The Foreign Exchange
Connected
A retrospective with Nicolay
If any album embodies the power of the internet to push music forwards and unite people, it’s Connected. Phonte, from the legendary North Carolina group Little Brother, had been chatting on Okayplayer’s message boards for a while with Dutch producer Nicolay, when they decided to exchange beats for rhymes over email. The fruits of the collaboration became a b-side for Little Brother (Light it Up) which was so successful that it eventually grew into a full album. That’s what I call serendipity. Four years on from its release, the combination of Nicolay’s lush production and Phonte’s lyrical dexterity still stand out for their originality and quality, and Connected has been firmly established as a landmark album for independent hip hop.
Taken at face value, Connected is a deceptively simple album, whose positive philosophy is encapsulated on Nic’s Groove, where Phonte croons ‘we just want to chill and rock the party’ over a sumptuous synth line. It’s like walking into a particularly cool party on a warm summer day, where there’s everything that Happiness’ chorus lays out – ‘good people, good love and good music.’ But there’s far more to Connected than just kicking back and enjoying yourself.
As you’d expect from a record that joins hip hop central to the Netherlands, there’s a scope and vision here that goes far beyond your average. The theme of reaching out for something new and creating an enduring and influential legacy runs through all of Connected. Let’s Move’s refrain, or manifesto, states their aim to ‘build something for the whole family, all the b-boys, MCs and DJs’ while The Answer calls for both ‘people in the US and cats overseas to just rock with us’. Foreign Exchange, as their name suggests, are dedicated to breaking down hip hop's boundaries and insularities – whether these are musical or geographical. Phonte, as part of Little Brother or as his alter ego Percy Miracles, has always blurred the line between R&B and hip hop, and by reaching out to the Netherlands, he found a producer who could extend his sonic palate even further.
Nicolay’s background in classical music means the album is, well, classically arranged, and his talent for playing keys, drums and bass gives the album a natural freshness. His production draws on every form of electronic music to give Connected a sound that is consistently diverse and fresh but retains a consistent identity. Take Raw Life, which contrasts an organ loop with some of the most aggressive verses on the LP, or Hustle, which is stripped down to a bare background of swirling synths for the more personal verses that give way to tight horn bursts and vocal harmonies as the vocalists puff their chests out for the chorus. However, it’s on All That You Are that Nicolay and Phonte reach their perfect synthesis. Phonte has a typically direct and open lyric detailing his relationship troubles (‘before we had a kid, we should’ve had a clue’) over a bumping bass line and overlaid vocal parts that turn the morose lyrics into the most uplifiting track on the LP.
On Nic’s Groove Phonte proclaims that ‘I’m not your everyday find’ and that goes for Connected as well. If there’s any reason why it hasn’t achieved more success, it’s probably down to the fact that it pushes and breaks so many boundaries. With Foreign Exchange, Phonte and Nicolay opened up a whole new world of possibilities for music and people alike. Four years later, and on the eve of their second LP, they’re still waiting for the rest of the world to log on.
Q&A With Nicolay
What had you been doing before Foreign Exchange?
I had spent some years playing in different kinds of bands in Europe, and I had given that up because it was impossible to combine with a ‘dayjob’. So I was working a job during daytime and producing music at night, until things started going well and I was able to quit my job and do music 100%.
How do you actually hook up with Phonte on the boards? What was it that got you talking?
It really was a group of people that were always in the same posts, whether it was about beatmakers or whatever else, and he was one of those cats. I think we had a lot in common when it comes to tastes and preferences in music, even though we are clearly very different people.
Did it make it any easier or difficult to make the album by communicating on the net?
It made it possible, so… it wasn’t even a matter of easier or difficult. There wouldn’t have been any other way for us.
How long did it take to make from start to finish?
If you include our very first humble beginnings then it took about two years off and on to finish.
Did you already have the beats or did Phonte inspire you make more?
I pretty much was on a roll anyway but getting the vocals back from Phonte most definitely inspired me even more. My output around that time was crazy, looking back at it.
Did 9th Wonder’s (or Little Brother’s) sound influence you at all? And how do you feel about the Dutch 9th Wonder tag – is it just lazy because you both made beats for Little Brother?
Same way he feels about the American Nicolay tag!
What do you think looking back at Connected now? Is there anything you’d change?
No, there’s nothing I’d wanna do different for the simple reason that it was the best that we could do at that time with the means that we had to our disposal. I’m still exceptionally proud of it.
Which tracks are you particularly proud of?
Every single one of them, for various reasons. It sounds cliché but it really is similar to chosing between children. It’s impossible.
How will it (or how did it) feel making a Foreign Exchange album in a ‘normal’ way?
We might experiment more with that in the future, but we’re still very much on a “if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it” philosophy, so I can’t say.
How did it work with the vocals? Did you have any input, or were you solely responsible for the beats and Phonte for all the vocal parts?
Phonte was the vocal director, I was the musical director. That was pretty much the 50/50 division so we both very much had our own part of it.
I’ve seen you play Rhodes/keys on ‘Nic’s Groove’ live on a You Tube clip (at the Jazz Café, London) with Little Brother – is that the key (sorry) influence on your sound?
I think it’s only a part of my sound. I tend to utilize any and all things that I can think of, from sampling to live playing of various instruments to pots and pans if it sounds right.
Are we going to see Percy Miracles on the next album? And when’s it coming out?
Nope, Percy Miracles (RIP) is no longer with us. The new album will be out sometime this year, hopefully the latter part of the summer.
Connected is still very much available on BBE records.