Beginning with an atmospheric and calming sense of purpose and design, the unrivalled depth and enchantment of Atlanta’s Nurhop reaches new heights this season, as the mighty Take Me Back delivers both an hypnotic earworm, and an intense arena of upbeat rhythmic escapism.
Ryan Berthelsen is the creative mind behind all things Nurhop – a lifelong musician, producer and sonic architect, with an organic background mastering piano and guitar amidst a handful of bands and basement sessions.
Electronic music was ultimately where the imaginative realm of Nurhop found its flow – a soulful blending of dubstep, glitch, soul and experimentation, and that fusion of emotion and playfulness has forever since elevated his sound.
Most recently, Take Me Back hit the scene with a divine balancing of nostalgic pop vocals, evocative poetry, and euphoric layers of psychedelic synth, bass, rhythm and ambiance – all united throughout a saxophone-kissed progression, which seems mildly influenced by everything from hard-house to smoky jazz.
Eclecticism is a huge part of the Nurhop aura, but it’s also an impressively subtle quality, and that sense of nuance helps really set the producer and artist apart.
Featuring a classic and, for the true electronic music fans, old-school resounding riff at its peak, Take Me Back is both the floor-filler and the romanticised ode to late-night connection and contemplation. The song offers long-form verses for that sense of story and desire, and the hook resounds and repeats at just the right moments – not least of all following a superb and skilful evolution, imparted by Nurhop’s impeccable attention to detail and mood.
Confident riffs and soulful meanings are consistently the lifeblood of Nurhop’s unique approach to modern electronic music. The organic touches are key to a recognisable, even unmistakable style, and as such, his releases are connecting with a vastly expanding audience. A reel depicting the creative process for Take Me Back reached almost 20k views in just 24 hours this week, and streaming platforms and socials across the board are beginning to follow suit.
Later on this month, the 25th to be exact, Nurhop will launch the follow-up single In The Dark – again respecting the necessity of work ethic in unison with passion and precision, in order to continue to build.
Versatility matters, as we all feel differently, experience different mindsets and days, throughout our lives. On that note, In The Dark presents a distinctly softer array of melodic refrains, and a deeply consuming bassline and vocal thread. The darkness of the bass reverberates, while rhythmic hits create a spacious and cinematic alternative sound.
Then there’s the voice, sublime and delicate but clearly impassioned, and the melody has that enchanting fusion of melancholy and hope – almost haunting but inspiring a sense of sympathy and understanding at the same time.
In The Dark actually leans towards the addictive trip hop gems of the 2000s, in some ways – the riff and vocal again topping off a superb production, for a track that naturally gets you hitting play repeatedly. The arrangement is all consuming, a careful balancing of the gentle and the dark, and the song whispers its sentiments into your headspace with soulful poignancy and longing.
It’s emotional, modest but powerful, and brilliantly distinct both tunefully and in these finer production detail so masterfully utilised.
Nurhop’s next single releases August 25th. Pre-save In The Dark. Check out the full catalogue of music & follow Nurhop on Instagram, Spotify & Soundcloud.
