NURKO has long channelled emotion into cinematic, melodic bass music, but his debut album Solstice takes that connection somewhere deeper and more personal. Spanning 19 tracks and featuring collaborators including Kiesza, iann dior, Micah Martin, Crystal Skies and Amidy, the record was largely created during the aftermath of a difficult long-term breakup, transforming heartbreak, grief and vulnerability into a journey towards healing, resilience and hope.

Built around the symbolism of turning towards the light, Solstice also provides the foundation for Thrive Together, NURKO’s new mental health initiative created to extend the sense of community that has grown around his music into real-world awareness and support. We caught up with the New York-based producer to discuss the experiences that shaped the album, pushing his signature sound into new territory, the importance of collaboration, his relationship with fans and why, for NURKO, music remains a powerful form of therapy.

Your new album, Solstice is built around the idea of turning towards the light. Why did the image of the solstice become the perfect metaphor for what you wanted to express?

Solstice, summer Solstice in particular, is the longest day of the year. It’s the day where there is the most light. The albums hidden meaning, would be mental health. And that light representing a light being at the end of the tunnel. With no matter whatever you are going through, things will be okay. And my goal for this album is that the music serves as a tool if you are ever going through a rough time. Music is a form of therapy for me.

You’ve said the record came from a deeply personal place. Was there a particular period in your life that shaped the emotional direction of the album?

Yes. I made the majority of the album when I was going through a prettty rough breakup from a long-term relationship. It was a very dark period of my life. So, for me, making music is my way of pouring my emotions out. So when you hear the album, you’re hearing my process of going through that rough time. Some were good, some were bad. But this album is my pure heart and soul being poured into music.

Themes of healing, grief, hope and resilience have always been present in your music, but Solstice feels especially vulnerable. Was it difficult to be so open with listeners?

I don’t think it was difficult. Along with the album, I actually started my first charity called “thrive together” which is a mental health focused charity. Like I said, sometimes when I’m the most vulnerable, is when I can be up making the best music. It’s a bit of a blessing, in a way.

Across 19 tracks, the album moves through a huge range of emotions. How did you ensure it still felt like a single, coherent journey from beginning to end?

I wanted the album to feel like a journey, so there are some songs that sometimes feel a little bit on the more upbeat side, where as some are a lot sadder. I felt that mixing up the vibe and genres in a particular way would create a unique listening experience.

Your music balances cinematic scale with intimate songwriting. How do you approach that balance in the studio?

Some of the songs were started from vocals that were already made by the vocalist. Those were the one where I built the song around the vocal. An example of that would be “Lifetime” w/ Amidy. Whereas some songs I was there during the writing process where I already had the instrumental made. An example of that would be “Wish You Well” with Linney.

You’ve become known for creating enormous melodic moments, but there is also an incredible amount of detail in your productions. How has your approach to sound design evolved since records such as Goodbye and Your Embrace first introduced people to your sound?

My sound evolved from a much more “chill” vibe to a bigger, wall of sound with my signature leads. But for this album, there were definitely some songs where I could take it a bit further. Like the second drop of “Firestorm”, the second drop of “All Gonna Change” where those drops were completely unique and had a sound hive never really done before. Also the drop for “For You” w/ Micah Martin was a nice twist on my sound. I definitely made sure to include a lot of new stuff that people haven’t particularly heard before from me.

You grew up surrounded by music and learned drums and piano at an early age. How much of that classical foundation still influences the way you write today?

Piano definitely helps a lot. It makes it very easy to have an idea in my head and convey it into the DAW very quickly. Once I have a nice chord progression, I’m usually able to make a melody I really like pretty quickly. The drums help as well too because I often drum my patterns in on my drum pad.

NURKO

Collaboration has clearly been a huge part of Solstice. With artists including Kiesza, iann dior, Micah Martin and Crystal Skies involved, what qualities were you looking for in the people you invited into this world?

All of them are amazing artists. Kiesza is on some of my favourite dance records so it was an honour to work with her. Iann Dior I’ve also been a fan for quite some time. Juice Wrld is one of my favourite artists and there are only a few that still capture that sound. Micah martins voice is just incredible and like no other so I love working with him! Crystal skies are incredibly talented melodic producers so it’s always a pleasure to work with them. The song process tends to go pretty quick because we both have such a similar vibe that the song just flows naturally.

Is there a particular collaboration on the album that surprised you or pushed you furthest outside your comfort zone?

“Missing Me Too” was definitely a tough one. It is definitely more on that dance pop side which I’m not 100% used to making. I definitely had to pull back production for that one trying to keep the minimal dance pop vibe intact.

Your partnership with ILLENIUM on Sideways became one of the defining records of your career and introduced your music to an even wider audience. Looking back, how important was that moment in shaping the path you’ve taken since then?

It was definitely an honour to work on that song. Not only is ILLENIUM an amazing human but also has been an inspiration to me when I started to make melodic music. Sideways was the perfect blend of our sounds combined. I’m pretty honoured that he still plays it all the time at his shows. It means a lot that it’s one of his more popular songs and did very well.

The emotional connection you have with your audience is remarkable, and you’ve spoken about receiving messages from people who found comfort in your music during difficult times. Have there been any stories that have stayed with you?

Yeah, the most frequent is that many people have said that my music has gotten them through extremely dark times. It means a lot to hear that. Some were very vulnerable so I don’t think they would want me sharing some, but one that sticks out is that it helped a fan go through a very rough divorce. She said it was her comfort music to process those times.

NURKO – Solstice

The launch of the Thrive Together initiative feels like a natural extension of everything your music represents. When did you first realise that you wanted to transform the emotional response to your work into something tangible and community-driven?

It was mainly because of how many people have told me how much their music had helped them during dark times. My fan base is already very community driven. For example, we make patches that people can trade for their jerseys, so I wanted to extend that community w little further!

Mental health can still be a difficult subject to discuss openly, particularly in an industry built around constant travel, performance and social media. What conversations do you hope Thrive Together can help encourage?

Mainly the stigma that mental health sometimes unfortunately carry. In much of society being “depressed” or “sad” is still almost looked at with the wrong lense. It should be looked at the same way as if you “had a cold” or “broke your arm” and ne needed to go to the doctor for that. There shouldn’t be any shame in things not being okay. And I hope the community can help turn that into things being okay, because they will be.

The album is arriving alongside an extensive new live show. How did the visual and theatrical side of the Solstice world develop?

Well, the theme for this live show is would definitely revolve around more of a space theme. Highlighting the aspects in space of the solstice. There will be a lot of tricks with the lights that emulate the solstice. My goal is to one day have my own festival called “Solstice” that would take place during the winter and summer solstice.

You’ve come a long way since uploading music to platforms such as Chill Nation and MrSuicideSheep more than a decade ago. Looking back, what would you tell that younger version of yourself?

I would say keep having fun. The music industry can become more and more demanding the more you grow and I would like to tell younger self. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. This will always be about having fun, and spreading your art.

Nurko – Solstice is out now. Grab it on Beatport HERE.

Read the full interview with Laura & Santiago on The Night Bazaar HERE.