Norty

Following a series of high profile performances at Electric Forest, Serenity Gathering, and opening for Ratatat, a Midwest tour and the release of a three-song EP in May, Norty delivers We Were Nearly There, his most exciting collection of music yet.

I don’t care if they stop / It’s setting fire to my bones” Norty’s opening mantra burns with a restless energy that permeates throughout the album. “We’re soaking up what’s gone / got to get back where you’re from” sings Norty on the title track, setting the tone for what feels like both a departure and return to form for the Grand Rapids, MI producer. Returning to his indie roots, the album’s sound blends live instrumentation and vocals with innovative dance and electronic production.

Lead by a sitar riff, New Disguise explores unique rhythmic patterns that build towards the hook. The album takes a wavy turn with Darker Days, bringing down the tempo and creating a lush soundscape of melodies, crashing horns and floating vocal chops. The stand out single, Pockets starts with a pulsating tribal beat and builds to an infectiously catchy chorus.

Greed is the album’s heaviest track, resonating with the sounds of a big city after dark. Going Back lightens the mood with a house-inspired backbeat before displaying some of the album’s most primal moments with the verse’s vocal performance.

The 90s-dance-inspired piano riff of Swimming lays the foundation for the albums closer. An ode to summer, with lyrics bouncing in stereo proclaiming their adoration for “the late hours.” Swimming tops off the album with a saxophone infused finale.

Connect with Norty:
Bandcamp
ItsNorty.com
iTunes
YoungHeavySouls.com - TrapStyle

“I don’t care if they stop, it’s setting fire to my bones
We’re soaking up what’s gone, got to get back where you’re from”

The concept of “home” is such a transient thing. It starts out simply enough–that at first we call somewhere our home not by choice but by birth, merely tumbleweeds in the wind of our larger circumstances. Some people grow roots right where they’re planted, and others seem destined to wander forever, driven by a deep sense of wonder and an even more powerful notion that there must be somewhere else, something better, to call home. I have always carried a paradoxical sense of place with me–that there are some places where I certainly do not belong, and other places where I do, but in the end I am merely a passerby, a chameleon soul just adaptable enough to make anything passable as “home.” Never get too attached and you’ll never get stuck; never turn into one of those simple, happy trees with roots and a place to lay your head. And me? As I prepare to pack my bags for yet another move, I listen to Norty’s newest album “We Were Nearly There” and cannot help but think of standing at a crossroads, returning to my roots and yet to something else entirely. It is symbolic of both this musician’s departure and return to form on the new album, which is a nostalgic nod to the past and a warm welcome toward a bright future.

“Where you gonna go when you can’t get back where you’re from?”

Norty’s raw energy and unbridled emotion are tangible throughout the album’s entirety; it sweeps you up into an ethereal adventure during the arduous cries of the title track and carries you through a spectrum of primal emotion to “Swimming”’s bouncy ode to summer. As someone who appreciates all music but listens almost exclusively to techno–where lyrics aren’t exactly the main course–Norty’s vocals and eclectic production was extremely refreshing. His fusion of indie rock and experimental dance can find a home among fans of both genres, and especially people who appreciate funky-yet-emotive music. “We Were Nearly There” follows the midwest-born musician’s first performance at Electric Forest, where his future-thinking music found an enthusiastic following, as well as an opening performance for Ratatat.

The album is out on Detroit-based label Young Heavy Souls and available for pre-order now on iTunes. The full release will be available July 15th on Detroit record label Young Heavy Souls. Limited CDs will be distributed by Fat Beats. - The Sights and Sounds

A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together to achieve a common objective. For the Young Heavy Souls collective that common interest is releasing pure musical orgasmic fire ever since its culmination in 2011.

Today, Grand Rapids native and Young Heavy Souls artist, Norty, is here to give you a glimpse of his upcoming EP, We Were Nearly There, with the single “Darker Days.” The single at first gives you a boat riding summer time feeling. Interesting ivory cuts, slight hint of strings, and electronic elements give the track a summer boat cruise vibe, that "Drive Slow" cruising with the homies feel. Around the two minute mark, the electronic influence takes over for a short period of time before gracefully bringing your ears back to the hammock in the sun. Give it a listen above. You shan't be disappointed.

Norty’s fourth coming EP is set to release this Friday, July 15th. You can also catch Norty at the EP release party on August 6th at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, MI. He will be accompanied by Ancient Language, Rich Jones, and Epicure. - Sound & Silence

Everything about Norty’s new release, We Were Nearly There, is intriguing and stunningly diverse. Each track is something completely different with so much happening at once, it’s hard to wrap your mind around the fact that this is all done by a single dude. It’s an electronic wonderland keeping the listener engaged and venturing off the beaten path stylistically. It’s not your typical drowned out synth and bass. It’s colorful and explorative with a lot of attention to detail, not to mention just plain fun to listen to. - CW Detroit

We Were Nearly There is a very, very curious album. There is something for everyone on this album, but it may not necessarily appear that way. The title track carries the sound of an electropop jaunt, but Norty’s emotional vocal execution and lyrical imagery of setting fire to bones would not sound out of place in a punk song. The album proceeds with “New Disguise”, which glides along with a brooding swagger accompanied by Detroit’s own Metako on sitar.

On “Going Back”, listeners are greeted by a phonetic hurricane that repeatedly changes directions over the course of its four-minute duration. Fellow Grand Rapids producer Lansdead contributes a succulent rhythm to establish a framework for this standout track. Finally, the album erupts with “Swimming”, a pulsing dance piece complemented by another flurry of distorted vocals. The vocal values across We Were Nearly There play an instrumental role in defining its sound. Sharp tonal shifts and hazy distortion of Norty’s voice feed into the mythical nature of this collection of music.

These challenges to the conventions of music are what makes We Were Nearly There such a rewarding listen. This is an album with its own unique reality and laws of physics. Each song is packed with surprises and practically guaranteed to turn listeners on their heads. The album itself is very richly layered with something new to discover with each repeated listen.

Out now and available for purchase via Fat Beats. - Assemble Sound

Grand Rapids based producer Norty releases Thanks For Trying This Demo via Young Heavy Souls. - Assemble Sound

Norty is no stranger to us, although you might recognize him by his previous musical alias, Nortroniks. The Young Heavy Souls member and Michigan native tweaked his name, but he definitely didn’t lose his spunk. He recently dropped a groovy single called, I feel like I’m on fire, which is set to be the first release off of his upcoming 3 song EP, Thank you for trying this Demo.

Norty continues to bring us funky vibes that transcend indie rock and electronic production. He creates a musical montage as he underlays his relaxed vocals with a beat filled with jazzy horns and piano. He merges his own vocals with sample play, in the end creating a track that you could sing along to, or get up and dance to. It’s always a lot of fun to listen to what Norty comes out with next, so stay on the lookout for the release of his EP. - Oak Cellar Door

Genre blending is the modus operandi for multi-instrumentalist and producer Kyle Norton, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “I Feel Like I’m on Fire”, the lead track of his debut EP under new moniker Norty, is testament to that. With a electronic bedrock, it opens with an anachronistic jazz lounge bassline, piano notes, and brushed drums. The atmosphere is thick and swirls like curlicues of smoke as tempos shift, Norty’s relaxed vocals and hip hop beats join the sound collage.


The song hails from the three-song EP Thank You For Trying This Demo. The mini record is a prelude to a full-length expected to be released in July on the Young Heavy Souls record label.

Norty, previously known as Nortroniks, gained attention for his fresh take on electronic music production and fun, high¬-energy live performances fueled by live instrumentation and consistent progression, according to his website. He’s performed at such festivals as Serenity Gathering in Joshua Tree, California, and Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan.

More recently, Norty has joined with MC Friendly to form dance-rap group Obese Ghost Children. - Pop Matters