Oct 30, 2009
Oct 29, 2009
The track is originally off of Southbound’s 10 track EP, Seasons Change, which is out now on iTunes and I think it will also be featured on the upcoming LOEGz releases.
If you want to check out some more of Luxury Mindz’s video work, check out the videos he did for Pimpin Pen and Gerald G a while back and also check out the Luxury Mindz interview I did with OG last year. -- [ SOURCE ]
Sampler tracklist:
1. Splitting Image ft. Neenah
2. Imani
3. Re:born
4. Hello Karma ft. Phonte and Ayah
5. Let's Be Honest
6. Give Out, Give In
7. Life Line ft. One Be Lo
Oct 27, 2009
Oct 26, 2009
Mick Boogie / Peter Bjorn & John - Stay This Way (Remix) from Myk Dawg on Vimeo.
Oct 23, 2009
Oct 22, 2009
Shibuya - never heard of it, but it's kind of fun to say. A section of Tokyo as infamous for Gwen Stefani's Harajuku minstrels as its overcrowding, Nicolay draws a parallel vision that removes Japan from the outer space category it may hold in Western imagination and places it skillfully back on Earth. Nicolay captures the excitement of this faraway land like a child chasing a butterfly as it floats away on a gentle breeze. The sounds and moods Nicolay constructs from inspiration are at once mellow and erratic, raindrops and technological blips. Yet, no matter what town he decides to inhabit, the sound is vintage Nicolay, smooth, organic and experimental.0 Comments
The first suite of the album, "Shibuya Station" through "Satellite," immerses the listener in the environment of Shibuya ward, the hectic whirlwind of the train station, its busy intersections and rain falling in the park. The second suite takes you on a tour of ancient and modern day landmarks from "Meiji Shrine," a mystic instrumental reflecting the shrine dedicated to Tokyo's Emperor Meiji and his wife, to "Omotesando," a breezy track named after the ritzy shopping district. Throughout the journey, Shibuya is given the "New York, New York" treatment with the bombast of an electronic Broadway musical mixing with the whimsy of touching down in the big city for the first time. Along with Foreign Exchange band member Zo! on keys, Carlitta Durand's seductive vocals add perfect accents to the airy compositions.
Part video game, part jazz rock fantasyland, if Nicolay's sonic travelogue is to be believed, Shibuya is a land steeped in rich history as it seizes firm hold of an unbounded future. No matter where you are, the intricate layers of Shibuya transport you to another place.
- Candace L. -- [ SOURCE ]
Oct 21, 2009
A few months ago I was casually perusing my twitter feed when a few buzzwords flashed upon my screen: Prince, ?uestlove, Purple, to say the least I was intrigued. Upon further investigation I was pleasantly surprised to hear (and download for free on nicolaymusic.com) an incredible take on the Prince classic "Take Me With U". "Purple Flip" is a collaborative effort between the aforementioned ?uestlove, Nicolay, ZO!, Phonte and Carlitta Durand it was my first and brief introduction to The Foreign Exchange family. I filed a card in my mental rolodex and made sure to follow the tweeters in question. Fast Forward a few months and I have now added a new buzzword to my musical vocabulary: SHIBUYA.0 Comments
City Lights Vol. 2: SHIBUYA is the latest offering from Nicolay, the multi-instrumentalist/producer/DJ and one half of The Foreign Exchange with rapper/singer/songwriter Phonte. This marks the fourth solo outing for Nicolay and is the third recording in a series of projects (Time: Line and Leave It All Behind) influenced by his first visit to Tokyo in 2006.
In the truest sense of the word City Lights Vol. 2: SHIBUYA is a story. This recording, like all great stories, has a definite beginning, middle and end. SHIBUYA should be listened to in the same manner as we experience a great story: front to back, cover to cover and beginning to end. To experience it any other you may run the risk of missing the big picture, because SHIBUYA is much more than a series of instrumentals with a few vocals sprinkled in for good measure.
It is the musical equivalent of "I just returned from the most amazing place!" but instead of firing up powerpoint to tell us all about his trip, Nicolay gifts us with the sonic equivalent.
This homage to the fashion and nightlife center of Tokyo employs all the characteristics of classical program music, from the first note the listener is transported to the middle of this bustling metropolis. The set opens with "Lose Your Way" featuring Carlitta Durand with the lyric penned by Phonte. "Lose Your Way" gives the listener the feel of the push and pull of making your way through a crowd in a new place. Lots of rhythmic tension throughout with on the beat and off the beat obligato patterns. The track is topped off with Durand's smoky, airy vocals which are tailor made for the harmonic stacks produced. As the journey continues the lyrics and music invoke the mantra "fade away"the production here is inspired as we can hear and experience the sound of the traveler moving from the sound of the street to sterile controlled sound of the station.
Once we have arrived inside "Shibuya Station" we are greeted with a big sounding instrumental that sounds like it is telling us that "you need to get there(wherever there is?) by starting here." A constant left/right walking pattern gives us our pulse which is a pace as frantic as Shibuya Station itself. Nicolay employs handclaps which gives the impression of the clicking of heels hurriedly trying to make it through the station. The movement of the train in this track harkens back to the opening bars of the Ellington classic "Daybreak Express".
"Rain In Ueno Park" is another standout track. It is at once a mix of western sensibilities with eastern motifs. There is an unpredictable cadence of thunder, sprinkled with raindrops as the sun appears at the end. It is this fusion of traditional, and contemporary, east and west which is an overarching them throughout the project. It is this attention to detail and subtlety that delights and challenges the listener.
When we arrive at "Wake Up In Another Life" it feels that we have reached that point in the journey where we have a moment to reflect on the experience before we must return to our more familial home. It is both upbeat and pensive track and features great vocal work by Carlitta Durand and Victor St. Clair and a beautiful piano break from The Foreign Exchange live band member ZO!
The sound of SHIBUYA is one of a producer having the freedom to say and do what he feels musically and make absolutely no apologies for it. Nicolay within in the course of this project breaks with and expands on convention. The drums sounds are big but there's something else going on(expanding conventional drum sounds). That groove is so phat but there's something else going on(breaking with convention by using other time signatures than the ubiqutous 4/4). It is a freedom that is personal, a sound that is personal, and a story that is personal. Most importantly it is an experience that Nicolay has made personal for all of us by documenting it in this manner.
As rating systems go I'd like to throw my own idiosyncratic offering into the fray. I like to use what I call the bar system. 2bars= Don't even bother. 4bars= On the way but you haven't moved me fully yet. 8bars= Well worth the price of admission. 12bars= Why are you reading this when you should be purchasing and listening to this music right now.
Shibuya (City Lights Vol. 2) 12bars hands down. -- [ SOURCE ]
TR: Congratulations on the one year anniversary of ‘Leave It All Behind’. The baby is growing up!0 Comments
Nic: Thank you, I can’t believe it’s been a year already. It’s cool to see an album reach a milestone like 1 year and still have relevancy.
TR: Listening to Leave it All Behind makes me wish I could play the piano. How old were you when your first started playing the Keys?
Nic: I was around 5 or 6 years old. My grandparents had a small standing piano that was a toy to me at that point. I actually picked up guitar better at first then picked up the keys.
TR: Are there any instruments you haven’t learned yet that you would like to learn?
Nic: I’ve never tried any woodwind instruments like sax or trumpet. It’s very specialized and very difficult.
TR: Have you ever thought about what you would be doing if you weren’t doing music?
Nic: I would definitely be doing some visual and artistic. I love design, especially industrial and web design. I’d also be interested in doing physical packaging such as cd covers and their contents.
TR: What cities and countries are you anxious to perform in that you haven’t already?
Nic: Outside of my home which is Holland, our touring has mostly been in the States and Canada. We’ve probably gone to more cities than we initially foresaw due to the love we’ve received for our album. I’ve been to Japan and absolutely loved it but we haven’t performed there yet. I would like to see that happen very much.
TR: What’s something you can’t live without when you are on the road?
Nic: Snacks. The first thing that goes out of the window when you are on tour is food. And not having any food is a big problem; you can’t live on the road without snacks. And it doesn’t need to be unhealthy, you can have bars and fruit and things like that but you definitely have to have something. There isn’t much time to sit and eat meals. You have to be at the airport, or to sound check, or to a performance and you are expected to be there at that time and you don’t have time to eat. But seeing the fans make it all worthwhile in the end.
TR: Speaking of the fans I’m always amazed by the motley crew mixture of fans that are at your shows. It’s quite an interesting mixture.
Nic: As a group, we love the diversity of our fans and have always sought to promote the togetherness of the people. At our shows you see a lot of women, but you also see a lot of men. You see a lot of African Americans but you see a lot of other types of people. We love that about our fans.
TR: What are some of your favorite cities or venues to play in?
Nic: I enjoyed the LA show at the Roxy very much. It has such a long rich history of music. So many artists from Prince to Guns & Roses have performed there and it’s an honor to play where the legends have left their footsteps. Other places I’ve enjoyed are Toronto, we get a lot of love there, DC, Baltimore, Chicago, and Atlanta gives a lot of love.
TR: Have any of the fans ever been particularly wild at your shows?
Nic: Not really. Our fans don’t really get wild unless we instigate it. Our fans tend to be pretty mature. The wildest thing we’ve ever seen is a promoter getting robbed but other than that nothing too major. Our fans are there for the music and that’s what it’s really about. I don’t think they particularly care about our wardrobe or anything like that.
TR: Speaking of the fans being instigated, at the Roxy show the “36 C’s on the stage” impromptu song killed me.
Nic: Yeah! That’s about as wild as it gets at our shows. Darien had that lady throwing her bra on stage.
TR: That boy can sang!
Nic: Yes he can, what’s really funny about that story is, afterwards the lady asked for her bra back. I figure, if you are going to throw your bra on stage, make sure it’s a nice one or it’s one you don’t mind parting with so you can save yourself the embarrassment of having to ask for it back later.
TR: I know you have some shows coming up soon in the DMV area, is FE done touring for this year or do you have more dates lined up?
Nic: We have 3 shows coming up, one in Baltimore, One in NYC at BB Kings, and DC at the Black Cat. After that we are done for the rest of year in terms of playing “our” shows. We are appearing at a special engagement with a group called Love Language.
TR: So tell me about Shibuya, it’s been released here in the US has it been released in other countries yet, specifically Japan?
Nic: Shibuya was released 2 weeks ago in Japan and the people have been really excited about it. In essence, the album is dedicated to them. I love Japan very much. The songs are named after areas that were very meaningful and I hope they get a sense of enjoyment from listening to it.
TR: Can you speak Japanese?
Nic: Actually I don’t, but my wife speaks it fairly well.
TR: The extent of mine is domo arrigato, but I can’t remember if that’s thank you or what is your name.
Nic: Hey that sounds better than mine.
TR: How are the fans in Shibuya receiving your release? Plans to tour there?
Nic: I would love to. That is actually one of my dream projects and I’m trying to accomplish that now. I would like to play the entire album in setting where people can sit and enjoy it.
TR: I bet Carlitta would love that.
Nic: I’m sure she would be very down to do it too. There are pros and cons, like an 18 hour flight but once it’s over it’s worth it.
TR: How many arrangements did you compose before deciding on the final set of songs for Shibuya?
Nic: The tracks on the album are all the pieces that were created for the album. The Japanese version of the album has one extra track but everything I created for this album is on there. It’s a hybrid of complicated electronic pieces plus the pieces with Carlitta provide the soulful elements to the project.
TR: Our site has provided product links to purchase the album through Amazon.com. I’ve been reading about the battle of Amazon vs. iTunes and the difference in pricing.
Nic: It’s not like we are stock holders in Amazon or anything like that we just knew they were another place to sell our music. I believe the creator of the music should be able to decide how the content is presented. We pride ourselves on fair pricing for our fans, and we felt it was unfair to charge them $6.00 more for an album. We know iTunes does quite well with selling TV shows and things like that online, but music is just as important to their earnings. Also, Amazon files are of better quality than iTunes.
TR: Under your newly formed label, which artists already have green lighted projects? What’s coming up next for Nicolay Music? Will there be another Nicolay and Kay album?
Nic: There will definitely be another Nicolay and Kay album. I’m not sure when however. We’ve worked on a few things but we have to coordinate scheduling. Phonte has a solo album coming out, our first project out will be Zo’s project.
TR: It’s called “Just Visiting” correct?
Nic: Yes, that is him doing covers, however his “proper album” that’s what we call it; his great magnum opus is called “Sunstorm.” Carlitta also has an album coming out as well.
TR: Is there a title?
Nic: I don’t think there is, or she told me and it’s escaping me right now. She is still working on it right now. I did a song with Carlitta and Jesse Boykins that is really excellent. I call her the “major label” voice.
TR: She has a wonderful ethereal quality to her voice
Nic: It’s very light and pure and adds the “ching” to the record.
TR: I see my time is running out, I thank you so much for talking with me today. I am a huge fan of yours; please keep putting out good music.
Nic: Thank you for the support, I appreciate it. -- [ SOURCE ]
Oct 20, 2009
Oct 19, 2009
Oct 16, 2009
Oct 15, 2009
Ever since putting out the Diary Volume 1.5 remix tape earlier this year, I’ve been wanting to do another remix tape with a more current feel. Whilst there’s been something of a trend for producers remixing entire albums in the past few years, the truth is that there’s a very small number of modern hip hop acts who’ve genuinely inspired me, let alone ones that have published acapella albums. Little Brother, on the other hand, impress me consistently and are one of the few contemporary hip hop acts who I always check for. So I gathered together the limited acapellas that I have obtained over the years and used them (along with a few instrumental skits) to produce this 9 track remix EP. Much like Diary Volume 1.5, I’ve tried to keep the style of beats appropriate to the age the original tracks, although it’s all post-2003 material so in truth anything goes. The more recent tracks are a pretty accurate reflection of where my beat making sits right now.”
“I think it’s probably pretty clear from what I’ve said already, but for the avoidance of doubt, I should probably add that this is not an official Little Brother mixtape or release. It was born simply out of my search for some quality vocals to put together a coherent sounding EP and perhaps more importantly my being a fan of Little Brother. I sincerely hope it’s received that way. Anyway, enough from me – I hope you enjoy the show!”
-Chris Read -- [ SOURCE ]
Oct 14, 2009
Oct 13, 2009
We’ve all had those days. Usually falling on a lazy weekend or possibly a lacklustre holiday. When you’ll be hitting a club later on but until then your schedule is distinctly on the baren side. Either the rain is too fierce or the heat is too intense for any reasonable shopping journey to be worth the effort. Grabbing a bite would be an obvious choice, if last nights self catered extravaganza hadn’t rendered the fridge an empty vessel.0 Comments
Preview: Nicolay – Lose Your Way
Daytime TV (as usual) plays its hand of predictability. While mainstream radio follows the same path once those 20 tracks begin their recycling phase. You try to find a classic to help pass the time but even Illmatic doesn’t quite cut it because this day, doesn’t feel like a Hip Hop day. So.. Shibuya.
Proof that Nicolay, truly is a beatsmith who can fill many voids. A Jack of all trades who for once can profess to be a master of all of them. 99% of Instrumental albums, whatever the genre, are simply a collection of beats that may or may not have been picked up by one artist or another if their producer had so chosen. Volume 1.5, as good as it is, falls under this beat collection mantra thanks to its Hip Hop backbone. Shibuya is one of the few that are created with a purpose from the outset. The key to this albums appeal is its constantly changing landscape. There’s a hint of everything from Electro to Nu Jazz and almost everything in between.
The varying of sounds is superb and, as with Time:Line, each track always acts as a precursor for the next. Thus the smooth transition between each make it a lot harder to press the pause button. The vocal tracks are also well placed and serve not to alienate the Leave It All Behind newbies to the Nicolay experence. A far more adventurous outing than it’s predecessor, Volume 2 is a testament to the man who created it.-- [ SOURCE ]
Oct 9, 2009
Oct 8, 2009
Dear Editor,
I recently read the legendary Gladys Knight’s comments about Hip-Hop and the culture thereof as it pertains to hindering the growth of black music. In a lot of ways, present day black music in a general sense is in a very bad state. From Hip-Hop to the level of R&B and Soul or the lack of in mainstream media, we are seemingly suffering across the board. However, my concerns are focused on the comments about Hip-Hop.
Once AGAIN, the attempt to separate the generations amongst us as black Americans is having much success. In dealing with the older generation of our people, our elders refuse to see or seek the GOOD facets of Hip-Hop, or even the cultural aspects of Hip-Hop when it comes to improvisation, creativity, research, and skill. The fact that TRUE Hip-Hoppers respect, glorify, and honor the great ones who came before us in our records, and the use of what we call “samples” speaks volumes. A lot of musicians I’ve spoken with such as Michael Henderson, Gamble and Huff, Robert Allred from the Dynamic Five, and Leon Sylvers understand the BRIDGE we are building between generations. The reason I now listen to Bobby Bland, Mandrill, Billy Paul, The Dells, The Drells, Choice Four, The Undisputed Truth and countless other 60’s and 70’s greats, and why my 60 yr old brothers and sisters listen to it have two totally different paths.
Looking at my life as a 34 year-old and being from the South, my parents believed that anything outside of James Cleveland was secular. So an abundance of 70’s soul, even Gladys Knight and the Pips, was not played in my house. Hip-Hop was the way that I found all of these artists, traveling the world and collecting records. I learned my history of black music through a vessel that a lot of my elders see as vulgar and offensive in a GENERAL sense. Hip-Hop was not always that way. In 1976, Afrika Bambaataa started the Universal Zulu Nation in the Bronx, New York, to give a creative outlet to rival gangs. However, today our law enforcement believes that hip-hop incites gang violence.
It was because of artists like Public Enemy, KRS-One, Brand Nubian, and A Tribe Called Quest that I heard names such as Carter G. Woodson, Medgar Evers, Steve Biko, Kwame Toure’, Marcus Garvey, Fannie Lou Hamer, Shirley Chisholm, or ANYBODY outside of Martin Luther King and Harriet Tubman in public schools. These artists spoke about our elders in song, whether using the funk and soul records, or telling stories and mentioning names. From 1988 to 1993, black teens’ enrollment in college, especially HBCUs, rose to 45% because of the nature of the arts; from the African Medallions, to the Malcolm X t-shirts, the African-American College Alliance shirts Martin Lawrence wore on Def Comedy Jam, to School Daze, to the most powerful hour in black TV, The Cosby Show and A Different World. “Droppin’ Knowledge” if you will was made to be a “cool” or “in-crowd” thing. Unfortunately, the powers that be were against Hip-Hop being used as a NEW vessel to open the eyes of black kids and remind them to honor the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s. It is very odd that around the same time, a more negative form of hip-hop was being PUSHED to the forefront, so our elders could turn their heads away from what we were REALLY trying to say, and divide us as ALWAYS.
Our elders turned away from our younger generation, which resulted in a lack of understanding of the TRUE essence of the Hip Hop art form. Subsequently, this led to resentment amongst the younger generation. The younger generation speaks- if there is no patience to understand our voice, then why should we try to learn where we came from? This only widens the divide.
HOWEVER, the true essence of what hip-hop was built on was and STILL is the tie that binds. We must learn and understand that the true version of ANY art form is not and will NEVER BE displayed in the mass media. As a result, it will stay “underground,” or stolen from us. Do we actually believe that those same powers that control radio stations want our children educated through an emcee or an R&B singer who could inspire social change amongst the youth?
Do we actually think that those powers want the two, now three generations to be united and have a full understanding of each other’s side of the story? I agree that YES the present state of hip-hop on THESE SAME AIRWAYS are less desirable; the same way the blacks who survived the Ragtime, Great Depression and Big Band Jazz looked down upon the black exploitation films of the 70’s, your Fred Williamson movies, Ohio Players Album Covers, or the language on Millie Jackson records.
Let’s pray that my generation loses the feeling of resentment, and at the same time, my elders take the time and patience to seek the GOOD messages and highlight the BEAUTIFUL things about Hip-Hop that mass media WILL NOT show you. Otherwise, we as a race will always be divided, and once again, they will have succeeded in their mission.
Here is a verse from the Hip-Hop song entitled “You Must Learn” as performed by Boogie Down Productions (KRS-One), from the album “The BluePrint” released in 1989. This verse was one of the key reasons why I went to college:
“I believe that if you’re teaching history
Filled with straight-up facts, no mystery
Teach the student what needs to be taught
‘Cause black and white kids both take shots
When one doesn’t know about the other one’s culture
Ignorance swoops down like a vulture
‘Cause you don’t know that you ain’t just a janitor
No one told you about Benjamin Banneker
A brilliant black man that invented the almanac
Can’t you see where KRS is coming at
With Eli Whitney, Haile Selassie
Grandville Woods made the walkie-talkie
Lewis Latterman improved on Edison
Charles Drew did a lot for medicine
Garrett Morgan made the traffic lights
Harriet Tubman freed the slaves at night
Madame CJ Walker made a straightenin’ comb
But you won’t know this if you weren’t shown
The point I’m gettin’ at, it might be harsh
‘Cause we’re just walkin’ around brainwashed
So what I’m sayin’ is not to diss a man
We need the 89 school system
One that caters to a black return
Because you must learn.”
Today, ANY type of revolution, even in SONG…will never by televised…..
Peace, Love, Soul, and Hip-Hop,
Professor Patrick Douthit, aka 9th Wonder
Grammy Award Winning Producer/DJ/Lecturer
National Ambassador for Hip-Hop Relations and Popular Culture-NAACP -- [ SOURCE ]
Oct 7, 2009
Oct 6, 2009
Oct 5, 2009
Oct 2, 2009
1. Re:Born
2. Reality Check
3. Stars (feat. John Robinson)
4. Splitting Image (feat. Neenah)
5. Imani
6. Hello Karma (feat. Phonte and Ayah)
7. No Substitute
8. Let's Be Honest
9. Don't Forget (feat. Tiffany Paige)
10. Do What It Takes (feat. Buff 1)
11. Nobody's Fool (feat. Tenille)
12. Give Out, Give In
13. Life Line (feat. One Be Lo)
14. MK Ultra (feat. Baba Zumbi of Zion I)
15. Forever Fresh -- [ SOURCE ]
Oct 1, 2009
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