Albums of recorded music were developed in the early 20th century, first as books of individual 78rpm records, then from 1948 as vinyl LP records played at 33 1⁄3 rpm. Vinyl LPs are still issued, though in the 21st century albums sales have mostly focused on compact disc (CD) and MP3 formats. The audio cassette was a format used in the late 1970s through to the 1990s alongside vinyl.
An album may be recorded in a recording studio (fixed or mobile), in a concert venue, at home, in the field, or a mix of places. Recording may take a few hours to several years to complete, usually in several takes with different parts recorded separately, and then brought or "mixed" together. Recordings that are done in one take without overdubbing are termed "live", even when done in a studio. Studios are built to absorb sound, eliminating reverberation, so as to assist in mixing different takes; other locations, such as concert venues and some "live rooms", allow for reverberation, which creates a "live" sound. The majority of studio recordings contain an abundance of editing, sound effects, voice adjustments, etc. With modern recording technology, musicians can be recorded in separate rooms or at separate times while listening to the other parts using headphones; with each part recorded as a separate track.
Nico (born Christa Päffgen; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988) was a German singer-songwriter, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress who became famous as a Warhol superstar in the 1960s. She is known for her vocals on The Velvet Underground's debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), and her work as a solo artist. She also had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls (1966).
Nico was born Christa Päffgen in Cologne. When she was two years old, she moved with her mother and grandfather to the Spreewald forest outside of Berlin to escape the bombardments of Cologne. Her father Hermann, born into a dynasty of Colognian master brewers, was enlisted as a soldier during World War II and sustained head injuries that caused severe brain damage and ended his life in a psychiatric institution; according to an unproven rumor, he was variously said to have died in a concentration camp, or to have faded away as a result of shell shock.
Nico & Vinz are an African-Norwegian group singing and songwriting duo composed of Kahouly Nicolay "Nico" Sereba from Holmlia, Oslo and Vincent "Vinz" Dery from Lambertseter, Oslo. They formed in 2009 as Envy and are based in Oslo. They changed their name to Nico & Vinz in January 2014 after the international success of "Am I Wrong".
Nico Sereba of Norwegian-Ivorian origin and Vincent Dery of Norwegian-Nigerian origin created their music as a fusion of genres as diverse as pop to reggae to soul, having been exposed by the various musical influences of their parents with whom they did recurring trips to the West Coast of Africa. The duo was launched as Envy with its main debut appearance at Emergenza Festival in 2011. They won first place at the Taubertal Open Air Festival World's "Emergenza Final" for new emerging artists. Following that success, the duo released the mixtape Dreamworks: Why Not Me under the name Envy. The materials were also made available online through WiMP.
Nicoleta Matei, known by her stage name Nico (born on 1 February 1970), is a Romanian singer, TV personality and spokesperson for Catena in Romania. In her country, she is known for having collaborated with several Romanian hip hop artists, such as Morometzii (in 1999), B.U.G. Mafia (in 2000, 2002), Cabron (in 2003, 2007, 2010), Puya, Blat Jargon, and Codu Penal. She is considered one of the best Romanian voices ever. She represented Romania along with Vlad in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Pe-o margine de lume".
Nico was born and raised in Ploiești, where she still lives. In 1990, she graduated from The Popular Art School and starting with 1996, she attended several Romanian music contests, winning many prizes. Since 1996 she is the main voice of the Toma Caragiu Theater in Ploiești, winning for 4 years in a row the award for the Best Female Vocal Performer on The National Festival of Variety Shows in Theatres in Romania. In 1998 she made her first TV appearance, together with Horia Brenciu on a show called Sarabanda, where she used to cover many of Romanian and international hits. In 1999 she made her first major participation on a national music competition, called Mamaia Music Festival, finishing 2nd on the Composing Section with the song Si Daca Viata Mea.