Nick Marks releases a new single that is part hip hop, part funk, and all that jazz
The Australian-born and New York-based producer and instrumentalist, Nick Marks, first came onto our radar a year ago with the release of his debut EP, Cinematic Chromatics Vol. I. What stuck out was his unique blend of hip hop, jazz, and study beats. He was bringing some soul to a sub-genre that can sometimes be seen as one-dimensional.
Since then, he’s featured on our Mixtape and took over our Jazz Underground playlist as the resident artist and curator.
Nick has just passed us his latest single, “Keep Goin’ Gotta Keep Up,” which is equal parts sexy and feel-good. It sounds like a hip hop track crossed with Super Mario Bros, crossed with Katamari Damacy, sprinkled with G-funk inspired synths, and mixed up in a jazz blender.
Nick explains how it all started sometime back in 2022. “After some late night insomnia, I resorted to come to my studio for some solace. I turned on the Nord Stage 3, and started playing around with this new synth patch I’d created. I’d automated the track so that the pitch could be shifted by an octave using the mod wheel. What followed was the progression you now hear as the opening to this track.“
That opening pitch shift really sets the tone for the track as well. That wavy little slight of hand tells you that you are in for a journey. Next, Nick explains how he lays down the drums to set the vibe:
“A straight 16th pattern was the intention to create chilled yet swag feel,” continues Nick. “I threw various keys parts like ingredients on a pizza base, layering part by part in an organic way without overthinking. I setup the first section, and wondered where to go next. At that time, I had been noodling around with some chord progressions, namely falling into some irregular hits that often strayed between down beats and up beats. I was loosely experimenting with shifting notes between chords that could give me maximum change without necessarily moving very much. This gave birth to the hits section you hear after the opening.“
Like everything Nick turns his hand to, he creates an ever changing format that not only elevates the genre, but keeps you interested. That’s true with “Keep Goin’ Gotta Keep Up.”
Nick Marks – Keep Goin’ Gotta Keep Up
