Nicolette

From rare-groove roots through rave, trip-hop and soul, Nicolette emerged as one of the decade’s most distinctive dance vocalists, collaborating across projects that ranged from the short-lived rave outfit L.A. Style to forward-looking electro acts such as Plaid. Although born in Scotland, she spent her formative years in Nigeria, France and Switzerland. After becoming one of the earliest artists signed to the label established by Shut Up and Dance, she released her first single, “Wicked Mathematics.” The 1992 album Now Is Early confirmed her as a strikingly developed artist who composed her own material, addressed political themes in several tracks and delivered it with a warm, crystalline tone. Apart from scattered vocal appearances—among them a contribution to Massive Attack’s Protection—she maintained a low recording profile for the following four years. In 1996 she joined the roster of Gilles Peterson’s Talkin’ Loud imprint, which issued her sophomore album Let No-One Live Rent Free in Your Head that same year. She also curated a volume for Studio !K7’s DJ Kicks series.