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| Press : Reviews | Subscribe to our feed | Thursday September 02, 2010 |
The Washington Post reviews The Foreign Exchange @ Black Cat, Washington DC
Posted by nicolaymusic on March 12, 2009 at 10:57 AM
When an MC hits the stage wearing a bow-tie, it's a good sign that an interesting show is about to take place. For the Foreign Exchange's sold-out date at the Black Cat on Friday, singer/rapper Phonte broke out what he...
Review by Sarah Godfrey
for The Washington Post
When an MC hits the stage wearing a bow-tie, it's a good sign that an interesting show is about to take place. For the Foreign Exchange's sold-out date at the Black Cat on Friday, singer/rapper Phonte broke out what he called his "finest haberdashery," but even though he was wearing a suit and tie, he assured the crowd that "this is a [expletive] party!"
In keeping with that promise, the Foreign Exchange -- a duo consisting of Phonte, from the North Carolina hip-hop outfit Little Brother, and Dutch producer Nicolay -- delivered an incredible night of dreamy R&B/hip-hop.<
In keeping with that promise, the Foreign Exchange -- a duo consisting of Phonte, from the North Carolina hip-hop outfit Little Brother, and Dutch producer Nicolay -- delivered an incredible night of dreamy R&B/hip-hop.<
Continue reading The Washington Post reviews The Foreign Exchange @ Black Cat, Washington DC
4DaSoul reviews The Foreign Exchange at Highline Ballroom, New York
Posted by nicolaymusic on March 11, 2009 at 9:42 AM
2009 looks to be a great start for Foreign Exchange. Individually Phonte and Nicolay already had a loyal fan base. But as a duo, the unlikely collaboration of these 2 brothers from another mother managed to capture lightning in a...
Review by Jason Vizcarra
for 4DaSoul
2009 looks to be a great start for Foreign Exchange. Individually Phonte and
Nicolay already had a loyal fan base. But as a duo, the unlikely
collaboration of these 2 brothers from another mother managed to
capture lightning in a bottle twice. Last year their sophomore LP Leave it all behind received
rave reviews from both fans and critics (including 4DaSoul), making it
one of the best album releases of 2008. The band recently performed a
sold out show in Washington DC and 4DaSoul had the privilege of returning to the Highline Ballroom NYC to cover their follow-up performance. Our previous coverage at the venue was for a Little Brother performance around the time their Get Back album was released.
The Foreign Exchange live experience is nothing like that of Little Brother's. While they share 1 obvious similarity and the same revolving door of guest collaborators, the 2 bands exist as completely separate entities. A Little Brother show can be described as a high energy, throw your backpack in the air hip-hop celebration. Foreign Exchange shows on the other hand, aim toward the grown and sexy crowd. One could call Foreign Exchange the mature older brother who maintains some hip-hop sensibilities.
The Foreign Exchange live experience is nothing like that of Little Brother's. While they share 1 obvious similarity and the same revolving door of guest collaborators, the 2 bands exist as completely separate entities. A Little Brother show can be described as a high energy, throw your backpack in the air hip-hop celebration. Foreign Exchange shows on the other hand, aim toward the grown and sexy crowd. One could call Foreign Exchange the mature older brother who maintains some hip-hop sensibilities.
Continue reading 4DaSoul reviews The Foreign Exchange at Highline Ballroom, New York
Machine Gun Funk reviews The Foreign Exchange @ Double Door, Chicago
Posted by nicolaymusic on February 5, 2009 at 8:48 AM
Yes, I was privileged enough to be on the media team that was backstage during Foreign Exchange's performance at the Double Door in Chicago on Friday night. It was amazing, people. And, it was an honor. There were so many...
Review by Aaron Coats
for Machine Gun Funk
Yes, I was privileged enough to be on the media team that was backstage during
Foreign Exchange's performance at the Double Door in Chicago on Friday night. It
was amazing, people. And, it was an honor. There were so many more FE followers
than I expected when I first arrived just a bit after 9pm. I know they are an
amazing ensemble all together (YahZarah, Zo!, ELS, Darien Brockington were
featured, Nicolay and Phonte as Foreign Exchange proper), but I think I just
expected a more concentrated group of fans. I greatly underestimated the Chicago
fanbase... and it felt SO refreshing to have done so. I love when a group as
musically inclined as this gets the credit and support that they deserve.
I also learned that it really is about who you know. I originally just wanted to attend the concert as a spectator but after speaking with my good friend Raphael Nash, President of Endangered Peace, somehow he cooked up a situation that allowed me free entry into the concert, a VIP pass backstage, and a chance to meet with all of the artists. It was awesome in the literal sense of the word, not in that Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure/Bogus Journey kind of way.
I also learned that it really is about who you know. I originally just wanted to attend the concert as a spectator but after speaking with my good friend Raphael Nash, President of Endangered Peace, somehow he cooked up a situation that allowed me free entry into the concert, a VIP pass backstage, and a chance to meet with all of the artists. It was awesome in the literal sense of the word, not in that Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure/Bogus Journey kind of way.
Continue reading Machine Gun Funk reviews The Foreign Exchange @ Double Door, Chicago
Pitchfork reviews Leave It All Behind
Posted by nicolaymusic on February 5, 2009 at 7:53 AM
The 2004 album Connected by the Foreign Exchange (North Carolina rapper Phonte and Dutch producer Nicolay) was a record of unusual warmth and vibrancy. And yet, one bum line from Phonte still threatens to derail it with every listen-- "Applied for...
Review by Ian Cohen
for Pitchfork
The 2004 album Connected by the Foreign Exchange (North Carolina rapper Phonte and Dutch producer Nicolay) was a record of unusual warmth and vibrancy. And yet, one bum line from Phonte still threatens to derail it with every listen-- "Applied for the job of rap nigga/ But I was overqualified." For better or (mostly) worse, this sort of mindset has boxed in just about everything he's done since with Little Brother, his project with rapper Big Pooh. Though obviously in pursuit of commercial adulation and positioning himself as a vanguard of thinking man's hip-hop, Phonte too often casts those who are more successful in simple and condescending terms while offering a one-step solution to all hip-hop's ills-- increased sales of Little Brother records. A slew of missed opportunities and disillusion with the game have resulted in a whole lot of disappointing Phonte projects. But knowing this can't prepare you for just how closely Leave It All Behind hews to its title, as Phonte opts out of hip-hop with a nearly full-on R&B record with exactly two rapped verses. And there's really no way of preparing for how good it actually turned out.
Continue reading Pitchfork reviews Leave It All Behind
Gapers Block reviews The Foreign Exchange @ Double Door, Chicago
Posted by nicolaymusic on February 4, 2009 at 7:46 AM
Forget AutoTune. Forget singing over rap beats (with apologies to Mary J. and Nate Dogg). Forget where modern day pop R&B is going, and we can talk about The Foreign Exchange.Long story short, rapper/sanger Phonte of the then-group Little Brother...
Review by Troy Hunter
for Gaper's Block
Forget AutoTune. Forget singing over rap beats (with apologies to Mary
J. and Nate Dogg). Forget where modern day pop R&B is going, and we
can talk about The Foreign Exchange.
Long story short, rapper/sanger Phonte of the then-group Little Brother collaborated with Nicolay, a producer located in the Netherlands, in 2002 over IM and email and created an album. Connected was a testament to not only the universality of music, but also how the digital world is letting people meet and collaborate, even when separated by an ocean. The album introduced Phonte singing in long form, something that he'd only hinted at in the Little Brother recordings.
Long story short, rapper/sanger Phonte of the then-group Little Brother collaborated with Nicolay, a producer located in the Netherlands, in 2002 over IM and email and created an album. Connected was a testament to not only the universality of music, but also how the digital world is letting people meet and collaborate, even when separated by an ocean. The album introduced Phonte singing in long form, something that he'd only hinted at in the Little Brother recordings.
Continue reading Gapers Block reviews The Foreign Exchange @ Double Door, Chicago
The Find Magazine reviews Leave It All Behind
Posted by nicolaymusic on December 10, 2008 at 8:19 AM
We all know what we were expecting. Breathe was baited in wrought anticipation of Nicolay expanding on his beautiful Boom Bap sound & Phonte to keep on hitting those verbal Hat Tricks/Home Runs. In terms of content, the boys came...
Review by nofrillz
for The Find Magazine
We all know what we were expecting. Breathe was baited in wrought anticipation of Nicolay expanding on his beautiful Boom Bap sound & Phonte to keep on hitting those verbal Hat Tricks/Home Runs. In terms of content, the boys came straight out of leftfield. In terms of quality, they delivered & then some.
Rumours had been circulating wireless airwaves for months, before a single track was heard, that Phonte was gonna let those vocal cords loose this time out. But I don't think anyone outside of Phonte and Nicolay themselves knew what was in store. Maybe the concept that was undertaken is what prompted the change. As superb as Phonte is at showing his emotion as an MC (see All For You), there is something about a well sung vocal that better reflects love and relationships. No purposely flawed vocals, no wheezy whines, no vocorders and no autotune to be found anywhere, Phonte is the perfect foil for Nic's lush soundscapes. When the lead single dropped I, like every other fan, grabbed it as soon as we knew it was around.
Rumours had been circulating wireless airwaves for months, before a single track was heard, that Phonte was gonna let those vocal cords loose this time out. But I don't think anyone outside of Phonte and Nicolay themselves knew what was in store. Maybe the concept that was undertaken is what prompted the change. As superb as Phonte is at showing his emotion as an MC (see All For You), there is something about a well sung vocal that better reflects love and relationships. No purposely flawed vocals, no wheezy whines, no vocorders and no autotune to be found anywhere, Phonte is the perfect foil for Nic's lush soundscapes. When the lead single dropped I, like every other fan, grabbed it as soon as we knew it was around.
Continue reading The Find Magazine reviews Leave It All Behind
Textura reviews Leave It All Behind
Posted by nicolaymusic on December 1, 2008 at 7:40 AM
The words "old school" come to mind when listening to The Foreign Exchange's sophomore effort Leave It All Behind but, in truth, there's nothing old about it. If it at all seems that way, it's because there's such a regrettable...
Review by Ron Schepper
for Textura
The words "old school" come to mind when listening to The Foreign Exchange's sophomore effort Leave It All Behind but, in truth, there's nothing old about it. If it at all seems that way, it's because there's such a regrettable dearth of its blissfully soulful sound being produced these days. In short, there's nothing retrograde about the material--how could there be when the music's so fresh? For those unfamiliar with the project, The Foreign Exchange is a collaboration involving producer Nicolay (who already issued one of the year's better albums in the splendid Timeline) and singer-songwriter and vocalist Phonte. The two hooked up in 2002 via the hip-hop community site Okayplayer.com and thereafter traded files for a year (Nicolay residing in his native Holland at the time and Phonte in Raleigh, North Carolina), leading up to 2004's Connected release. Though Nicolay (now ensconced in Wilmington, North Carolina ) has bridged the geographical gap, the new release distances itself from the debut's hip-hop focus for a more pronounced "lover's rock" brand of soul. Don't get the wrong idea: traces of hip-hop are clearly evident, and so too are elements of funk (even echoes of drum'n'bass in "If This Is Love"), but the new music's rooted in soul of a thoroughly warm and emotive vintage.
Continue reading Textura reviews Leave It All Behind
PopMatters reviews Leave It All Behind
Posted by nicolaymusic on November 25, 2008 at 5:55 AM
Phonte and Nicolay, the respective emcee and producer behind the Foreign Exchange, have done just what their sophomore album, Leave It All Behind, alludes to. They have left it all behind, and by "it", I mean their debut, Connected, which...
Review by Andrew Martin
for PopMatters
Phonte and Nicolay, the respective emcee and producer behind the Foreign Exchange, have done just what their sophomore album, Leave It All Behind, alludes to. They have left it all behind, and by "it", I mean their debut, Connected, which was fresh, stylish, and absolutely fantastic. Although there are musical similarities to that album, the duo has jumped head first into more mature territory on Leave It All Behind. The playfulness that has characterized Phonte throughout his career is mostly gone in this more focused, grown-up songwriter. And yes, he does sing on every song. But don't think he decided to randomly up and try his hand at some Love Below-esque joints. Anyone who knows Phonte is well aware that he has sung plenty of hooks, and even some full tracks, both as part of Little Brother and the Foreign Exchange.
Even though Phonte isn't going to win any awards for his vocal performances here, not recognizing his talents as a singer would be a sin. Few rappers can match his chops, both as an emcee and a singer. It's for that reason that Phonte gets a slight pass for not having the range of his vocalist contemporaries, like John Legend and others. But Phonte knows that. He doesn't try to hit any notes outside of his range or overextend himself. Instead, he uses his charming, sometimes smooth voice to lure you in. And some of his duets are absolutely breathtaking, particularly those with Muhsinah. Her breathy voice meshes with his so well that it's impossible to not get sucked into tracks like "Daykeeper" and "House of Cards", which are a one-two punch that R&B has not seen yet this year.
Even though Phonte isn't going to win any awards for his vocal performances here, not recognizing his talents as a singer would be a sin. Few rappers can match his chops, both as an emcee and a singer. It's for that reason that Phonte gets a slight pass for not having the range of his vocalist contemporaries, like John Legend and others. But Phonte knows that. He doesn't try to hit any notes outside of his range or overextend himself. Instead, he uses his charming, sometimes smooth voice to lure you in. And some of his duets are absolutely breathtaking, particularly those with Muhsinah. Her breathy voice meshes with his so well that it's impossible to not get sucked into tracks like "Daykeeper" and "House of Cards", which are a one-two punch that R&B has not seen yet this year.
Continue reading PopMatters reviews Leave It All Behind
The Couch Sessions reviews Leave It All Behind
Posted by nicolaymusic on November 12, 2008 at 6:14 AM
Netherlands producer Nicolay, and MC, Phonte one half of Little Brother have come together for their second Foreign Exchange effort entitled Leave it All Behind. With Nicolay moving to North Carolina where Phonte is from and still resides, one would...
Review by A. Rose
for The Couch Sessions
Netherlands producer Nicolay, and MC, Phonte one half of Little Brother have come together for their second Foreign Exchange effort entitled Leave it All Behind. With Nicolay moving to North Carolina where Phonte is from and still resides, one would think studio sessions as opposed to the Internet and file sharing that occurred while Nicolay was stationed in the Netherlands would be more frequent. Wrong, the combo figured if it worked, why fix it? As well, with our current economic state where gas is $4.00 per/gallon even though they're in the same state, money is money.
Lyrically we were all privy to Phonte's singing qualifications on the first FE album in addition to the sample we received on the first LB album the Listening, and in this day in age where Andre3000, Pharrell, and as of recent Kanye West have flirted with expanding their lyricism to carry a melodic tune this is one of the best experiments from the aforementioned group of artists. Phonte delivers real time stories that everyone has or will experience and can relate to, the disturbing reality is since the disappearing acts of D'Angelo and until recently Maxwell there hasn't been act[s] besides the usual suspects that have written vivid experiences of life and love. You won't hear Tigallo talking about buying a drink or getting someone is his ride but you will hear stories with a clear, distinct and fresh Nicolay sound that is in the same vein as the debut FE album. Since his solo efforts and producing for other artists Nicolay meshes perfectly with the North Carolinian and they sound as if they've done this before.
FE also reintroduces the world to Washington, DC's own Muhsinah, who was heavily featured on the album, if you don't know her, she was recently on tour with Common as a background artist and singer and she has her own EP entitled Daybreak and she proves to play the perfect supporting role on tracks like "House of Cards" and "Daykeeper." Overall, Leave it All Behind is more than an experiment but a work that stretches the possibilities of good music and makes people forget about the purpose of genres.
Lyrically we were all privy to Phonte's singing qualifications on the first FE album in addition to the sample we received on the first LB album the Listening, and in this day in age where Andre3000, Pharrell, and as of recent Kanye West have flirted with expanding their lyricism to carry a melodic tune this is one of the best experiments from the aforementioned group of artists. Phonte delivers real time stories that everyone has or will experience and can relate to, the disturbing reality is since the disappearing acts of D'Angelo and until recently Maxwell there hasn't been act[s] besides the usual suspects that have written vivid experiences of life and love. You won't hear Tigallo talking about buying a drink or getting someone is his ride but you will hear stories with a clear, distinct and fresh Nicolay sound that is in the same vein as the debut FE album. Since his solo efforts and producing for other artists Nicolay meshes perfectly with the North Carolinian and they sound as if they've done this before.
FE also reintroduces the world to Washington, DC's own Muhsinah, who was heavily featured on the album, if you don't know her, she was recently on tour with Common as a background artist and singer and she has her own EP entitled Daybreak and she proves to play the perfect supporting role on tracks like "House of Cards" and "Daykeeper." Overall, Leave it All Behind is more than an experiment but a work that stretches the possibilities of good music and makes people forget about the purpose of genres.
Planet Urban reviews Leave It All Behind
Posted by nicolaymusic on November 9, 2008 at 9:53 AM
Representing two nations, the United States and Holland to be specific, The Foreign Exchange pick up where they began on their assured genre-melding debut, Connected. Expanding on his Percy Miracles alter-ego, Little Brother member Phonte Coleman trades in his commanding...
Review by Hazard
for Planet Urban
Representing two nations, the United States and Holland to be specific, The Foreign Exchange pick up where they began on their assured genre-melding debut, Connected. Expanding on his Percy Miracles alter-ego, Little Brother member Phonte Coleman trades in his commanding MC skills for equally impressive singing pipes, while still finding time to spit a few bars. Fitting the strong vocal performances like a glove, beat maestro Nicolay delivers grooves that mesh electronica with more traditional jazz-like sensibilities.
Leave it All Behind is for the most part an album about love; celebrating it, mourning it, pining for it. If Dwele and Slum Village had an offspring it would sound something like The Foreign Exchange. The neo-soul meets gospel opener Daykeeper sets the tone for the rest of the album, with Phonte and the lush-voiced Muhsinah showing great chemistry, their voices echoing off the walls of Nicolay's musical cathedral.
Leave it All Behind is for the most part an album about love; celebrating it, mourning it, pining for it. If Dwele and Slum Village had an offspring it would sound something like The Foreign Exchange. The neo-soul meets gospel opener Daykeeper sets the tone for the rest of the album, with Phonte and the lush-voiced Muhsinah showing great chemistry, their voices echoing off the walls of Nicolay's musical cathedral.
