August 19, 2008 sees the release Alchemy: G.S.T. Reloaded double-CD/download. It is the follow-up-and perfect companion album-to her critically acclaimed 2007 album, Grime, Silk & Thunder.
Disc 1 is a set of spanking new-as well as previously unreleased-mixes from her “Grime, Silk & Thunder” album by a posse of the world’s top remixers, among them Bimbo Jones, Kenny Dope, Quentin Harris, Morgan Page, Craig C., Mood II Swing, DJ Spen, TIkaro and DFA. The first single, just released, is the “Automatic 2008 Remixes,” released due to popular demand by DJs and fans alike. The next single/video is new promo favorite, “Twisted.”
Disc 2, marks Ultra’s first ever commercially released DJ mix compilation-“The Sugar Sessions 01”-a sah-lamming set of additional remixes from the “G.S.T.” album, mixed by DJ Ultra Naté herself.
Here follows the original, updated, Grime, Silk & Thunder bio.
Grime, Silk & Thunder may serve as the ideal, if intriguing, title of Ultra Naté’s new disc, but something along the lines of Resilience, Regal and Real could best describe her well-established position in pop and dance music.
Ever since Ultra released the internationally renowned deep house classic, “It’s Over Now” with the esteemed Basement Boys in 1989, which led to her equally eminent debut album, Blue Notes in the Basement (Warner Bros., 1991), Ultra has been a perennial force in dance music, regardless of idiomatic styles. Considering the ephemeral nature of dance/electronica music (e.g. Hot today, gone tomorrow), Naté’s endurance attests to her musical acumen. She attributes solid songwriting and being a true artist, as opposed to an anonymous voice, to her longevity. “I’m a songwriter. I’ve written about 95 percent of my material,” Naté explains. “In that music, there’s a very specific personality that comes across, which really transcends the dance-floor moment and becomes a part of people’s lives.”
Ultra’s music not only “transcends the dance-floor moment,” it traverses various styles. Next to her instantly recognizable husky voice, her sheer versatility serves as a high trump card. On Grime, Silk & Thunder, she covers the waterfront of pop, club and DJ culture, ranging from glittery, anthemic, crystal ball swirling gems like “Give It All You Got,” “Star,” and a revisited Naté classic “Scandal” to the technosoul of the Pointer Sisters cover “Automatic” and the bouncy, electro pop ode to her new son, Izaya with” Falling” to seductive, R&B-inflected midtempo joints like “Feel Love,” “This House” and an inspired makeover of her breakthrough single, “It’s Over Now.” Ultra admirably channels early-’80s club reggae (think Sly & Robbie’s work with Grace Jones and Gwen Guthrie) on “Love’s the Only Drug” (which simultaneously alludes to the legendary Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte), “Lethal Shot” and “Slow Grind” then effortlessly channels vintage Philadelphia International soul with the Teddy Pendergrass’ inspired “Getaway.”
With all its stylistic variety, Grime, Silk & Thunder proceeds like a bona fide album versus a collection ofunrelated singles. Naté and longtime manager and co-producer Bill Coleman also made a conscientious decision to ensure that each song showcased Ultra’s distinct and varied personalities but were state of the dancefloor. “I definitely wanted it to be a DJ-oriented record, because people are really checking for the DJ-ready songs. There’s a possibility to play every track on the album in various club atmospheres or on the radio,” she says.
Naté and Coleman also recruited an international cadre of A-list producers alongside some very talented newcomers. The 14-song collection features contributions from the likes of Eric Kupper, Quentin Harris, Dajae, Andre Levin (Yerba Buena), Mood II Swing, N’Dea Davenport (Brand New Heavies), MorganPage, 2007 Grammy nominees GoodandEvil (Naty Botero), The Muthafunkas, Double Deuce, Funky Junction, Chris Willis (David Guetta) and Jens Bergmark. The legendary StoneBridge not only produced the infectious international club and Top 10 pop hit “Freak On” but also mixed the entire album. As statedbefore, Naté is no mere ingénue singer; she was hands-on in the production of all of the tracks, particularly the studio wizardry of her voice. “As an artist, you really want to grow. I know my musical abilities and I’m trying to expand upon them. All of these songs went through many stages of evolution,” Naté.
When asked about the new disc’s provocative title, Ultra again illustrates her enormous musical swath by mentioning the heroic ’90s grunge band Nirvana. “The idea came from a Rolling Stone magazine article about Nirvana,” she says. “They said Nevermind was a great mix of grime, silk and thunder. That’s a real cool concept of what a record should really be about. In relationship to me, it had an elemental feeling, kind of like earth, wind and fire but in an edgier form.”
Naté’s edgy artistry at once recalls the fierceness of Grace Jones, the sensuality of Donna Summer and the riot girl soulfulness of Nona Hendryx. Adding more ammunition to Ultra, the singer, songwriter and producer, is being a DJ and record producer.
Rocking the decks for over five years at Deep Sugar (at the Paradox every 2nd Saturday) Ultra has secured gigs in Australia, Montreal, Brazil, the UK (at Ministry Of Sound, no less) and France, where she drops a regular radio mix on the respected dance station, Radio FG. [More: Read the “10 Q&As With DJ Ultra Naté” on penetrationinc.com.]
On the production tip, Ultra owns Blufire (on which she releases her own records via Tommy Boy) and the Deep Sugar Music label, an imprint which is released under the Strictly Rhythm umbrella that is affiliated with her Sugar party. Releases are scheduled for singles by R&B /Dance diva Sybil (“Shining Star”) and two new artists: Jada (“Beatutiful”) and Lisa Mack.
The residency at Club is very close to Ultra, because Baltimore is her hometown, where she first came in contact with the club scene. While in college, she intended on pursuing a career in medicine. But one life-alternating night at Baltimore’s O’Dells changed that. “I had never really been exposed to nightclub life until I went to this club. The energy was so powerful and incredible! It was just a completely overwhelming experience. I was immediately addicted,” she recalls.
At O’Dells, Naté met producer Thomas Davis (who reunites here with Ultra on the song “Falling”), formerly of the Basement Boys, who were in search of various singers to accompany their house tracks. The first song Ultra recorded with them was “It’s Over Now,” which first spread throughout the underground deep house scene, from Baltimore to Tony Humphries in New Jersey and New York City to across the Atlantic with Norman Jay in London. The song became a global phenomenon that led to Ultra being signed to Warner Bros. in the U.K.
1991’s Blue Notes in the Basement kicked off Naté’s career as an artist who could deliver albums as opposed to a string of singles. Songs like “Deeper Love” and “Rejoicing” became instant DJ staples. Her follow-up Warner Bros. album, One Woman’s Insanity (1994) also garnered critical praise, thanks to its club smashes, “How Long” “Joy” and “Show Me.” Ultra’s following two albums, Situation Critical (1998)and Stranger Than Fiction (2001) were released on the venerable Strictly Rhythm label, both of which solidified her reputation as an enduring songstress and a platinum selling artist with radio, video and club favorites such as, the now-classic “Free,” “Found A Cure”, “Desire”, “Twisted” and “Divine Love.” Contributions to films such as the cult mainstay “Party Girl” (Ultra wrote and performed its title theme) and Ô54’ (Ultra along with Amber and Jocelyn Enriquez ushered in the soundtrack’s hit single “If You Could Read My Mind”) continue to endear fans around the globe.
Over the last 16 years, Ultra has had the fortune of working with an array of acclaimed and varied producers / collaborators and visual artists including such luminaries as Nellee Hooper, Masters At Work, David Lachapelle, Lenny Kravitz, Deee-lite, Murlyn Music, Blaze, Eric Johnson, Armand Van Helden, Charles Stone, Soulshock, Cutfather and Karlin, Nona Hendryx, Dah-Len, the Berman Brothers, 4 Hero, Bart Everly, Attica Blues, D-Influence, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, World Of Wonder and Robert Clivilles.
The sparkling Grime, Silk & Thunder, Naté’s fifth album and now Alchemy, her sixth amount to another benchmark in that its released, in partnership with Tommy Boy Records, on her own boutique imprint, Blufire. In an era of 15-minute divas, the album is an apt and passionate portrait of a remarkable, versatile singer, songwriter, producer, who’s survived the cutthroat music business by being resilient, regal and real.
In mid-2009 it was announced that U.S. R&B songstress Michelle Williams, previously of Destiny's Child has collaborated on a song with Ultra called "I'm Waiting On You", for use on both of their next studio albums.[3] In 2010 Ultra has released a Bob Sinclar remix of her classic hit "Free" on Strictly Rhythm. "Give It 2 U" in collaboration with Quentin Harris for his album "Sacrifice" which is considered a preview of an upcoming duet project between Ultra and Quentin called "Black Stereo Faith". She also released "Destination" in collaboration with Tony Moran which peaked at #10 on the Billboard Dance Play chart. "Destination" was the second single off Tony's album, Mix Magic Music.
In 2010 she released an EP titled "Things Happen At Night" featuring Ultra's pop and soul melodies and vocal stylings over manic percussive club beats done by Unruly productions. In September 2011 she submitted a song to represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, to be held in Azerbaijan.
January 2011 is slated for the release of Ultra's new single with Strictly Rhythm on her Deep Sugar label imprint called "Turn It Up" with a music video directed by Leo Herrara. "Turn It Up" is the first single to be released from her sixth studio album to be titled "Hero Worship" released on July 23, 2013.
Official site: www.ultranate.com.
Unconditional
Ultra Naté Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know I wasn't even looking
But you were there from the very start
Who was I ever fooling
I've got nothing to prove
We've got nothing to hide
I've got nothing to lose
If I've got you by my side
And I'll give you my trust
Cause this is what I want for us
Unconditional
Yes, that's what it is
Nothing can stop it now
This love is unbelievable
Are you ready for it
Cause you don't ever need to doubt
It's unconditional
Oh, oh, yeah
That's what it is
Oh, oh, yeah
That's what it is
Unconditional
Oh, oh, yeah
That's what it is
Nothing can stop it now
Some people wait their entire life
To get to what we're feeling, yeah
Now as I'm looking into your eyes
I understand the meaning
You can tell me to stop
You can push me to quit
But I wouldn't give up
No, I wouldn't do it
Cause I'm making my choice
And I'm taking the chance
Boy, I hope you understand
Unconditional
Yes, that's what it is
Nothing can stop it now
This love is unbelievable
Are you ready for it
Cause you don't ever need to doubt
It's unconditional
No, we're not giving up
Cause we're gonna see it through
This love is unconditional
And when the growing gets tough
Promise me that you will choose
No matter the pain, babe
I'm never gonna quit
Never again, hey
I know that this is it
I wanna love you
Unconditional
Cause right there we got it all
Unconditional
Yes, that's what it is
Nothing can stop it now
This love is unbelievable
Are you ready for it
Cause you don't ever need to doubt
Unconditional
No, we're not giving up
Cause we're gonna see it through
This love is unconditional
And when the growing gets tough
Promise me that you will choose
In Ultra Naté's song "Unconditional," she sings about the power of unconditional love and how it can change everything. The title of the song "Unconditional" refers to the strength and depth of the love between two people. The lyrics describe how the love between the two lovers was unexpected and happened quickly, like a shooting star. The singer acknowledges that she wasn't looking for love, but it found her when she least expected it. The love is so strong and genuine that she has nothing to prove and nothing to lose by being with him.
The chorus repeats that the love between the two of them is unconditional and nothing can stop it. They are confident that they are meant to be together, and they will see it through even when the going gets tough. The singer acknowledges that some people wait their whole life to feel the love that they share.
Line by Line Meaning
You came to me like a shooting star
You entered my life suddenly, unexpectedly and in a very beautiful way.
You know I wasn't even looking
I wasn't searching for love or expecting to find someone so special.
But you were there from the very start
You were always present and captivated my attention from the moment we met.
Who was I ever fooling
I was pretending I didn't need or want love when deep down inside, it was all I ever wanted.
I've got nothing to prove
I don't need to prove anything to anyone, I am content with myself and what I have.
We've got nothing to hide
We are open and transparent with each other, we don't keep secrets.
I've got nothing to lose
I am not afraid to love and take risks, because the love we have is worth it.
If I've got you by my side
As long as I have your support, I can face anything with confidence.
Won't you give me your hand
Will you take my hand and trust me to love you unconditionally?
And I'll give you my trust
If you trust me, I will trust you too and we can build a strong foundation for our love.
Cause this is what I want for us
I want us to have a love that is unconditional and nothing can break it.
Unconditional
Our love is not based on conditions or requirements, it is pure and genuine.
Yes, that's what it is
Our love is truly unconditional and that's what sets it apart from any other kind of love.
Nothing can stop it now
Our love is so strong and unbreakable that nothing can come in between us.
This love is unbelievable
Our love is so amazing and extraordinary that it's hard to believe it's real.
Are you ready for it
Can you handle a love that is unconditional and requires nothing but trust and honesty?
Cause you don't ever need to doubt
You never have to worry or fear that our love will falter or fade, because it is unconditional.
No, we're not giving up
We will not give up on our love, even when times are tough and challenging.
Cause we're gonna see it through
We will stick together and work through any obstacles that come our way.
And when the growing gets tough
When we face hardships and difficulties, we will rely on each other for strength and support.
Promise me that you will choose
Promise me that you will choose to stick with our love, no matter what.
No matter the pain, babe
Even if we face pain and heartache, we will choose to stay committed to our love.
I'm never gonna quit
I will never give up on our love, no matter what challenges we face.
Never again, hey
I have learned from past mistakes and will not repeat them in our relationship.
I know that this is it
I am completely sure that our love is true and meant to last forever.
I wanna love you
I want to give you all of my love and affection, unconditionally.
No, we're not giving up
We will never give up on our love, no matter what challenges or obstacles we face.
Contributed by Julian B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.