| Join our newsletter |
| Translate this page |
| Popular |
| Comments |
| Archives |
| Music : Albums | Subscribe to our RSS feed | Friday March 12, 2010 |
< PREVIOUS ENTRY |
NEXT ENTRY > |
City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya
Posted by nicolaymusic on July 20, 2009 at 9:25 PM | Comments
Artist
Nicolay
Title
City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya
Release date
September 15, 2009
Label
The Foreign Exchange Music
Format
MP3
CD
Listen now on Last.fm!
Buy now:
MP3
Amazon
Rhapsody Juno Download
CD
Amazon
Nicolay Music |
Shibuya is the new project from the creative mind of NICOLAY, better known as one half of THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE. The group (which includes rapper/singer Phonte) and their sophomore album Leave It All Behind (TFE/Hard Boiled; Oct. 2008), continues to gain momentum as the duo and their extended family of singers and musicians are currently touring the United States and Canada. Nicolay and Phonte's countless performances together have added a new level of sophistication to their musical output, resulting in what they consider to be one of their most ambitious projects yet.
The idea for Shibuya, the second installment in Nicolay's City Lights series, was conceived after Nicolay's first visit to Tokyo in November 2006. The experience proved to be life changing for Nicolay, who has studied Japanese culture for most of his adult life. "This amazing place and all of its sounds and colors immediately filled up my senses," he says. "I felt reinvigorated." Once back home, he started to write and record music with a new-found sense of freedom, laying the groundwork for the albums Time:Line and Leave It All Behind as well a third album; a deeply personal homage to the Tokyo district of Shibuya that illustrates both the grandeur of Japan's age-old heritage ("Meiji Shrine, "Rain In Ueno Park", "The Inner Garden") as well as the hectic city life of one of the world's busiest metropolitan areas ("Crossing", "Satellite", "Bullet Train"). Where City Lights Volume 1 was primarily instrumental, on Shibuya the instrumental pieces are book-ended by several vocal songs written by Phonte and performed by Durham, North Carolina vocalist CARLITTA DURAND, who previously collaborated with Phonte on LITTLE BROTHER's Getback album (ABB 2007). Also appearing is Foreign Exchange liveband-mate ZO!, who adds his virtuoso keyboard solos to two songs. "It truly is like stepping into a different world", says Nicolay about his trip to the city. "What fascinated me most about Shibuya was the co-existence of 'old' and 'new' in seemingly perfect harmony. The most advanced technologies and innovations exist next to traditions that are rooted in thousands of years of civilization." The album's musical foundation mirrors this hybrid of different ages, combining influences from '70s jazz, rock and fusion with broken beat, downtempo and electronica to form the lush, genre-bending sound that has become Nicolay's trademark. Tracklisting
01 Lose Your Way feat. Carlitta Durand
Reviews (20)
 02 Shibuya Station 03 Crossing 04 Rain In Ueno Park 05 Satelitte 06 Saturday Night feat. Carlitta Durand 07 A Ride Under The Neon Moon 08 Omotesando 09 Meiji Shrine 10 Shadow Dancing 11 The Inner Garden 12 Bullet Train 13 Wake Up In Another Life 14 Departure 15 Shibuya Epilogue feat. Carlitta Durand
''Nicolay's sense of wonderment shines through all of this, another unassuming gem from one of the most creative and increasingly chameleonic producers around.''
''Nicolay's Shibuya: City Lights Vol. 2 exudes the kind of effervescent joy one experiences when visiting an exotic new land for the first time. '' ''No matter where you are, the intricate layers of Shibuya transport you to another place.'' ''Shibuya certainly breathes a breath of fresh air into the world of sped up soul samples and boom-bap drum breaks. '' ''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. '' ''The Netherlands bred producer has brought us yet another soulful masterpiece that captures the essence of what he is best at: music that is conceptual, soundtrack-like, and allows us to romanticize being introspective and exploratory somewhere completely foreign.'' ''On City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya, the Dutch beat master crafts a love letter to Tokyo’s Shibuya district and the result is a gorgeous, layered mostly instrumental piece that plays like a soundtrack for city life.'' ''A far more adventurous outing than it’s predecessor, Volume 2 is a testament to the man who created it.'' ''I believe anybody with a set of ears can enjoy this album. It will make you want to buy tickets to the next flight to Tokyo's Shibuya district.'' ''Nicolay is not afraid to step outside the box and explore new possibilities of sound. City Lights Volume 2 - Shibuya is just that distinct, refreshing and exceptional. '' ''I encourage you to listen to City Lights Vol. 2: Shibuya and allow Nicolay to transport you into another level of collective creativity. '' ''The 15-track LP showcases a highly finessed producer who continues to grow.'' ''City Lights Volume 2 is a must have for your music library.'' ''The second volume in the City Lights series is a fantastic example of artistic growth and expression.'' ''A well conceptualized project for mature ears that is indicative of Phonte's song-writing prowess as well as Nicolay's dexterity on the boards. '' ''Shibuya is new and exciting territory for Nicolay and his listeners.'' |
-
W.C.
-
hydajames
-
D.C.
-
Kajun
-
merlas
-
Buyani Malabi
-
Sidwell
-
Kas
-
The Mixtape Monster
-
Andy
-
Zane
-
Gilles
-
elle denise
-
eriiclikewhoa
