Nicolay is the producer behind the soulful hip hop sound of Foreign Exchange.
'Time Line' was released just a couple of months ago and it's great to hear how Nicolay has progressed and is trying new things. This album features a more varied sound across different tracks.The stand out one has to be "The Lights"...
'Trouble is Real' is one for fans of people like Ray LaMontagne, R.E.M. etc.
It's easy going 'indie folk'. I like it because it's a got a good mix of sounds; plenty of acoustic moments with full strings contrasting with more uplifting numbers.As ever it's easier for you to listen than for me to describe...
The Foreign Exchange are a trans-atlantic collaboration between producer Nicolay & vocalist Phonte (Of little brother). They didn't actually meet until they started the tour for their ablum 'Connected' released way back in 2004.
'Connected' stands the test of time. Smooth beats and soulful sounds throughout - this is one for J Dilla fans.They are due to release a new album 'Leave It All Behind' some time this year. I Can't wait.Especially if there's more like this track 'Come around'...
Last year Panda Bear released 'Person Pitch', an album that received massive critical acclaim.
It will remind you of the Beach Boys but not because it's a rock album. The sound is all about clever sampling, loops and repetition. It's warm, hazy, haunting, spacey and experimental, yet impossible to truly describe.You will hear nothing else like it. It is genius.
The album starts soft and quiet with an acoustic track and is followed by a real mixture of sounds throughout. Great drums, percussion and broken beats feature heavily with dreamy vocals.It gets the balance between uplifting and chilled just right for me. The production is quality. This album has real rhythm and energy whilst remaining easy to listen to. The following video uses the track 'Brazil' for about the first 1 minute and a half.
I recently discovered an unreleased version of Pharrell's album 'In My Mind' called 'Out of my mind'. Pioneered by ?uestlove (the drummer for the roots), it has been re-written and performed whilst retaining Pharrell's originally recorded lyrics.
?uestlove has collaborated with people like Jill Scott producer Adam Blackstone and song writer and producer James Poyser. Poyser has written and produced for Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Common, The Roots, Musiq Soulchild, Talib Kweli etc!These guys are good! ?uestlove also happens to have filmed the making of this album and fired it all up onto youtube. It makes for great viewing watching these guys play live.My favourite video has to be Poyser and Blackstone jamming ideas for 'Take It Off'...
Who is he? He's a London based producer and he's just released his debut solo album 'New Territories' on Ubiquity (an excellent label I might add). His music crosses so many styles it's difficult to pigeon hole but it is smooth and it is... well. beautiful.He draws influences from broken beat, soul, hip hop, funk, jazz and combines it with immaculate production and real song writing.Think J Dilla, Sa Ra and friends.This is one for the purists. Don't miss it.
Released just this month, I was fortunate enough to be amongst the crowd that night back in November '07 and I am so glad they made a recording. It is simply amazing.Songs from their last album feature along side their classics to make up a great track-listing. Hearing it live allows you to discover them all over again.They don't just reel off them off how they were recorded in the studio. Whole new compositions, sounds and moods are introduced.The 24 piece Heritage Orchestra played along side the band members that evening and the atmosphere they add is unreal. It gives the music a whole new dimension.If you haven't spent time listening to the Cinematic Orchestra before and you are a fan of true music then you have just discovered one of the greatest bands ever.
Recently I discovered Joy Denalane - a solo female artist who sounds like what you might get if you combined the sounds of Jill Scott and Amy Winehouse.
Her album 'Born and Raised' is plenty soulful and really varied. The opener is an urban hip hop effort featuring Lupe Fiasco yet there are tracks with that 60's sound that were written well before Winehouse took it mainstream (The album was released in '06).Maybe this one just passed me by but I've never heard of her before and I have no idea why. It's an excellent album.
Ubiquity records artist Orgone recently released their first full length album 'The Killion Floor'.It's soulful and it's pure funk. With it's 60's sound it's going to get comparisons to Winehouse and Sharon Jones but i'd say it has a more disco vibe going on that gives it a unique sound.Well worth a listen.
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