Press
A composer and sound artist to be reckoned with.
Here are some nice things people have said about my music, particularly about the album Music for Sunsets. The mixtape I made for Foxy Digitalis is here, and a link to the time SPIN asked me to predict the Los Angeles Chargers' 2023 season is here.
Nick Norton’s new album, Music For Sunsets, is an expansive sonic treat. There is so much thought and craft in each of these 12 tracks, it’s hard to believe this is only his debut. This music is a space Norton created and used to process and accept a life-altering diagnosis in 2020. Within these lively ambient soundscapes, moments are held with care, and the inward searching becomes a beautiful sonic glow. It’s a wonderful record.
Norton’s creative process is deeply intertwined with personal stories and inspirations, making each composition a narrative-rich exploration of emotions and experiences.
Absolutely captivating. Norton’s music invites you to embark on a sonic journey that’s as diverse and vibrant as the city he hails from, a musical exploration where boundaries blur and creativity knows no limits.
A touch of old school magic, a touch of delight.
Haunting, game-like melodies and buzzing synthesizers link listeners in a shared simulated dreamscape, blurring the lines between the self and the cosmos. The real and the synthetic. The self and the other.
Prepare to have your thoughts harmonized and your innate senses awakened to the synchronistic laws of the natural universe.
“Slow Night at the Arcade” by Nick Norton is a musical gem that combines vintage charm with contemporary flair. The track’s playful and nostalgic vibe, coupled with Norton’s candid storytelling, creates a sonic experience that resonates deeply with listeners, reminding us of the power of music as a healing and transformative force.
With his mastery of vintage synthesizers, Nick skillfully weaves enchanting melodies that possess an irresistible allure, captivating listeners with his divine sonic artistry.
“Soviets Make Good Games” is a retro synth composition that utilizes intersecting arpeggiated synth lines and woozy melodies to create a track that feels suspended in time.
[Soviets Make Good Games]'s journey from darkness to light finds a parallel in the broader themes of Norton’s upcoming album. “Music for Sunsets” serves as a documentation of Norton’s personal journey of recovery and acceptance following a severe mental health diagnosis in 2020. His artistic exploration delves into the interactions between generative technology and human creativity, creating a tactile and introspective auditory experience.
And here's some press for other stuff, mostly from the contemporary classical world. One big disclaimer: I founded New Classic LA, and ran the site for its first decade. I did not, however, edit any reviews that mentioned my music, and impressed upon writers not to treat me any differently than any other composer. I wasn't going to have them not review a musician or concert just because I was one among many on a program.
Spacious, overlapping textures that in their freedom managed to capture something of Debussy’s penchant for fleeting sentimentality, that return later as tinted, softly-distorted memories.
[Fuzzy Loner] is a dense, distorted piece of guitar drone that’s always on the verge of an intense climax, yet meditative at the same time. It’s ambient/drone music that’s harsh around the edges, but with a hypnotic quality that makes it something much more than its effects.
Fans of acoustically produced harsh / aggressively experimental music will find a lot to sink their teeth into here. Those who aren’t attuned to this music will find a pointed and relatable response to the rage that many of us feel as horror after horror seem to be happening in rapid succession.
Like flying in a dream.
A powerful, gyrating, and relentless sonic attack.
Most of Norton’s pieces (the concert featured his complete solo piano music to date) are visceral sonic haiku which pair modernist sonorities with clever conceptual underpinnings.
Nick Norton’s crazy piano deconstruction, “All the Wrong Notes” was like sticking your head on rattling piano strings as Richard Valittuto banged away.
Norton’s startlingly compact work, Piano Piece for Mr. Carter’s 100th Birthday, iterates every note on the piano exactly once. The highly virtuosic work of nine seconds in length effectively divides the album down the middle, sending the second half off in an energetic burst of raw pianistic power.
Interviews
January 22, 2024 | Interview about my work on Sonolize
September 6, 2023 | 95 Musicians Predict the 2023 NFL Season in SPIN
April 29, 2019 | Nick Norton on his music and community on New Classic LA
December 3, 2018 | Art & Life with Nick Norton in Voyage LA
January 31, 2017 | Interview about Elegy II with violist Jonathan Morgan at Aerocade Music
March 29, 2011 | 5 Questions to Nick Norton on I Care If You Listen