Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators

Bio:

.. The sound of young Finnish funk...Willis and band breathe new life into an often curatorial musical tradition.
MOJO (Urban Album of the Month)

They round up every stray vibe a soul LP should boast. 4/5
Record Collector

"Easily the finest album yet from the global nu-funk movement. Flawless"
Flux Magazine

"Nicole Willis & The Investigators remind us that old soul can sound joyously alive when compared to some of the new music that MTV-land is force-feeding us."
Echoes (Soul Album of the Month)

An inspired set of authentic 60s soul. Probably the best classic Motown album never recorded, with a wonky noughties twist. 5/5
i-DJ Magazine

Got THAT sound down perfectly. Supporting this everyway I can
Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 1)

Amazing, varied and really soulful.
Mr Scruff

I love this record
Helen Mayhew (BBC Radio 2)

This album is amazing
Rob Luis (Tru Thoughts)



The shining stars of contemporary soul music, Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators re-emerge in early 2013 with their highly anticipated album "Tortured Soul" on the Timmion Records label. The new album presents a new personal sound for the group, which became known around the world in 2005 with their debut album "Keep Reachin’ Up". Naturally, this sophomore album has all the qualities that made their cardinal album a worldwide smash: the raw production techniques of Didier Selin, Nicole Willis’ unique instrument and songwriting , The Soul Investigators’ self-styled musicianship, the sultry stylings of Pekka Kuusisto's string arrangements.Several tracks also feature horn arrangements and playing by the multi-talented jazz musician, Jimi Tenor. An equally new turn, is the dusky sound of these wild ones, which could be compared to the era when Motown stepped from their 1960’s pop sound more towards progressive times. With their debut album "Keep Reachin’ Up" the Brooklyn born singer and Finland’s finest funk outfit drew praise from the media and audiences around the globe. The first single “If This Ain’t Love” became a dance-floor hit from New York clubs to UK’s northern soul circles. The album was also released in France, Benelux, Italy, UK, Japan, the United States & Canada. Nicole Willis currently resides in Helsinki. Working steadily on the music scene since the mid 1980’s, she has recorded two solo albums, "Soul Makeover" (quoted in the Face magazine review as "the best soul album of the year") and "Be It", released on Sähko/Puu label, and among other collaborations, recorded a duet with the celebrated great soul man, Curtis Mayfield. The Soul Investigators became a central force of the underground funk movement in the late 1990’s releasing numerous 7” singles and albums on their own Jive label as well as the Soul Fire label from New York, making it to the playlists of BBC Radio disc-jockey John Peel. Afterwards, they founded the Timmion label to have a central for their productions. The new album will be available in early 2013 as a double LP in a custom deluxe gatefold sleeve + download code, in CD format, and also digitally.







"The sound of this group reminds me of dancing to the new James Brown 7" in the record shop on Clarkson Avenue with my sister when we were 6 & 8 years old", the Brooklyn-born Nicole has described the album. The follow-up single My Four Leaf Clover, released on 45 rpm in the coming weeks, continues in the same style. The albums production courtesy of Didier, the man behind the rough sound that the Timmion label is known for is sparse, but rich in detail and showcases Didier's knack for keeping the sound cohesive. Nicole's vocals fit to a Tee to the funking backing of The Soul Investigators.

.



The Soul Investigators, under different guises like Didier's Sound Spectrum, Ostari Njengi and Soultors, have impressed fans of Deep Funk for nearly a decade. Their numerous 45 rpm releases like Chicken, Soulful Trip and U-Bo-Te and LP's Soul Strike! (Soul Fire, 2001) and Home Cooking (Timmion, 2003) have found their way onto the turntables of vinyl enthusiasts all around the globe.

Sophomore release for Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators, "Tortured Soul" set for release February 2013!

Click to buy online from HMV

Or direct from Timmion here ..

Member Since:

March 21, 2006

Members:

Nicole Willis, Jukka Sarapaa, Didier Selin, Antti Maattanen, Pete Toikkanen, Lasse Tolvanen, Sami Kantelinen, Erno Haukkala, Kana Antti Lauronen, Eero Savela

Sounds Like:

Motown, James Brown, Stax, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Invictus

Record Label:

Timmion