An artist, composer, and pianist who gained acclaim and attention throughout 2023 with the release of ‘Cinematic Chromatics Vol. I’, Nick Marks has returned to the spotlight with new single ‘Back To Life’. Building perfectly on his hybrid sound that fuses elements of jazz, neo-soul, and electronica, the new single is a breath of fresh air that earmarks Nick as an artist to watch in 2024.
In perfect form, ‘Back To Life’ sees Mark taking his listeners on a journey through his unique sonic world, blurring the lines between modern soul and shifting hip-hop with gorgeous flourishes of golden age jazz and free-flowing, lo-fi beats. At its core, ‘Back To Life’ works hard to defy classification, constantly surprising you as it unfolds, stitching together opposing styles to create and unique and innovative release.
Arguably, the best way to view the single is as the sum of two distinct parts, with a distinct trap and hip-hop beat driving it forward, while neo-soul instrumentals flow and evolve in the foreground. Laced with magical moments that are caught effortlessly by a brilliant flow of rap verses, ‘Back To Life’ is original, surprising, and effortlessly entertaining.
Impressively, ‘Back To Life’ is the first vocal collaboration in Nick’s ‘Cinematic Chromatics’ series, featuring MC, rapper, and drummer Doron Lev, who wrote the lyrics, raps, and performs drums on the track. Speaking about the single, Nick shared, “This track is about resilience: how we respond when we receive rejection: whether it's our ideas, for being different (see the lyrics ‘I’m a weirdo, I’m aware of it’) or experimenting to find solutions to problems. Even in the face of being told ‘no’, or ‘that’s impossible’, you keep going in pursuit of finding a way to achieve your goals. I initially wrote these beats as part of a podcast score for an NPR show. It was rejected by one of the NPR producers, and after, I imagined it would go nowhere, like many ideas I had at that point. It turns out there was a silver lining in that rejection. Instead of letting it just sit on a hard drive, I was determined to get it out there, and I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted with it.”
The first in a string of new releases that Nick has planned for the year, including the launch of two EP’s, ‘Cinematic Chromatics Vol. II’ and ‘Vol. III’, the new single is a platform for something truly brilliant. Sitting comfortably at the intersection of neo-soul, hip-hop, trap and more, ‘Back To Life’ showcases another unique aspect of Nick’s wild, creative world.
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