Nicole Willis
Encyclopedia
Nicole Willis is an American singer/songwriter and painter
. Willis lives and works in Helsinki, Finland.
while working at night clubs Berlin and Danceteria
. She then toured with The The
as a back up and lead vocalist in 1989. Nicole Willis was the lead vocalist of the nu-soul group Repercussions. Singles and albums were released on Mo' Wax
, Reprise/Warner Brothers USA, Pony Canyon Japan. Producers of those records include Nicole Willis, Gary Katz
, Daniel Wyatt, Genji Siraisi, and Gordon Clay. The single Promise Me Nothing from the debut album of Repercussions LP Earth and Heaven, peaked at number 6 in the Hot Dance Music, Club Play chart of Billboard magazine on 18 March 1995. The single "Promise Me Nothing" also reached No. 1 pop radio hit in Japan, certified Japanese Gold Record Award. Together with the legendary Curtis Mayfield
, the band recorded a version of Mayfield's "Let's Do It Again" in which Willis sings a duet with Curtis Mayfield in 1994 released on Reprise/Warner Brothers Records.
Willis has collaborated with Leftfield
singing and writing lead vocals for "Swords" on the Rhythm and Stealth
LP in 1999 on Hard Hands/Higher Ground/Sony BMG Records, which was also featured on the soundtrack for the film Go
released 1999. The LP Rhythm and Stealth received a Platinum Sales Award in the United Kingdom. Willis has sang lead vocals to the track Call Of The Wild on the Jimi Tenor
album Out Of Nowhere in 2000 on Warp Records. Willis collaborated with Nuspirit Helsinki, with writing and vocal on the track Honest from the self titled album Nuspirit Helsinki released 2002 on Guidance Recordings. Willis also wrote and sang vocals on the track Are You Ready To Party? with Mr Comicstore in 2006 on Mamushi Records. Willis has contributed lead vocals to the Shawn Lee
track Jigsaw featured on the album Soul In The Hole released in 2009 on Ubiquity Records. She has also sung vocals on the track A Little Bit Of Soap on the new album from Pizzicato Five's Yasuharu Konishi solo project titled Pizzicato One. The album titled One And Ten Very Sad Songs is set for release on May 25th 2011 on Universal Music in Japan.
Willis graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from her studies at Lahti Institute of Fine Arts, Lahti University of Applied Sciences with professor Markus Heikkerö in Finland, and Erasmus studies at Sir John Cass Department of Art, London Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, in 2009. Willis' concentration in her studies were oil painting, time-based media and performance. Willis collaborated with artist Sophie Calle
for her installation Take Care Of Yourself with a performance in time-based media in 2007, which exhibited at the French Pavilion of the Venice Biennale
in 2007. Willis also contributed vocals to time-based media performance Rinologia of Barcelona based artist group Los Rinos whom are artists Marcel.lí Antúnez, Pau Nubiola and film director, Sergio Caballero. Rinologia was performed at the BEM Fesival in Burgos, Spain in March 2007.
On Sähko/Puu Recordings, Willis released her first solo albums Soul Makeover 2000 and Be It 2003. On those solo records Willis collaborated with producers and song writers such as Dharma One, Ercola, Nuspirit Helsinki, Jimi Tenor and Maurice Fulton. Willis and Tenor remixed Op*l Bastards single Funking in 2001 on Form and Function Records. In 2005 Willis collaborated with the Soul Investigators and released Keep Reachin Up
on Helsinki’s Timmion Records, produced by Didier Selin. The LP Keep Reachin' Up was critically acclaimed and sold over 30,000 records world wide. The album has been since released in the United Kingdom on Above The Clouds Records, France, Benelux, Denmark, Spain and Italy on Differ-ant, USA and Canada on Light In The Attic Records. Their song "Feeling Free" was chosen 2006 Worldwide Winner on the Gilles Peterson
's BBC
show.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. Willis lives and works in Helsinki, Finland.
Biography
Willis contributed vocals in London, United Kingdom in 1985 with Washington Week In Review. Prior to that she was a member of The Hello Strangers and Blue Period with performances at Munson Diner and Danceteria's No Entiendes, based in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
while working at night clubs Berlin and Danceteria
Danceteria
Danceteria was a well-known four-floor nightclub located in New York City which operated from 1980 until 1986 and in the Hamptons until 1995. Throughout its history, the club had seven different locations, three in NYC and four in the Hamptons...
. She then toured with The The
The The
The The are an English musical and multimedia group that have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member.-Early years :...
as a back up and lead vocalist in 1989. Nicole Willis was the lead vocalist of the nu-soul group Repercussions. Singles and albums were released on Mo' Wax
Mo' Wax
Mo' Wax was a UK-based record label owned by James Lavelle, who founded it in the early 1990s with Tim Goldsworthy. Steve Finan became co-owner shortly after. The label came to recognition for being at the forefront of trip hop, turntablism and alternative rap during the mid-90s...
, Reprise/Warner Brothers USA, Pony Canyon Japan. Producers of those records include Nicole Willis, Gary Katz
Gary Katz
Gary Katz is an American music producer, best known for his work with Steely Dan.-Steely Dan:Katz is most famous for his work as a producer on every Steely Dan album recorded during the first run of their career, from Can't Buy A Thrill in 1972 to Gaucho in 1980, as well as the Donald Fagen solo...
, Daniel Wyatt, Genji Siraisi, and Gordon Clay. The single Promise Me Nothing from the debut album of Repercussions LP Earth and Heaven, peaked at number 6 in the Hot Dance Music, Club Play chart of Billboard magazine on 18 March 1995. The single "Promise Me Nothing" also reached No. 1 pop radio hit in Japan, certified Japanese Gold Record Award. Together with the legendary Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
, the band recorded a version of Mayfield's "Let's Do It Again" in which Willis sings a duet with Curtis Mayfield in 1994 released on Reprise/Warner Brothers Records.
Willis has collaborated with Leftfield
Leftfield
Leftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England...
singing and writing lead vocals for "Swords" on the Rhythm and Stealth
Rhythm and Stealth
Rhythm and Stealth is an album by Leftfield released on 20 September 1999. It was the follow-up to 1995's Leftism. The album reached #1 in the UK album chart...
LP in 1999 on Hard Hands/Higher Ground/Sony BMG Records, which was also featured on the soundtrack for the film Go
Go (1999 film)
Go is a 1999 comedy thriller film written by John August and directed by Doug Liman, with three intertwining plots that happen to involve one drug deal. The film stars William Fichtner, Katie Holmes, Jay Mohr, Sarah Polley and Scott Wolf and features Taye Diggs, Breckin Meyer, Timothy Olyphant,...
released 1999. The LP Rhythm and Stealth received a Platinum Sales Award in the United Kingdom. Willis has sang lead vocals to the track Call Of The Wild on the Jimi Tenor
Jimi Tenor
Jimi Tenor is a Finnish musician. His name is a combination of the first name of his youth idol Jimmy Osmond and the tenor saxophone. His band Jimi Tenor & His Shamans published its first album in 1988, Jimi's first solo album appeared in 1994. "Take Me Baby" became his first hit in 1994...
album Out Of Nowhere in 2000 on Warp Records. Willis collaborated with Nuspirit Helsinki, with writing and vocal on the track Honest from the self titled album Nuspirit Helsinki released 2002 on Guidance Recordings. Willis also wrote and sang vocals on the track Are You Ready To Party? with Mr Comicstore in 2006 on Mamushi Records. Willis has contributed lead vocals to the Shawn Lee
Shawn Lee
Shawn Lee , born Lee Chuang Rui, is a Singaporean actor. He first came into prominence for his award-winning performance alongside his friend and co-star Joshua Ang in the box office hit I Not Stupid.-Background and career:...
track Jigsaw featured on the album Soul In The Hole released in 2009 on Ubiquity Records. She has also sung vocals on the track A Little Bit Of Soap on the new album from Pizzicato Five's Yasuharu Konishi solo project titled Pizzicato One. The album titled One And Ten Very Sad Songs is set for release on May 25th 2011 on Universal Music in Japan.
Willis graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from her studies at Lahti Institute of Fine Arts, Lahti University of Applied Sciences with professor Markus Heikkerö in Finland, and Erasmus studies at Sir John Cass Department of Art, London Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, in 2009. Willis' concentration in her studies were oil painting, time-based media and performance. Willis collaborated with artist Sophie Calle
Sophie Calle
Sophie Calle is a French writer, photographer, installation artist, and conceptual artist. Calle's work is distinguished by its use of arbitrary sets of constraints, and evokes the French literary movement of the 1960s known as Oulipo. Her work frequently depicts human vulnerability, and examines...
for her installation Take Care Of Yourself with a performance in time-based media in 2007, which exhibited at the French Pavilion of the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
in 2007. Willis also contributed vocals to time-based media performance Rinologia of Barcelona based artist group Los Rinos whom are artists Marcel.lí Antúnez, Pau Nubiola and film director, Sergio Caballero. Rinologia was performed at the BEM Fesival in Burgos, Spain in March 2007.
On Sähko/Puu Recordings, Willis released her first solo albums Soul Makeover 2000 and Be It 2003. On those solo records Willis collaborated with producers and song writers such as Dharma One, Ercola, Nuspirit Helsinki, Jimi Tenor and Maurice Fulton. Willis and Tenor remixed Op*l Bastards single Funking in 2001 on Form and Function Records. In 2005 Willis collaborated with the Soul Investigators and released Keep Reachin Up
Keep Reachin Up
Keep Reachin Up is a studio album by soul recording act Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators, released on Timmion Records in 2005. The music is by Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators and the record is produced by producer Didier Selin...
on Helsinki’s Timmion Records, produced by Didier Selin. The LP Keep Reachin' Up was critically acclaimed and sold over 30,000 records world wide. The album has been since released in the United Kingdom on Above The Clouds Records, France, Benelux, Denmark, Spain and Italy on Differ-ant, USA and Canada on Light In The Attic Records. Their song "Feeling Free" was chosen 2006 Worldwide Winner on the Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson , is a DJ, record collector and record label owner from London, UK. Through his labels Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, and latterly Brownswood Recordings, he has been associated with the careers of well-known artists of the 1990s such as Erykah Badu, Roni Size and Jamiroquai...
's BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show.
Discography
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Earth and Heaven, Repercussions |
| 1997 | Charmed Life, Repercussions |
| 2000 | Soul Makeover |
| 2003 | Be It |
| 2005 | Keep Reachin Up Keep Reachin Up Keep Reachin Up is a studio album by soul recording act Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators, released on Timmion Records in 2005. The music is by Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators and the record is produced by producer Didier Selin... , with the Soul Investigators |