Norvis Junior

Norvis Junior’s music defies traditional genres. So he created his own – “Space Gospel” – a category that, according to Wax Poetics, accurately reflects the way in which his music “stretches the boundaries of rhythm.”

His sound is a natural evolution from his early days of performing in church choirs and receiving formal training in vocal performance as a student at Booker T. Washington High School, in Dallas, Texas, also Erykah Badu’s alma mater. He had the fortune of being raised around musicians, often functioning as an auxiliary “roadie” from the age of 5.

Norvis Junior’s music is fearless. It combines the courageous cacophony of early acid Jazz with remnants of RnB and of course… Funk. At times it can be bass heavy evoking southern hip hop styles, layered with unexpected West African drumming, artful sonic play via synthesizer, and piano chords. At other times it can be minimal, direct, purposeful. On his most recent worldwide release, “Pyrrhic Victory Disc 03 (Dist. Tape Club Records),” his voice, a rich baritone with a velvety texture that evokes comparisons to Nina Simone, delivers unexpected sonic momentum, especially when he waxes poetic in falsetto. But beyond the sound, the message is clear: Norvis Junior has mastered his truth. As a songwriter, composer and producer, this concept is ever-present.