Song You Need: Mike Nasty and Omari Clarke’s astral odyssey

Mike Nasty has been a central figure in New York City's dance music scene since 2017, hosting and spinning house music parties at every venue across the five boroughs. Following the success of his 2022 Deep Into The Sun, the artist is back with Journey from Memphis, an ode to his Tennessee hometown.

In his latest project, the producer injects his Memphis roots, a city known for its blend of soul, jazz, and hip-hop, into his distinctly smooth style of house music. "Journey," his collaboration with Brooklyn-based record producer Omari Clarke, is made up of lush grooves and stellar synths that transport you straight to the middle of a late '90s action film. "I remember looking at one of the rave scenes in the Blade film while it was on mute and I pulled up the TB-303 to start designing the acid bass you hear in the song," Mike Nasty explains. "After I got a groove going with 909 percussion, Omari played these lush chords with the Juno 106 and the rest of the creative process was magical. The song was finished that day. One take.”

The music video elaborates on a story that parallels Mike Nasty's own. Starring model and actress Peris Kagiri, the flick follows her own story of moving from Kenya to South Korea for her career.