Light In The Attic Records immediately follows up its' deluxe reissues of the first two Betty Davis classics with Keep Reachin' Up,
a passionate but suave mod soul collaboration between the lovely and
talented Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators. From the cold far
North dance underground, this scintillating vocalist and celebrated
Finland funk collective have created a uniquely hot record of romantic
grooves.
The Brooklyn-born Willis has worked with Curtis
Mayfield, Leftfield, and done crucial work for Mo' Wax, while the
Finnish-bred Soul Investigators have crafted two previous full-lengths
and a handful of 45s.
After a few years of lending vocals to various
groups, Willis became involved with the New York soul-hip-hop
collective Repercussions. "The Mo' Wax release was the first for us and
the label... It seems as always with universal consciousness that
people are reaching back into their history and picking out timely
genres and musical movements."
It
doesn't bother Willis that some people might consider her sound retro.
"Certainly the music was a project of love but retro isn't a swear word
so it could be considered that as well... we are continuing in a
tradition."
Adored by the UK's Northern Soul DJs and fans, Keep Reachin' Up
has conquered Europe with timeless tracks like "Downtown" and "Feeling
Free" - the 2006 Worldwide Winner for Song of the Year according to
world famous DJ Gilles Peterson. International momentum for the album
has also been spurred by a BBC Top Ten Track of the Year listing for
"If This Ain't Love", four star reviews for the Finnish release by MOJO
& Record Collector, and a nod by Dusty Groove as an "instant
classic" .
Some notable members of The Soul Investigators
include: Producer Jukka Sarapää on drums; Didier "Baby Spector" Selin
on tambourine, guitar & bass; Pete Toikkanen on guitar & bass;
Antti Määtänen on organ & piano; Sami Kantelinen on bass. The
record also includes contributions from celebrated composer and Matador
Records-alum Jimi Tenor, and string arrangements by world renowned
violinist Pekka Kuusisto.
A classic soul debut, Keep Reachin' Up is an essential addition to any collection!!
Tracklist:
1. Feeling Free
2. If This Ain't Love (I Don't Know What Is)
3. Keep Reachin' Up
4. Blues Downtown
5. My Four Leaf Clover
6. A Perfect Kind of Love
7. Invisible Man
8. Holdin' On
9. No One's Gonna Love You
10. Soul Investigators Theme