US-based artist Nomad In The Dark, known off-stage as Ephraim, makes a striking return with his first original release in six years: the ‘Chromatic’ EP, out now via Friday Island. Known for his moody, progressive productions and unofficial bootlegs crafted for his DJ sets, Ephraim takes a bold step back into original composition with two contrasting tracks. The release is supported by remixes from Gowzer and The Running Man.
Photo credit: Nomad In The Dark – Official
With Friday Island—Ben Edwards’ new label rooted in early 2000s progressive house aesthetics—providing a fresh home, Ephraim reconnects with his creative instincts. The result is a two-track journey that moves from the atmospheric tones of ‘Magenta 1’ to the club-ready energy of ‘Sienna 23’, capturing both the introspective and the driving ends of his sonic palette.
In this conversation, Nomad In The Dark opens up about his hiatus, the concept behind ‘Chromatic’, and how evolving attention spans are reshaping production and performance.
EG: Hi, Ephraim! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been?
Nomad In The Dark: The pleasure is mine. I’m doing well. Thank you.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of your new EP, ‘Chromatic’! You must be stoked to have this one out and about. What has the initial reception been like so far?
Nomad In The Dark: Thank you. I’m very pleased with the initial reception on this one. I’ve gotten some very kind words from the likes of Hernan Cattaneo, Alex Neri, Glen Morrison, Atish and the feedback from others has been immense.
EG: What are some of your thoughts now that it’s out? We know that it’s been quite a while in terms of original releases.
Nomad In The Dark: It feels really nice to have original music out again and this new label, Friday Island, run by Ben Edwards, feels like family. Ben has been super supportive in getting the music and the word out for it and I feel very happy about stepping out like this again.
EG: We know that your remix work has continued, as have the bootlegs… but originals stopped right before the pandemic. Why did you decide to take this “hiatus”?
Nomad In The Dark: It was less of a decision and more of just life happening. I’ve got a full-time job, a family, etc. Since the last original years ago, I continued to do DJ gigs and remix requests kept coming, but I didn’t get around to focusing on original tracks. The “unofficial” bootlegs are usually for my personal use in DJ sets. That usually comes from hearing a track that I would like to be able to play out in a DJ set but doesn’t seem to fit. So it was not a formal decision to not make originals, I just didn’t get around to.
“It’s a very different world out there now especially with AI creeping into everything we do”
EG: So, why did you choose to “return” with ‘Chromatic’? What can your fans expect to find on this one?
Nomad In The Dark: I wanted to present two varied tracks, one deeper and one more peak time. ‘Magenta 1’ is the deeper one for the beginning of the night and channels the deeper sides of what Nick Warren and Hernan Cattaneo play with chunkier beats and ethereal pads. ‘Sienna 23’ is the peak time track and draws influences from sounds of 90’s Spooky/Charlie May/Duncan Forbes records.
The remixes on ‘Chromatic’ are provided by Gowzer and the Running Man. Gowzer is killing it right now and his rhythm heavy remix has a driving tribal house feeling to it. The Running Man’s remix is an immaculate breakbeat track that I absolutely love.
EG: In which ways have you changed/evolved as a producer since your last original?
Nomad In The Dark: Other than growing older, I’ve been focusing on getting to the point of the track faster. I used to make tracks that were eight-plus minutes long, but that doesn’t work these days. The last original ‘Hiding Place’ was very influenced by my South Asian roots and featured a lot of instrumentation and samples from that region. ‘Chromatic’ is different in that the tracks focus on exploring the sounds of 90’s progressive house and trance.
EG: And what would you like for listeners to take away from ‘Chromatic’? Outside of the club, what would be the ideal setting to listen to this one?
Nomad In The Dark: My goal with all my music is to provide an experience that moves a person from their current mental state to a little moment of tranquility, even if it’s only for a few minutes. This is how I always make tracks for myself. If the music can do that for the listener on the dancefloor, or the car, or on a jog, then I’ve done my job.
EG: You’ve been at this since 1997…given your experience, what are some of the biggest challenges artists will face in the coming years?
Nomad In The Dark: Lol, I feel like a dinosaur answering this question. The challenge has been to get people interested and involved as attention spans get shorter and shorter. It’s a very different world out there now especially with AI creeping into everything we do. I think as long as we treat it as a tool to enhance our creative output musically, it should open up a whole realm of possibilities much like synths and drum machines did for electronic music decades ago. As far as marketing yourself, I don’t have much of a clue in the age of TikTok.
“My goal with all my music is to provide an experience that moves a person from their current mental state to a little moment of tranquility, even if it’s only for a few minutes”
EG: What’s next for Nomad In The Dark? What milestones are you looking forward to now? Where can your fans catch you next?
Nomad In The Dark: I have a lot more tracks that I’ve completed and would love to put out soon. I also have a side project called The Antelope that I use for my experimental stuff and I hope to make some more music in that vein as well. As far as gigs go, myself and two other DJs – Robert Johnson and Lucas Ledford – play as In Plain Sight around the southeastern United States. We have also kept a monthly night going in the Asheville NC area for more than 15 years, you can always catch me here. I play out solo as well.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Ephraim! We wish you all the best in the future. Take care!
Nomad In The Dark: Thank you so much. Always been a fan of EG and I really appreciate you having me.
Nomad In The Dark’s ‘Chromatic’ is out now on Friday Island. Stream and download here.
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