Interviews
13 Minutes with Ultra Naté
By Marcos Bernal-Salas
Monday, June 11, 2007
Baltimore Disco Diva Ultra Naté is back with her latest album ‘Grime, Silk and Thunder’. In case you need some memory jolting, Ultra is the powerhouse voice behind the hit singles ‘It’s Over Now’ and ‘Free’, the latter wildly popular in the Summer of 1997.
‘Grime, Silk and Thunder’ is by far her greatest accomplishment. The 14-track album goes from solid dance beats to soulful notes showcasing Ultra Naté’s great musical range, soul and passion. The collaborations and re-vamps of classic tunes will make this album a favorite in any dance floor. ‘Automatic’ (a fresh mix from The Pointer Sister beloved song). ‘Love’s the Only Drug’ (an inspired single by Grace Jones), ‘Slow ,‘Scandal’ and ‘Freak On’ will have everyone dancing around with the contagious funky beats and electronic pulses in each of these tracks.
Last week during her album launch day, June 5, I quickly took 13 minutes out of Ultra’s busy schedule to find out more about her inspiration for the album. Here’s what she had to say:
MBS: What has been the response so far to your new album?
UN: I’m getting a really great response. It’s really good, positive responses coming back to me, it’s simply exciting.
MBS: Tell me a bit about the creative process on the album. What was the initial thought for ‘Grime, Silk and Thunder’?
UN: I wanted to include a couple of old singles. First of all, being my own [work] from my early catalogue, my first two singles that came out when I first started in 1989; ‘Scandal’, “It’s Over Now’. And I really wanted these to be part of this album project, for me [it’s about] reflecting back on the 18 years I’ve been making music. Being part of the scene, surviving, success…and the whole process; the good, bad and ugly of this industry being a creative person and trying to remain a validated artist and all of things within went into [the album] as a concept.
MBS: How did the Pointer Sister’s remake ‘Automatic’ make it into the album?
UN: ‘Automatic’ [was] one the last songs that became part of the album. I was accidentally out one day turning on the radio, and it such a feel good song, and it such a reflection of summer time and I thought it’d be really cool to do a current take…I felt like it would be something that I could reinterpret, make it fun and able to keep the integrity of the original song. ‘Grime, Silk and Thunder’ as a whole represents the very different feels and styles, you get some of the old school, soul music, house stuff, the more pop and acoustic tunes as well.
MBS: That definitely comes across the album. What is your favorite track in the album?
UN: My favorite track will definitely be ‘Falling’. I think is the most emotional song in the whole record, because it’s about my son. I wrote it while he was sitting on my lap one Saturday morning (laughs). [It has] to do with my emotional attachment and relationship with him, and speaks about the love between a parent and a child, as opposed to a romantic love and how that love continues to grow constantly.
MBS: That’s a nice back-story to the creative process and influences for the album. What other influences do you have, musically? What other artists influence your style? Old, new that you like.
UN: I listened to a wide range of music. I listen to everything from Chaka Khan to The Doors. I’m influenced by a many, many different [music] especially from the soul stuff that I grew up on and my mother’s record collection; The Commodores, The LPD, Chaka, Marvin Gaye. But I also listened to pop stuff that was on the radio like Erasure, U2, Madonna, Culture Club…there’s a lot of stuff to draw from. And I continued to listen to different stuff and artists from R&B and hip-hop to rock and country. I think it’s very important as an artist to always be opened to various styles.
MBS: What are you currently listening to right now? What’s on your iPod, besides your own album – Because I’m sure you have it (laughs) Because I have it on my iPod already. What other artists are you listening to right now?
UN: I have this album by an artist named Danny, who is from Atlanta, his first album. He’s very old school, soul kind of artist. Very genius in his songwriting and presence in this record. I have; believe it or not, ‘The Best of David Bowie’ (laughs and sings a bit of ‘Space Oddity’). I have Fantasia’s new album, Justin Timberlake and whole bunch of soul music. I’m also very much into Journey too.
I don’t think it’s necessary to point out that ‘
Grime, Silk and Thunder’ is a clear reflection of Ultra Nate’s talent and passion for music.
For More on Ultra Visit:
Ultra Nate
Grime, Silk and Thunder
Tommy Boy
Ultra Naté Photo Credits: Home Page (Alvaro Villarubia) Insert Above (Karl Giant)
