New York artist Nick Marks releases his fourth single, “BETWEEN GIGS” on August 11th 2023. This track serves as an ‘aural aperitif’ before his debut EP, ‘Congenial Frequencies, Vol. I’ drops in late September 2023.
This indie jazz meets lo-fi hip-hop beats track comes off the back of his debut single “RIDE THE DRAGON”, which received support from Huey Morgan on BBC6, Ruth Fisher on JazzFM and Tina Edwards on Worldwide FM. It also follows his second single “DORONGO”, which 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”. His third single, “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.
“BETWEEN GIGS” is a lo-fi indie jazz track fused with hip-hop beats. An aural aperitif, Marks wrote this feel-good instrumental to provide a positive soundtrack that soothes the soul. It encourages listeners to keep their spirits up during those ‘in between’ moments in life; whether that be for a new gig, relationship, test results, or anything similar. Imagine Kiefer, Mad Keys and MNDSGN combining to score a reboot of the 90’s/00’s hit Nickelodeon series, “Hey Arnold”. This cross-pollination of artists demonstrates another dimension to the artistry and vision of Marks, who wrote, arranged, produced and performed on the track.
The track opens with a morphing chord progression that crescendos into sea of cascading synthesizer effects. The warm sounds of the keys together with the rounded sub bass and hard hitting lo-fi beats sets the feel-good tone. Tasty electric guitars, synths and glitching sound effects take the listener deeper into the mood and vibe, offering glimmers of hope for new journeys and exciting beginnings to come. The Harmon-mute trumpets add a layer of romance and intrigue, coming in with a repeated theme that is both meditative yet hypnotic. This all sets the stage before Marks takes flight with a piano solo. The track then goes into a breakdown, a chance for other elements to shine through, before the final outro provides an anthemic, feel good ear-candy laced finale. The blend of acoustic and synth instruments creates that expansive feeling of ‘gravitas’ often felt in cinematic scoring, yet here Marks has gone to great lengths to also maintain a more chilled energy in this otherworldly listening experience.
Nick says about the track: “Between Gigs is designed to be an aural aperitif for many moods: from chilled and relaxed, to positive and romantic. Whether walking down the street, studying, cooking at home, or spending intimate time with your partner, this track aims to bring warm vibes and encourage listeners to ‘keep your head up’ during the ‘in-between’ moments of life, where our patience may be tested. Writing and producing a jazzy beats / neo-soul inspired track brings me back to where it all started for me as a producer, yet my ethos remains the same: to provide listeners with a soundtrack that makes them feel like they’re floating in a surreal/otherworldly jam”.
Marks’s previous releases have seen him become known for his cinematic jazztronica works. This track is the first demonstration of breadth and depth of his catalogue, with more tracks in this style to come alongside his cinematic jazztronica pieces.
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