Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators

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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.