RS: Do you think being a DJ affected the music you made for this album?
Ultra Nate: I don't think so that specifically. It's really two
different disciplines. Although they're both grounded in the music
situation, it's two very, very different things.
RS: My favorite song on the album is "Slow Grime." When I heard
Grime in the album tile I thought of the whole UK grimy two-step thing
and with Slow Grime you totally delivered on that. What was in your
head when you were writing and making that track?
Ultra Nate: Slow Grime for me was more of a trippy kind of vibe.
With the track, I had a little reggae kind of skank thing going on to
it and I just wanted to come up with something that was a little
ethereal almost moody kind of sexy vibe but still with a bit of edge
to it.
I kind of go off into these little tangents sometimes and let whatever's going to come out come out no matter how crazy it sounds to me. Slow Grime is one of the songs on the album that I was most nervous about whether people would get, because it's so left of center. It's not your typical screaming black diva, house-y, churchy, four to floor kind of track. I wondered if people were going to get this and be receptive. I just do what I do and let the chips fall where they may.
RS: Well that's because you're not your typical church wailing
diva, you're so much more than that.
Ultra Nate: Thank you.
RS: You also collaborate with other vocalists on this album,
Chris Willis and Dajae. How did they get to be part of the team?
Ultra Nate: Chris is managed by my manager Bill Coleman as well.
He's an extremely talented vocalist and has great up there kind of
feel to his vocal style and I really wanted that element on the
particular song that he's performing on - he really brought those
background parts to life. When I heard the song I was like this song
is really going, and Chris brought this really great element to it.
The texture of his voice brought this really great soulful and pop
kind of tinge that I wanted for those particular songs.
Now Dajae, that's my home girl and we've been home girls forever. I love the resonance and power of her voice. When it came time to start writing for this album, I really wanted to specifically write something for Dajae and I to do together because I always loved and respected her as an artist.
RS: I want to ask you about working with Stonebridge on Freak
On, that really was for his album and ended up being part of your
album too, how did that work out?
Ultra Nate: I'd say it worked out great for both of us because the
song gets to see the light of day on both sides of the water, I don't
think it was released by Hed Kandi over here through any US labels, so
it gets a chance to get another lifespan over here. That was part of
the original deal when he asked me to do the song and I asked if I
would be able to use this song for my album as well. Stonebridge is
an awesome producer, so I definitely wanted to have something by him
on the record. We had worked together previously on a couple of
different projects, including a top ten record for Mardi Gras in
Australia, so this probably the second or third project that we've
actually done together.
RS: It says on your album 'mixed by Stonebridge,' what exactly
did he do on the full album?
Ultra Nate: After each individual producer finishes the production
of each song, they have to do a mix down of it which is where you
tweak all the elements of the song. I wanted that to be done by one
person specifically because there are so many various producers on the
record that I wanted there to be some continuity and a common thread
in the overall feel or the sonic value of the record. It's easier if
you have one person interpret that for the whole record as opposed to
everybody's different interpretations of it.
RS: A few more things, are you active on MySpace or your website?
Ultra Nate: I am, very much so.
RS: How much response do you get from your fans and how often
are you able to write to them, that kind of stuff?
Ultra Nate: I get a lot of eMails from fans and obviously I can't
answer every one back, but I do make a concerted effort to get a few
people back here and there. People really appreciate when you reach
out and are quite surprised more often than not that you actually
answer them. I think it's an important link to people that are
actually feeling your music and that are trying to be one on one with
you and what's going on with your music and things like that, which I
think is really important to do.
RS: What would you like to say to all your fans out there?
Ultra Nate: Well, I would definitely like to thank everybody that
has been part of Ultra Nate's experience as an artist. Whether they
came in from the beginning during "It's Over Now" and "Scandal" from
or whether they just found out about me in the mid 90s through the
success of "Free" and "If You Could Read My Mind," it's all wonderful
and I hope that they continue to enjoy the music that I put out. They
really make my career happen and make it work. When I get to go out
and perform live and people are there and they tell me how much they
appreciate my music and I see when I'm performing all the energy
that's there - that's what makes all of the drama behind the scenes
worthwhile. I really feel the gratification happen when I create
these works, using ideas and elements that come out of my mind and now
become physical, tangible pieces of property that people make their
own. To me that's a really precious and awesome gift to have that
kind of opportunity to do. A lot of people work their whole life and
never get a chance to do anything that they enjoy or that they feel
gratified about, I am truly blessed because of all of the wonderful
fans.
Interview posted - May 21st, 2007
