Now Is Early

Now Is Early is the debut studio album by Scottish singer Nicolette, produced by English electronic duo Shut Up and Dance and released in April 1992 by the duo's label of the same name. It follows a string of popular underground singles in the early 1990s that applied the singer's jazz-styled vocals to Shut Up and Dance's early experiments in breakbeat hardcore, with songs from these singles featuring on the record. Stylistically, the record profiles Shut Up and Dance's spacious, breakbeat-driven sound, contrasted with Nicolette's smooth scat-style singing. For the album, the singer wrote torch songs in a stream of consciousness style and explored universal themes. An unusually melodic, intimate release for the hard-edged Shut Up and Dance label, Now Is Early drew attention from music critics for its unique sound, but was deemed too unusual for mainstream appeal. Regarded as an early example of a vocal rave album, it has since been regarded by some critics as a "lost" classic and forerunner to jungle music. It was re-released in 1997 by Studio !K7, containing other material from the period as bonus tracks. Background and production Born in Scotland, Nicolette was raised on a variety of musical styles by her parents. As an adult, she spent two years in Paris, France, giving her what she described as a "fresh perspective on ballads and mood music", before a move to Wales saw her join her first band, Calliope. Later moving to London, she searched for a record deal and discovered a newspaper advert from electronic duo Shut Up and Dance, consisting of members PJ and Smiley, who were looking for a singer. She auditioned and improvised her jazz-styled vocals over the duo's dance instrumentals; they then signed her to their eponymous label Shut Up and Dance, launched in 1989. Nicolette reflected that she was initially unsure what the duo "were about," but enjoyed their productions without being able to "pinpoint exactly what it was," explaining: "I was looking for some hard-edged production to balance my sound and in the end the two things – their beats and my melodies – have worked closely together. But not too close." Her debut single, a double A-side of "School of the World" and "Single Minded People", was released in November 1990, becoming one of the label's first two singles.