[.ca] Grime Silk And Thunder

ULTRA NATE - "Grime, Silk, Thunder":
The dance music world saw a number of good CDs released in 2007, but this one stands apart from the pack for its originality and passion. Since 1991 Ultra Nate has been recognized as one of the more original vocalists in a genre that's filled with nameless voices fronting DJ/Producer creations that seem to be cranked out on a daily basis. She is also well known for being part of the singing trio Stars On 54 who scored a massive hit with "If You Could Read My Mind" in 1998 and as a solo artist has released singles pretty much on a yearly basis since then. The first single released from this CD was "Love's The Only Drug" and it was a wake up call for all that dance music could be and should be-fantastic. There's an overwhelming hint of 80's disco Svengali Giorgio Moroder on this cut and that's a good thing. Just think of the vibe in the main theme from the movie "Midnight Express" and you'll know what I mean. Subsequent single releases included an over the top old school techno take on The Pointer Sister's hit "Automatic" with hints of Sonique in the vocals, and the awesome "Give It All You Got" which is possibly the best song on a CD filled with great songs. "Freak On" could have been recorded note for note in 1981, "Lethal Shot" is the song Britney Spears probably wishes was hers, and "Falling" is a brilliantly positive take on love and life and segues perfectly into "Getaway". For a taste of uniqueness, check out the World Music influences on the 8:26 running "It's Over Now", it's a hot number. This is an album that transcends the usual soulless, bland and repetitive nature of the majority of dance albums, which for the most part leave the listener begging for a decent remix that will kick some life to the original number. The reasons this CD rises above the herd are: Ultra Nate is a singer, songwriter, DJ, promoter, club owner and producer and these roles have obviously provided her with insight into what people want to hear, see, dance to and listen to. The proof is on this CD.

Grime, Silk, & Wonder!!:
Not only is this the greatest electronice album I've heard all year, it's got to be in the Top 5 of Best Albums to date in 2007. This dance album takes from many different arenas of dance - house, ambient, euro, reggae-ish and is a pleasure to listen to through and through (over and over). Ultra is known for being "the thinking man's dance artist". Her lyrics go beyond encouraging the listener to party and dance, they also provide some food for thought. If I could give this album more than 5 stars, I would gladly!!

"Tonight, I may condone it...":
Only her fifth album in a 17-year career, Baltimore's Ultra Naté has never been in a hurry to put anything out, let alone clichéd R & B or by-the-numbers dance music (even if her upcoming high-octane cover of the Pointer Sisters' Automatic may have the whiff of an album-promoting sop to the mainstream about it, it's still a lot of fun - especially its campy, soft-porn video). I'm a bit biased, as Ultra has, for me, the most pleasing vocal on earth and I'd probably have snapped up each new release if they'd featured her singing the phonebook, or even Rod Stewart-style sell-out schmaltzfests, but I'd say Grime, Silk, Thunder is a welcome addition to her solid, high-quality output to date. One thing you can say about this smokily-voiced chanteuse is that she's never been afraid to plough her own furrow, tackling a variety of musical styles, and maybe this is why so many impressively talented musicians have queued up to work with her over the years (D-Influence, Stonebridge, Masters at Work, Nellee Hooper, Blaze, Dajae, Full Intention, Eric Kupper, Mood II Swing, N'Dea Davenport, etc etc). I'd heard this was to be Ultra's "dancefloor album" (in the same way Madonna's last effort was hers), but, in common with each release from One Woman's Insanity onwards, she wraps her ever-maturing voice around a number of different moods - from the Philly-sounding Getaway (soaring guest vocals from Dajae) to Giorgio Moroder-style retro-disco in Love's the Only Drug. But her always compelling phrasing makes the slower, jazzy Feel Love the stand-out track for me. If you've heard club remixes by the likes of Liquid People, they don't really compare to the much deeper original featured here - it hits the kind of heights I'd hoped for from MAW's Nuyorican Soul project, but - like I said - DEEPER. It also benefits from a clever,feelgood, slightly existential lyric, which, frustratingly, makes one or two others (well, Falling, anyway) seem a bit predictable. And I'm not so sure about the Sly and Robbie-style toasting on Slow Grind, but at least she tries it out. Lethal Shot and Showtime aren't working for me so far, either, but I daresay they'll grow on me, as it often takes me a while to "get" some of her songs. This House is a curious treat - loungey, with interesting, dissonant vocal melodies. So, as ever, it's a bit of a mixed bag but, also as ever,none the worse for that. Ultra's not resting on her laurels (and I can't wait to hear her perfrom live again, next time she's in London), but she does tip a nod to her first club hits, with a terrific re-working of early single Scandal, which stays true to the spirit of the Basement Boys-produced original, as well as a sexily souped-up, extended cover of her deep house underground smash It's Over Now. In fact, the inclusion of these, along with Automatic, last year's club hit Love's The Only Drug and dancefloor anthem, Freak On, may make some fans feel over-familiar with it already, but hopefully it'll help her notch up some well-deserved sales. I guess we'll have to wait and see how well Automatic does to see whether Grime... gets more full, off-line releases outside the US. Meanwhile, snap it up on import - you'll get plenty of bang for your buck!

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