme that gets drawn upon and revisited throughout the second half of the track. This builds into a steady crescendo before getting ‘smashed’ by the piano, synth bass and drums that come in abruptly.

The cover art of the Cinematic Chromatics series is the perfect visual representation of Marks’ artistry and vision. French artist Camille “Quetzilla” Rousset hand-painted an abstract mural of layered instruments and bright colours. Listeners have eclectic tastes, passions, vibes and moods, and for Marks, speaking to these differences (both musically and visually) was central to the creation of this work.

Nick says about the EP: “Bringing together my worlds in concert/film music with jazz, neo-soul and electronica was an organic process borne out of years of studying, performing, being part of both Melbourne and New York’s dynamic scenes, and writing for film or instrumental projects. I always had the idea of opening my first big release with a statement of intent, a ‘curtain raiser’ with gravitas. Something to set the tone for the listener, and show I take their attention and willingness to listen seriously. I always wanted to cohesively morph between my different worlds and experiences in a seamless, dynamic, and tasteful way that listeners can enjoy and relate to. In doing so, I hope this EP provides a soundtrack that inspires listeners to follow their dreams, especially if it’s in an area where they’ve never seen it be done before, or people tell them it can’t be done”.

Marks has already received glowing responses to his releases this year. Debut single RIDE THE DRAGON received support from Huey Morgan on BBC6, Ruth Fisher on JazzFM and Tina Edwards on Worldwide FM. His second single DORONGO received support from Bandcamp Weekly and Jazzwise Magazine,  who described the track as “Flying Lotus and Jacob Collier combining to write the latest Blade Runner soundtrack, supervised by Thundercat, recorded by the Metropole Orkest”. Single number three, PARADISO, was selected for Spotify Editorial Playlist “FRESH FINDS JAZZ”. The music videos to all three tracks have had a combined total of more 250,000 views on YouTube. As a teaser for the future Vols. II and III (coming in 2024), Marks’ released ‘Between Gigs’, a lo-fi jazzy beats ‘aural aperitif’.