cinematic chromatics. an origin story.

Ride The Dragon was the debut single from New York based Australian artist Nick Marks. Released on February 24, 2023, this track is the first exposition of Marks’ musical vision into expansive cinematic jazztronica. Story telling is at the center of Mark’s ethos as a composer, arranger and producer. This derives strongly from his background in scoring for film, television and other multimedia formats. Each section of the track leads the listener through the arc of a narrative, from moments of excitement, drama, triumph and resolve. Melodic motifs serve as characters; the inner voices tell a sub-plot. Improvised solos from Dave Levy, Sarpay Ozçagatay and Chase Baird drive the narrative to unexpectd places. Instrumental textures and colours shape the mood and energy. This is a piece where the elements are greater than the sum of its parts, designed by Marks to be a soundtrack that awakens your inner dragon. 

the origins: ‘dmndr’ and an old run-down sushi factory in long island city

while the process for creating Ride The Dragon a couple of years ago, its origins can be traced further back to a number of formative moments and influences.

The time period between 2017-2020, one year after Marks moved from Melbourne, Australia, to Brooklyn, until the pandemic, played an integral role in shaping this project and Marks deciding to finally strike out as an artist in his own right. for 3 years, I played in the house band of a 20,000 sq foot abandoned sushi factory in the heart of long island city. what started as a one off hang turned into a weekly session. people showed up. there were underground parties, shows, events. we hit from late night til sunrise. we started with no written material, all improvised. the band, and affiliated community, became family. Little did Marks realize that the musical bonds formed during this time would lay the foundations for this current project. 

It was during this time that Marks wrote a bunch music for this project. The focus was always on the collective. The band had a unique synergy. Once per week, sometimes more, they would meet from around 10pm and jam until around 3am. Together they created, experimented and iterated each others’ ideas and tunes, culminating in a repertoire which then turned into a recorded album and many gigs. The space, known as “DMNDR”, was an incubator for creativity. artists from all walks of life came through: musicians, dancers, chess masters, writers, film-makers, entrepreneurs and more. brands partnered events. public figures held events. A sub-culture was created.

then the pandemic hit in 2020, and the world shut down. The warehouse closed. People left the city. Everyone was navigating the challenges of a world turned upside down. It took time to figure out what next steps to take.  

The process of writing for that band, and seeing my improvised ideas become the basis for some of the bands tunes, affirmed Marks’ belief in what he was creating. Each week, Marks would bring ideas that formed the basis of jams and new tunes. Marks’ expectation was that the band would rip them apart and together they’d build something new. Instead, the band loved the ideas as they were, and then they would collaborate to build on the solid foundations created. 

In 2020, Marks was to take the plunge in an artistic direction he’d always wanted to pursue, but had not done before. ive worked (and still work) as a composer, pianist/keyboardist, collaborator and producer on many projects of other people: everything from feature film scores to artist/band projects; commissions to sonic branding. At that point, there was a calling: the time had arrived to create a new platform under my own artist name.

it takes a village (or a squad)

Bringing a project like this together takes many talented hands, heads, souls and hearts. most of the extraordinary  musicians you’ll hear on these releases are from that project born in the warehouse and the affiliated community. they are supremely talented in-demand nyc artists who have projects of their own. check them out and support their incredible work. 

for anyone reading this who is at the the start of their own creative project, or at a juncture for which there’s no precedent : trust your instinct. Create. iterate. then iterate again. persevere through the fog. make pragmatic choices between your moments of inspiration. take the process as far as you need, until you arrive at the destination; whether it’s the one you’re aiming for, or, a new one arrived at unexpectedly, yet feels right. see it through, and doors will open.