Atlanta: back to being the new guys in the room
Jon and Jules went to Atlanta and lived in Atlantic Station for about a year. Through Ne-Yo's production company, Compound Entertainment, they gained access to the local scene and began working in his studios. They later continued at Bryan-Michael Cox's studios.
During their stay, they also wrote and produced music with international artists including R. City and Usher.
Nexus had already achieved a long run of major hits in Denmark. In Atlanta, Jon and Jules were once again two songwriters and producers finding their feet in a new music scene. It was a chance to work closely with some of the people shaping the sound of American R&B.
J. Holiday: the first tangible success in the US
Forever Ain't Enough appeared on J. Holiday's second album, Round 2, with Jules credited as a producer and songwriter.
Round 2 debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. It made the American work tangible: a Nexus production had landed on a major US R&B album.
Norway: Erik og Kriss
Norwegian duo Erik og Kriss, in many ways Norway's answer to Nik & Jay, approached Jon and Jules because they wanted to work with the producers behind the Danish hits.
It led to a collaboration that included Lighter, certified platinum in Norway, and My City, which brought Erik og Kriss together with Nik & Jay. Jon and Jules later also produced For alltid for the album Fem.
The collaboration created a natural connection between the Danish and Norwegian pop-rap scenes and showed that Jon and Jules's work could succeed outside Denmark.
A second chapter in America
After the Cisilia period, Jules moved to the United States again. Jon didn't want to make the same journey a second time, so Jules continued on his own, initially through his Atlanta contacts and later with Los Angeles as his base.
The ambition went beyond individual songwriting and production cuts. He wanted to bring more of the Nexus model to the US: developing artists and building lasting relationships.
Raja Kumari and Massari
Raja Kumari: from Curry Sauce to The Come Up
After moving to Los Angeles, Jules met Indian-American rapper and songwriter Raja Kumari. She was already signed to Epic Records, but the label had not yet decided to release her music.
Jules and Raja began working together, including on the mixtape Curry Sauce Vol. 1. They later met with L.A. Reid, then head of Epic Records, and agreed that Epic would release the EP The Come Up.
Jules helped develop Raja's musical style and produced Mute and Believe in You, among other tracks. He was also a co-producer on City Slums, featuring Indian rapper DIVINE.
Massari
Jules also produced and wrote on Massari's Done Da Da alongside DaHeala, Moon Willis and others. The song has since passed 100 million streams.
Timbaland: coming full circle
In Miami, Jules worked in the studio with Timbaland, one of the producers who had inspired Jon and Jules as they developed their own blend of R&B, hip-hop and pop.
From a tiny studio in Birkerød to sitting in an American studio with one of the producers who had inspired it all.
Returning to Denmark
When the pandemic shut down much of the Los Angeles music scene, Jules returned to Denmark.
It wasn't the end of the international work. It was the start of the next phase, developing new Danish artists while continuing to nurture international relationships.