Repercussions, Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators
Musical artist
Daniele Nicole E. Willis, aka/fka; Nicole Willis and/or Daniele Willis (1963)[1] is an American visual & sound artist, scriptwriter, singer-songwriter, producer, and director. Willis lives and works in Helsinki, Finland.[1][3][4]
Biography
Early career
Willis contributed vocals in London, United Kingdom in 1985 with Washington Week in Review. Prior to that she was a member of The Hello Strangers and Blue Period with Spike Priggen, Jean Caffeine and Mark Mulcahy performances at Munson Diner and Danceteria's No Entiendes, based in New York City.
Nicole Willis was the lead vocalist of the neo soul group Repercussions. Singles and albums were released on Mo' Wax, Reprise/Warner Records USA, Pony Canyon Japan. The single Promise Me Nothing from the debut album of Repercussions LP Earth and Heaven, peaked at number 6 in the Hot Dance Music, Club Play chart of Billboard magazine on March 18, 1995. Together with Curtis Mayfield, the band recorded a version of Mayfield's Let's Do It Again in which Willis sings a duet with Curtis Mayfield in 1994 released on Reprise/Warner Records. The group also released an album on Pony Canyon Japan, titled Charmed Life in 1997.
Willis has collaborated with Leftfield singing and writing lead vocals for "Swords" on the Rhythm and Stealth LP in 1999 on Hard Hands/Higher Ground/Sony BMG Records,[5] which was also featured on the soundtrack for the film Go released 1999. The LP Rhythm and Stealth received a Platinum Sales Award in the United Kingdom.
Art 2005 - 2014
After moving from Barcelona, Spain to Lahti, Finland with her family, Willis began study at The Institute of Fine Arts at Lahti University of Applied Sciences in 2005. She graduated in 2009. The university has been since replaced by LAB University of Applied Sciences, incorporating campuses in Lahti & Lappeenranta whilst the LAB Institute of Design & Fine Arts incorporates campuses in Lahti (Institute of Design) & Imatra (School of Visual Arts).
Willis collaborated with artist Sophie Calle for her installation Take Care Of Yourself with a performance in time-based media in 2007, which exhibited at the French Pavilion of the Venice Biennale in 2007. Willis also contributed vocals to time-based media performance Rinologia of Barcelona-based artist group Los Rinos who are artists Marcel.lí Antúnez, Pau Nubiola and film director, Sergi Caballero. Rinologia was performed at the BEM Festival in Burgos, Spain in March 2007.
Willis contributed 10 jewel cases, painted in acrylic and one musical track, of ten musicians/visual artists musical contribution, Do the Watusi (written by Jimi Tenor, Pete Toikkanen & Nicole Willis) to curator/artist Jaakko Tuomainen's group exhibition Soundtrack for Painting from September 1 to 30, 2012, at the Lahti Modern Art Kiosk, in Lahti, Finland.
Willis had two of her first solo exhibitions of oil paintings, in 2012, first of which were in March 2012 at Galleria Kingi Kongi in Helsinki, Finland and in November 2012 at Pirkko-Liisa Topeliuksen Galleria, also in Helsinki, both titled Gatherings.
Willis has contributed a painting to a group exhibition to be shown from July 18 to August 11, 2013, in London, United Kingdom's A Side B Side Gallery, curated by artists Chloe Mortimer & Harry Pye, titled ELVIS: I Love You Because of which the subject is Elvis Presley.[needs update]
Willis had a solo exhibition at Gallery Emil in Tampere, Finland titled Talking Trash; February 2, 2014 – February 28, 2014.
Puu | Sähkö Recordings - Timmion Records - Herakles Records
On Puu/Sähkö Recordings, Willis released her first solo albums Soul Makeover 2000 and Be It 2003.[6] In 2005 Willis collaborated with the Soul Investigators and released Keep Reachin Up on Helsinki's Timmion Records.[7] The LP Keep Reachin' Up was critically acclaimed. Their song Feeling Free was chosen 2006 Worldwide Winner on the Gilles Peterson's BBC show.[8]
The title track of the album Keep Reachin' Up was chosen by US president Barack Obama, as one of many songs on his Re-Election Campaign Spotify Playlist, in February 2012.[9]
The track If This Ain't Love(Don't Know What Is) was placed in the USA TV channel ABC's show Brothers & Sisters in season 2, episode 1 in 2007. The track No One's Gonna Love You was placed in Showtime's Ray Donovan in season 1, episode 3, Twerk in 2013.
Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators released an album, titled Tortured Soul in 2013 on Timmion Records in Finland, France, United Kingdom and other regions in the EU & North America. Tortured Soul received 4 out of 5 stars in a review at Helsingin Sanomat's Nyt magazine.[10][11]Tortured Soul entered the Official Finnish Music Charts in its first week after release at number 8 in week 7 of 2013.[12]
On May 10, 2013, Willis and Jimi Tenor released album Enigmatic by their project Cola & Jimmu on her new record label Herakles Records, Finland. Cola & Jimmu went on to release a follow-up titled I Give To You My Love & Devotion in 2014. The single Open Up Your Chakra peaked at position 21 in Japan's J-Wave HOT 100 Chart in June 2014.
Timmion Records released the third Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators album titled Happiness in Every Style in October 2015, produced and written by Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators. Happiness in Every Style received 5 out of 5 stars in Helsingin Sanomat.[13] Singles One in Million and Let's Communicate were released in August and October 2015.
Willis announced on April 16, 2017, that she will no longer be collaborating with the instrumental group The Soul Investigators on Facebook.[14][non-primary source needed]
Persephone Records - Present
Willis released on her new sublabel Persephone Records (Herakles Records) the EP Big Fantasy (For Me) / Tear It Down, a collaboration of Willis, Jimi Tenor and Jonathan Maron (electric bass player) on March 31, 2017. [15]
She announced the release date of her next LP My Name Is Nicole Willis, the second release for Persephone Records as September 29, 2017. The album is a collaboration with UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra (credited as UMO Jazz Orchestra), composed of songs written by Willis, guitarist Pete Toikkanen and Jimi Tenor as well as from her catalogue with The Soul Investigators. Ian Svenonius is featured on the prologue as well as epilogue tracks of the album.[16]My Name Is Nicole Willis received a 4 star review in Helsingin Sanomat.[17]
In February 2019, Nicole Willis released an album called My Soul Sensation with a hand picked line up titled Banda Palomita, recorded at Suomenlinna Studios, as well as a digital release of the instrumental album version Banda Palomita's My Soul Sensation.
The digital release of "Polymer or PARA [Seasoned]" was added to Willis' Spotify profile as the first release (Sampson Records 2022) under the name Daniele Willis.[18]Seasoned, an electronic, neo-classical, city garden music, "Seasoned", to be heard at Pehr Kalm Revival (Jan-Erik Andersson), in part of "Listen to a mushroom, listen to a bicycle", curated by Galleria Titanik, Turku, Finland (2020).
Willis recorded the first vocal single of the Finnish electronic group AavikkoSpace Disco Muysic, written by Willis and the members of Aavikko.
Willis returned to performance art at Hunajanjyvä, Salama ja Maa on October 7, 2023, at Mad House in Helsinki, Finland.[19]Phobos & Deimos Contemplate Reception in 2 acts of dramatic monologue, scripted, voice acted and performed by Willis along with recorded music produced by Willis. The curators of Hunajanjyvä are artists Sadet Kirsimäki and Eero Pulkkinen.
On July 12, 2024, Willis released "My Name Is Nicole Willis, Instrumentals" on Persephone | Herakles sublabel, Goliath Records.[20] The album is available for digital sales and on streaming platforms. The instrumental versions of the album "My Name Is Nicole Willis", by Nicole Willis featuring UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra (Persephone Records 2017) was composed by Pete Toikkanen and Nicole Willis, and arranged, composed and scored by Jimi Tenor. Additional instrumental versions of tracks written for the original version album as well as tracks written by Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators from the album "Happiness In Every Style" (Timmion Records 2015) are featured, as well arranged and scored by Jimi Tenor.
In 2024 it has been decided that future tracks featuring Nicole Willis as a vocalist will mainly be released on label Goliath Records.
Education
With study rights for the Open University and to Pursue Non-Graduate Studies at the Department of Film, ELO, at Aalto University, Willis took courses from 2021 to 2023.
Willis graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from her studies at Lahti Institute of Fine Arts, Lahti University of Applied Sciences in Finland, and Erasmus studies at Sir John Cass Department of Art, London Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, in 2008 & completed in 2009. Willis' concentration in her studies were Oil Painting, Time-Based Media and Performance with professors Markus Heikkerö, Mika Karhu, Inari Virmakoski & Hyun Joo Min.
Willis was born at Brooklyn Women's Hospital in Brownsville, Brooklyn where she lived with her family at Blake Avenue Houses till age 3. The hospital closed in 1978.
Willis lived the next 10 years in Remsen Village, East Flatbush attending P.S. 219, Kennedy-King School, after which she moved several times while living with her mother after a divorce.
Solo exhibitions
Talking Trash; Oil Paintings, Time – Based Media (Digital Film), Colossal Raggedy Anne (Textiles), Gallery Emil, Tampere, Finland, 28.02 – 02.02.2014.
Hunajanjyvä, Salama ja Maa; at Mad House in Helsinki, Finland 07.10. Phobos & Deimos Contemplate Reception, (Act 1: 6 min 29 sec) & (Act 2: 3 min 22 sec) (dramatic monologue/dialogue) Script, monologue/dialogue recording and music recording, performance, Daniele Willis. Curated by Sadet Hirsimäki & Eero Pulkkinen, 2023.
Listen to a mushroom, listen to a bike; music – sound art project in Turku city space; Time – based media (“Seasoned – Six Compositions: 29 min 16 sec”). Recording digitally released, titled Polymer or PARA, Sampson Records, 2022. Turku, Finland, curated by Galleria Titanik, 31.10 – 01.10.2020.
Scripts
Data Collector | Tietojen Kerääjä, tba Finnish, German, English. Screenplay in development, for fiction, feature film, 2024.
Iloinenmaa | Happyland, 15 min. Finnish | English. Screenplay for a fiction, short film. Dramaturgy, Additional Writing: Mirkka Kallio, 2024.
Phobos & Deimos Contemplate Reception, (Act 1: 6 min 29 sec) & (Act 2: 3 min 22 sec). English. for Hunajanjyvä, Salama ja Maa, 2023.
Films
My Friend Keke (Daniele Willis, 4 min. 50 sec) Music Producer, Kalifornia-Keke (Niko Liinamaa) delves into inspiration and purpose as we catch up on lost time. Director, Editor, Grading, Audio Mixer: Daniele Willis, Cinematography, Sound Recording: Miika Ekström, 2023.
Atoning for Gen Alpha, Discussions on Religious Pluralism with Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen (Daniele Willis, 72 min. 25 sec), discussion with theologian, Professor Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, M.Ed., M.A.,D.Th., at the National Library of Finland in Helsinki. Director, Additional Cinematographer, Editor, Grading, Audio Mixer; Daniele Willis, Director of Photography; Kaapo Kamu, 2023.
1 418 Inhabitants Per Square Kilometre (Daniele Willis, 5 min. 06 sec). Director, Cinematographer, Audio Mixer and Editor; Daniele Willis 2022
Jimi Tenor & Felix Kubin Kontula Electronic (Daniele Willis credited as Nicole Willis, 8 min 15 sec). Documentation by mobile phone camera of the performance of Felix Kubin and festival founder/curator, musician Jimi Tenor at Kontula Electronic at Kontula Shopping Center on April 21, 2017.
Felix Kubin & Jimi Tenor Kontula Electronic (Daniele Willis credited as Nicole Willis, 14 min 4 sec). Documentation by mobile phone camera of the performance of Felix Kubin and festival founder/curator, musician Jimi Tenor at Kontula Electronic at Kontula Shopping Center on April 21, 2017.
Artist Collaborations
About us (refrain to refrain), performance in time – based media | audio visual for artist Jani Ruscica, exhibited with No Dot on the I at Taidehalli, Helsinki, Finland from 30.04 - 29.05.2022.
Between Paths I, of In Transition - Between Paths, sound: W.B Yeats Second Coming, read by Nicole Willis, recorded for a video installation by Juan Kasari, Tampere, Finland 17.10. – 3.11.2020.
Take Care of Yourself, performance in time – based media for artist Sophie Calle, exhibited at the French Pavilion, Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy from 10.06 - 21.11.2007.
Rinologia, vocal recorded performance in time – based media for artists Los Rinos, performed at Festival BEM, Burgos, Spain on 03.03.2007.
Discography
Singles under Laissez-Affaire
Makeshift (Original, Laissez-Affaire Bones Remix, Laissez-Affaire Bare Bones Remix, Original 86 bpm, Laissez-Affaire Bones Remix 86 bpm, Laissez-Affaire Bare Bones Remix 86 bpm, Original 100 bpm, Laissez-Affaire Bones Remix 100 bpm, Laissez-Affaire Bare Bones Remix 100 bpm) composer, producer; digital (credited Garland & Jemima, Laissez-Affaire), (Sampson 2024)
polymath party (Original, Cheered Up, Rallentando), (Sampson 2024) composer, producer; digital
Double Dutch (Original, Sped, Slowed), composer, producer; digital (Sampson 2024)
The New New (Original, Sped, Slowed), composer, producer; digital (Sampson 2024)
the green man (Original, Sped, Slowed), composer, producer; digital, under pseudonym Garland & Jemima feat. Euphonic (Sampson 2024)
Albums
Polymer or PARA [Seasoned] – composer, producer (as Daniele Willis) digital, (Sampson 2022)
Banda Palomita's My Soul Sensation – composer, producer, executive producer (as Banda Palomita, Nicole Willis) digital, (Persephone 2019)
My Soul Sensation – lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer, producer, executive producer (as Nicole Willis & Banda Palomita) LP/digital, (Persephone 2019)
My Name Is Nicole Willis – lead vocals & backing vocals, lyrics, composer, producer (as Nicole Willis & UMO Jazz Orchestra) LP/CD/digital, (Persephone 2017)
Be It – lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer, producer LP/CD/digital, (Puu/Sähkö 2004)
I Call Your Name Smoove Remix (Radio Edit)/| I Call Your Name Smoove Remix (Original) / I Call Your Name Smoove Remix (Instrumental) digital, credited Nicole Willis & Banda Palomita (Persephone 2019)
All The Time (A1: Roberto Rodriguez R&B mix, A2: Jori Hulkkonen House mix, B1: Radio Edit / Album Version, B2: Jimi Tenor Dub feat. Chris Dawkins, B3: Accordion Dept. mix) 12" (Puu/Sähkö 2000)
Collaborations
Nicole Willis feat. UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, Jimi Tenor & Pete Toikkanen; My Name Is Nicole Willis, Instrumentals; , composer, producer. (Goliath 2023)
Aavikko ft. Nicole Willis; single Space Disco Muysic; spoken word, author, lead vocals, lyrics, composer, recording. (Soit Se Silti 2023)
Nicole Willis & UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra (credited as UMO Jazz Orchestra); Haunted by the Devil / (Everybody) Do The Watusi, lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer, producer. 7" (Persephone 2018)
Nicole Willis & UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra (credited as UMO Jazz Orchestra); Still Got A Way To Fall lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer, producer. 7"(Ronet 2017)
Nicole Willis, Jimi Tenor & Jonathan Maron; Big Fantasy (For Me) | Tear It Down; lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer, instrumentation, producer. 12" EP (Persephone 2017)
Bosq ft. Megan Doherty & Nicole Willis; Can't Seem To Hide | Take Me There; lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer, recording. 12" (Ubiquity 2017)
Bosq ft. Nicole Willis; Bad For Me; lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer, recording, 12" (Ubiquity 2015)
Nicole Willis, Jimi Tenor featuring Tony Allen/Nicole Willis & Jimi Tenor;All For You/Touching; lead vocals, lyrics, composer, 7" (Sahco 2015)
Pizzicato One; LP One And Ten Very Sad Songs, on track A Little Bit Of Soap lead vocals. (Universal 2011)
Jimi Tenor & Abdissa Assefa; LP Itetune; on track Leatheries; spoken word, author. Limited hand pressing. (Temmi Kongi, 2011)
Shawn Lee; LP Soul in the Hole, on track Jigsaw; lead & backing vocals. (Ubiquity 2009)
The Flexatones Originals; on tracks Fresh & Cause I Want; lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer (Fat Belt 2007)
Mr. Comicstore;Are You Ready To Party?; lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer. 7" (Mamushi 2006)
Perfect Kind of Love < CDS | 7" (Timmion 2005), (peak FIN #15)[21]
If This Ain't Love (Original, Instrumental), CDS | 7" (Timmion 2005), (peak FIN #4)[21]
You Better Change | Raw Steaks (feat. Jimmy Tenor), 7" (Sahco 2003)
Albums with Repercussions
Charmed Life – lead & backing vocals, lyrics, composer, producer (Repercussions) CD, (Pony Canyon)
Earth and Heaven – lead vocals, lyrics, composer, producer (Repercussions) LP/CD, (Warner Brothers/Reprise)
Singles with Repercussions
Love, Again (Canyon International 1997), digital
Promise Me Nothing (A1: Promise Me Nothing, Masters at Work Mix Remix – Masters at Work, A2: Promise Me Nothing (Bass Hit Dub) Remix – Masters at Work – B1: Promise Me Nothing (Dusk Till Dawn Sampladelic Remix) Remix – DJ Tennessee, Super DJ Dmitry, B2: Promise Me Nothing (H-Man's Old Skool Dub) Remix – Hani, B3: Promise Me Nothing [Album Version]), 12" (Warner/Reprise 1995)
Let's Do It Again with Curtis Mayfield (A1: Let's Do It Again (Edit) B2: Let's Do It Again [Album Version]) CD Single, Promo, 12" Single, Promo (Reprise/Warner 1994)
Promise/Field Trippin' 12" (Mo' Wax 1992)
Music videos
One In A Million (as Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators) Aleksi Raij: director, 2015
Earthly Delights (as Cola & Jimmu) Cola & Jimmu: director, 2014
Open Up Your Chakra (as Cola & Jimmu) Cola & Jimmu: director, 2014
Transcend Our Love (as Cola & Jimmu) Cola & Jimmu: director, 2014
No More Wars (as Cola & Jimmu) Cola & Jimmu: director, 2014
369° Grind (as Cola & Jimmu) Nicole Willis: director, 2013
Enigmatic (as Cola & Jimmu) Jimi Tenor: director 2013
Brooklyn Girl (as Cola & Jimmu) Jimi Tenor: director 2013
Time To Get Business Straight (as Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators) Tony Sheng: director, 2013
Break Free (Shake a Tail Feather) (as Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators) Tony Sheng: director, 2013
If This Ain't Love (Don't Know What Is) (as Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators) Vincent Scotet: director, 2007
Let's Do It Again (as Curtis Mayfield & Repercussions) Kevin Bray: director, 1994
Make No Mistake (as an extra; Keith Richards) Paula Greif: director, 1988
Keep On Movin (as an extra; Soul II Soul) Paula Greif: director, 1988
Happy Ever After (as an extra; Julia Fordham) Paula Greif: director, 1988
Rock Box (as an extra; RUN-DMC) Steve Kahn: director, 1984
