Biography
Music is the universal language that comes in different forms, and for centuries has brought
people together from all walks of life. The producer's role is crucial in the creation of the music
process, with the responsibilities of building the foundation and direction of any masterpiece. In
this new age of the producer rising to the forefront, NICOLAY is making serious international
headway.
Born and raised in The Netherlands, Europe, NICOLAY's passion for music has dominated his
life for as long as he can remember. He was brought up with equal parts of Stevie Wonder and
Neil Young, and as a youth, most of his days were spent listening to whatever music he could get
his hands on. NICOLAY's early love for classical music drove him to seek a formal music
education. A true multi-instrumentalist, NICOLAY is proficient in playing piano and keyboards,
guitar, bass and drums. NICOLAY's diverse understanding of music led him to play in several
Hip-Hop and R&B bands, opening up for artists such as K-Ci & JoJo, Boyz II Men, MC Lyte and
many others.
After being a live musician and bandleader for nearly a decade, NICOLAY started producing in
2000, and shortly thereafter, came across Phonte Coleman of Little Brother through the
Okayplayer message boards. The two soon began trading tracks and rhymes back and forth over
instant messenger, which in turn created the b-side single for Little Brother's critically acclaimed
2003 album The Listening, called "Light It Up". At the time, neither of them suspected that they were
actually laying the foundation for what would become one of the most cohesive and innovative
albums of 2004. Together they called themselves The Foreign Exchange, and appropriately titled
the project Connected.
Since the August 2004 release of Connected, on BBE Records, NICOLAY has not rested. His
production talents have been requested by a slew of artists and record labels and he has received
accolades from the likes of Jazzy Jeff, ?uestlove (The Roots), 9th Wonder, Ali Shaheed
Muhammad, and The Beatminerz, to name a few. Along with Connected, NICOLAY now has two
other album releases that continue to tell the story of his universal gifts and abilities, while
allowing his music to speak for itself. NICOLAY's City Lights 1.5 was initially offered as a very
limited promotional CD on hiphopsite.com and NICOLAY's own website, nicolaymusic.com.
BBE Records was pressed to officially release the album as a result of an overwhelming demand
and the cult like status that City Lights attained. The album has been remastered and updated
with five bonus songs that display a glimpse of NICOLAY's forthcoming artist album to be
released in 2006. In May of 2005, Hard Boiled Records released NICOLAY's third full length
album, The Dutch Masters Vol. 1 Mixtape. Testing new personal achievements, NICOLAY put his
own spin on some great underground hip-hop and soul tracks, while polishing up his new found
skill, the art of DJing.
Have you ever experienced music that makes you say, "That's it!"? Or a song that harmonized
your life in one single solitary chorus? A song that takes you back to a time you wish would
never end? This is the story of NICOLAY, the producer, the musician, the artist, and the DJ. |
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Tour Dates
Sep 12 Anzu Lounge, Washington, DC
Sep 22 Bella Festa, Wilmington, NC
Oct 5 TBA, San Jose, CA
Oct 6 Poleng Lounge: FutureClassic, San Fran CA
Oct 7 Grand Star Jazz Club, 943 N. Broadway, LA CA
More shows TBA
Updates also at myspace.com/nicolay
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Press Quotes
“(…) either NICOLAY is a musical genius who simply understands the language of classic R&B
better than most stateside producers, or a Stax Records jetliner crashed in the Netherlands,
spilling thousands of LPs on his thatched abode when he was a toe-tapping toddler. (…) Dutch
wunderkind NICOLAYʹs arrangements drip with pathos and snap with authenticity.”
Pitchforkmedia.com
“Bubbling with soulful, mellow warmth, (…) Connected is both an exemplary program of
Soulquarian groovology and a rewarding conceptual piece of people getting along in the face of
adversity.”
XXL
“Imagine if Black Thought could sing like D’Angelo and did an album produced by Ali Shaheed
Muhammad and DJ Spinna. That’s the unlikely union that makes Foreign Exchanges Connected so
special.”
The Source
Through ethereal hip-hop soundscapes, Dutch producer NICOLAY boasts remarkably
impassioned beatwork. Little Brother's Phonte was among those enamored by his airy melodies
and they paired (as Foreign Exchange) for last year's Connected album, which nabbed oodles of
international props.”
URB’s Next 100
NICOLAY is one of the tightest, cleanest producers to ever drop a beat! He brings heat
constantly, doesnʹt stagger and has a unique ability of painting the most vivid pictures through
his songs! Check this out if you want some of the tightest beats youʹve ever heard!
Accesshiphop.com
“Heads who appreciate 9th Wonder’s soul-blessed production will have to make room in their
hearts for NICOLAY. (…) NICOLAY’s production transcends the trend of vintage soul looping
that has re-emerged since Kanye hit the scene, the beatmaker’s work displaying an innate
awareness of the musical intent the original artists he samples sought to convey with their
compositions. NICOLAY’s ability to translate the music into a Hip-Hop template and add his
own evocative elements elevate the album to a level of quality that scant few rap albums even
approach nowadays.”
Epinions.com
The Foreign Exchange - Connected was an Amazon.com Best of 2004 selection and was chosen
among the Gilles Peterson's Worldwide 2004 Awards Albums of the Year Winners. |
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