Natural Self is the ongoing project of Nathaniel Pearn, aka producer Keno-1. Pearn was originally inspired by the rhythmic force of The Bomb Squad's productions for Public Enemy, and hip hop was the primary influence on his first forays into music. His hometown of Oxford was just near enough to London to pick up Tim Westwood's then seminal Capital Rap Show floating across the airwaves. The beats he heard as a teenager led him forward, to the future hip hop of DJs Shadow and Krush, and back to its roots in the American funk of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. This sparked a keen appreciation of musical lineage as well as a sense of the possibilities of the future. Crate-digging culture introduced him to a whole world of music and broadened his horizons immeasurably and part of The Broken Keys.
2001 saw Natural Self’s production debut with the "Shakedown/The Soul step" single on Tru Thoughts. With seven years of DJing experience already under his belt by this time, he knew exactly how to work a dancefloor, and both tracks had a strikingly direct and confident sound. The characteristic combination of raw drums, polyrhythmic percussion and strident horns would become a signature style of the several singles that followed, notably in the mighty "Heavy Heavy", the renowned collaboration with his good friend Nostalgia 77 (recorded as Keno-1 & The Hermit). This style became increasingly sophisticated and subtle, as showcased on Natural Self's 2006 debut album ‘Let Peace Be The Ruler’ for Breakin’ Bread records. This album saw the introduction of live recording into the Natural Self sound as well as a first full-vocal production with Alice Russell on "I Don't Need This Trouble". The first Natural Self and Nostalgia 77 collaborative album "Gravity" - recorded as The Broken Keys for Tru Thoughts – was also released in 2006, and received acclaim from the BBC 6Music Funk and Soul Show, among others. Combining the skills of the two producers, the album also featured Natural Self's first steps into singing.
Throughout this time, the demand for Natural Self’s services as a remixer was steadily rising, and he re-worked tracks for such artists as Nicole Willis, Quantic, Elizabeth Shepherd and the Canadian MC Abdominal. Natural Self's skills as a DJ also saw him travel increasingly across the UK and Europe, as his style came to incorporate Latin and African music alongside the funk and hip hop that had played such a consistent role since he first started out.
2008 saw Natural Self returning to Tru Thoughts to release his highly anticipated second solo album, entitled "The Art Of Vibration". The new long player, which was released on 30th June, saw a further development of the continually distinctive productions, featuring experiments in electronic sound as well as collaborations with Abdominal and eminent UK soul singer Andreya Triana. The album was preceded by a 12” single, "The Rising", featuring the vocals of Andreya Triana and Natural Self, gaining support and acclaim from Mark Lamarr (BBC Radio 2), Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 1), Boca 45 and many other DJs and tastemakers around the world. Natural Self recently put together a top quality live band to take the sound of his album on the road, and their first outing was a killer performance supporting Mr Scruff - so watch this space for more action from Natural Self Live.
“It’s got quality written all over it” - Mark Lamarr
“Kooky chants, dirty brass and all kinds of wonky beats...Cracking.” - iDJ Magazine
“takes his startling soul brew to fresh depths…melting cool melody over old school beats in a showdown with the shadows of dubstep” - DJ Mag
“An awesome return to TT for Natural Self …encapsulates everything that is good about music and diversity right now. Go get.” - Pimp Magazine
“By rights this should be the LP that breaks this young man into the big time.” - Shook Mag
"The Art Of Vibration is one of 2008’s winners and I hope it receives the attention and accolades that it duly deserves." - juslikemusic.com
more @ www.breakinbread.org/profile_nself.html
Solomon
Natural Self Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The world is ours, it used to be
But now it's changed so much
We have to change it back
Soon will be a day
When just a look will be to say
Let's break away today
Let's start again, I'll tell you where
You came from out of the air
And wrapped in fire
Said don't you be scared
Can't you use your life
To save so many more
Cast my pride away
And had me born again that very day
And now I'm so alive, I'm comin' through
They're teaching me to tell it to you
Oh, I'm more than natural
Way to be, it's the natural remedy
With the natural guarantee
Oh, I'm more than natural
Way to be, it's the natural remedy
With the natural guarantee
Oh, your heart would say
My mind is gone and ran away
But who's the loser if you don't know
What I have
A job that's hard to beat
Looking out for holy feet
Treading softly on the ground
Making waves but not a sound
Oh, I'm more than natural
Way to be, it's the natural remedy
With the natural guarantee
Oh, I'm more than natural
Way to be, it's the natural remedy
With the natural guarantee
The lyrics of Natural Self's song "Solomon" (Nostalgia 77 Mix) speak of change and the need to break away from the current state of the world to start anew. The song starts with the singer reassuring their love that they will help them to see that the world used to be theirs, but now it has changed so much that they need to change it back. They speak of a day when just a look will be enough to convey the message to break away and start again. The singer talks about being born again, having their pride cast away, and feeling more alive than before. They encourage their love to use their life to save many more and to look out for holy feet. The overall message of the song is about being more than natural and embracing a natural remedy with a natural guarantee.
The lyrics of the song "Solomon" may seem cryptic at first, but upon closer inspection, they speak of the need for change in the world. The song encourages people to break away from the current state of the world and to start anew. The singer talks about being born again and feeling more alive than ever before. They encourage their love to use their life to save many more and to look out for holy feet. The song's overall message is one of hope and optimism, with the idea that change is possible, and the world can be made better.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, I'll help you to see
I will assist you in perceiving
The world is ours, it used to be
The world belongs to us, previously
But now it's changed so much
But it has undergone significant alteration
We have to change it back
We need to revert it back
Soon will be a day
There is a day that will arrive quickly
When just a look will be to say
When only a glance will express
Let's break away today
Let's depart now
Let's start again, I'll tell you where
Let's initiate anew, and I'll give you the position
I'll tell you when
I'll inform you of the timing
You came from out of the air
You descended from the atmosphere
And wrapped in fire
Engulfed in flames
Said don't you be scared
Stated, 'you need not be afraid'
Can't you use your life
Cannot you utilize your life
To save so many more
To rescue numerous others
Cast my pride away
I abandoned my pride
And had me born again that very day
I was reborn on that very day
And now I'm so alive, I'm comin' through
And now I feel so alive, I am emerging stronger
They're teaching me to tell it to you
They are coaching me to convey it to you
Oh, I'm more than natural
I am something beyond natural
Way to be, it's the natural remedy
It's the natural cure
With the natural guarantee
With the assurance of naturalness
Oh, your heart would say
Oh, your heart would proclaim
My mind is gone and ran away
My intellect has vanished and escaped
But who's the loser if you don't know
Who suffers if you remain unaware?
What I have
What I possess
A job that's hard to beat
An incomparable job
Looking out for holy feet
Keeping an eye out for sacred strides
Treading softly on the ground
Walking gently on the earth
Making waves but not a sound
Causing ripples without noise
Oh, I'm more than natural
I am something beyond natural
Way to be, it's the natural remedy
It's the natural cure
With the natural guarantee
With the assurance of naturalness
Contributed by Hailey L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
almo2001
Has there been a better use of saxophone?