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
To The Sun
Natural Self Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Warmer than a summer night
But clouds were like a alabaster palace
Rising to a snowing height
Each star its own aura borealis
Suddenly you held me tight
And I could see the midnight sun
Or was that a moonlight vale
The music of the universe surround me
Or was it that a nightingale
And then your arms miraculously found me
Suddenly the sky turned pale
And I could see the midnight sun
Was there ever such a night
Its a thrill I still don't quite believe
But after you were gone
There was still some stardust on my sleeve
The flame of it may twiddle to remember
And the stars forget to shine
And we may see a meadow in December
I see white and crystal light
But oh my darling ill always remember
When your lips were close to mine
And we saw the midnight sun
The flame of it may twinkle like
An amber in the stars forget to shine
And we may see a meadow in December
I see white and crystal light
But oh my darling ill always remember
When your lips were close to mine
And we saw the midnight sun
We saw the midnight sun
I can see the midnight sun, yeah
What a weekend
The lyrics of Natural Self's song "To The Sun" describe a magical and enchanting night that the singer has experienced with a lover. The first stanza presents vivid imagery of the physical appearance of the person's lips, comparing them to a ruby chalice that is warmer than a summer night. The clouds are then described as an alabaster palace rising to a snowing height, while each star has its own aura borealis. Suddenly, the person's lover holds them tight and they can see the midnight sun.
The second stanza further describes the magical experience, with the singer unable to fully explain the silver ring or moonlight vale that they saw. They are surrounded by the music of the universe, or was it a nightingale? Suddenly, the person's arms miraculously found them, and the sky turned pale, allowing them to see the midnight sun. The lyrics end with the singer reflecting on the experience, stating that they will always remember when their lover's lips were close to theirs and they saw the midnight sun together.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of an otherworldly and enchanting experience that the singer had with a lover. Through vivid imagery, the lyrics transport the listener to a magical place and invoke a sense of wonder and awe.
Line by Line Meaning
Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice
Your lips were warm and inviting, like a precious, luxurious cup made of red and ruby gemstones.
Warmer than a summer night
Your lips were warmer and more comforting than a summer night, that's supposed to be the warmest night of the year.
But clouds were like a alabaster palace
The clouds looked magnificent and imposing, like a palace made of white and translucent stone.
Rising to a snowing height
The clouds were climbing up high, like a majestic mountain covered in snow.
Each star its own aura borealis
The stars had their own colorful aura, like the aurora borealis, that made them shine more brightly and vibrantly.
Suddenly you held me tight
All of a sudden, you embraced me closely and firmly.
And I could see the midnight sun
With you by my side, I could see the sun even at midnight, which is an incredible and surreal experience.
I cant explain the silver ring that found
There's something inexplicable about the silver ring that I encountered, maybe it was a sign or a blessing.
Or was that a moonlight vale
I wonder if that was a beautiful and romantic valley illuminated by the moonlight.
The music of the universe surround me
I felt surrounded and enchanted by the beautiful and harmonious sounds of the universe.
Or was it that a nightingale
I also wonder if it was the sweet and melodious singing of a nightingale that I heard.
And then your arms miraculously found me
Suddenly, your arms reached out to me, as if by a miracle, and held me close.
Suddenly the sky turned pale
The whole sky became pale and almost colorless, as if to emphasize the moment's importance and beauty.
Was there ever such a night
I can hardly believe there was ever a night as magical and unforgettable as that one.
Its a thrill I still don't quite believe
It's still thrilling and hard to believe that something so amazing and rare happened to me.
But after you were gone
Even after you left, I still felt a trace of that magical moment lingering with me.
There was still some stardust on my sleeve
I could still sense that stardust and enchantment on my sleeve, as if it had stuck to me in a good way.
The flame of it may twiddle to remember
The intensity and grandeur of that moment may fade away with time, but the memory of it will always be cherished.
And we may see a meadow in December
Even in the bleakest and coldest of times, we may encounter something unexpected and beautiful, like a meadow covered in snow.
I see white and crystal light
In my mind's eye, I can see a stunning and bright light shining through the white snow and ice.
But oh my darling ill always remember
I promise you, my dear, that I will always keep the memory of that magical night close to my heart.
When your lips were close to mine
Especially when I felt the warmth and softness of your lips so close to mine, like nothing else mattered in the world.
And we saw the midnight sun
Together, we experienced one of the most breathtaking and rarest phenomena in nature, the midnight sun.
I can see the midnight sun, yeah
Even as I'm reminiscing about that night, I can still vividly see and feel the light and warmth of the midnight sun.
What a weekend
What an incredible and unforgettable weekend it must have been, full of wonder, beauty, and love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHNNY MERCER, J. FRANCIS BURKE, LIONEL HAMPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind