Nicolette - Now Is Early (1992)

From rare-groove to rave to trip-hop and soul, Nicolette was one of the most eccentric dance vocalists of the 1990s, working with everyone from the one-shot rave act L.A. Style to electro futurists like Plaid. Born in Scotland though she was raised in Nigeria, France and Switzerland, Nicolette debuted with the single "Wicked Mathematics" after being one of the first signings by the eponymous label run by Shut Up and Dance. Her debut album, 1992's "Now Is Early" showed her to be an uncommonly mature talent who wrote her own songs (some engaged in political commentary) and featured a warm, crystalline voice. Besides various vocal gigs (including Massive Attack's "Protection"), Nicolette rarely recorded during the next four years. Finally in 1996, she was signed to Gilles Peterson's Talkin' Loud Records. Her second album, "Let No-One Live Rent Free in Your Head", appeared that same year. Nicolette also contributed an edition in Studio !K7's "DJ Kicks" series.

"Now Is Early" is the debut studio album by Scottish singer Nicolette, produced by English electronic duo Shut Up and Dance and released in 1992 by the duo's label, also titled Shut Up and Dance. The album follows several singles in the early 1990s by Nicolette and Shut Up & Dance, and features Nicolette's soulfully-sung torch songs in a stream-of-consciousness style set to Shut Up & Dance's breakbeat hardcore production. Largely ignored upon release, "Now Is Early" is now regarded as a "lost classic" and forerunner to jungle music. It was re-released in 1997 by Studio !K7. It was ranked as the 57th best album of the 20th century by Spex. It was listed by Exclaim! on their "100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues of Exclaim!" list.

Tracklist

1 No Government 2:02
2 Dove Song 4:55
3 Single Minded Vocal 3:09
4 I Woke Up... 4:46
5 Waking Up (Remix) 5:07
6 O Si Nene 5:56
7 It's Only To Be Expected 5:41
8 Wicked Mathematics 4:49
9 A Single Ring 2:09

10 School Of The World 5:28 (bonus track)

11 Udi Egwu 6:29 (bonus track)

Nicolette - Now Is Early (1992)
(320 kbps, cover art included)