A creative tour-de-force that bridges the artist’s concert music / film scoring experiences with explorations into underground jazz, neo-soul, electronica, and hip-hop, Cinematic Chromatics Vol. I is an EP from NYC-based artist Nick Marks. The EP takes inspiration from NYC’s rich blending of musical styles, home to venues that cater to every audible stylistic pursuit under the sun.
The sophisticated palate within the album art is an apt accompaniment; the stimulating artwork comes via artist Cam “Quetzilla” Rousset, who infused paintings of instruments used within the recordings and overlaid them with abstract colors — culminating in a “visual representation of Marks’ music and its origins.”
The EP masterfully bridges Marks’ multiple worlds, that of film scoring and genre-hopping stylistic fascination. The opening “Prelude” swells with emotive cinematic intrigue; the orchestral somberness is invoked by caressing strings, shifting into a spirited bustling with woodwind and brass flourishes throughout the ensuing “Arc of Light” section, described nicely as “equal parts future-soul/jazztronica meets big band.” The piano solo, past the three-minute turn, is especially magnetic.
From the synth-touched grooves of “Dorongo” to the rhythmically intense exhilaration of “Ride The Dragon,” the EP’s remainder continues to excel. Cinematic Chromatics Vol. I is another shining success from Marks, who first caught our ears with the track “Between Gigs” last month.
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“Ride The Dragon” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of September 2023’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
