House Legends Ultra Naté and Quentin Harris Unite in Black Stereo Faith
Article Michael White | Photos Karl Giant
Ten years in the making, Ultra Naté and Quentin Harris’ Black Stereo Faith album presents a vibe-y, experimentally unapologetic and loose blend of R&B, house, rock and electronics. It highlights Harris’ production and arrangement skills while offering a stylistic nod to the unvarnished passion of singer-songwriter Ultra Naté’s acclaimed 1990 debut, Blue Notes in The Basement.
The dance floor icons waited on releasing dance mixes from the album. “We wanted people to hear the originals in their intended forms first,” says Ultra Naté from her Baltimore studio. “We needed to let the album breathe a bit; have some room so fans would listen to the songs in all aspects of their lives beyond the 2am dance floor moment.”
“Ultra and I knew immediate remixes would be expected,” adds Harris. “We never want to do what’s expected.”
At long last, the duo are preparing to release the first package of remixes, featuring two tracks from the album: “I’m Too Sexy (Touch This Skin)” and “SNL,” reworked and reimagined by some of the biggest DJ/producers on the planet.
“Like the album, the choice of remixers was a collaborative effort,” Harris continues. “Some of the remixers are family; artists Ultra and I have worked with previously. Others are new talent we wanted to collaborate with. They all bring their own creative vibes with remixes that are multilayered and touch on the various areas of the dance floor.”
John “J-C” Carr incorporates hard-hitting drums, in-your-face synth, and floor-shaking bass into his mix of “I’m Too Sexy (Touch This Skin).” Craig C. gives the track a deep vintage-y, house mix while David Morales’ version is dark, subby, and full of attitude. Jamie deVon’s acid house inspired take delivers a captivating after-hours mix that is strictly NYC’s famed Twilo meets Berlin underground, but in a fresh, modern way.
Vjuan Allure serves raw, dramatic Baltimore beats for ballroom queens into his version.
Also included in the “I’m Too Sexy (Touch This Skin)” package are specially crafted Black Stereo Faith Bootleg mixes that combine classic hip hop and pop.
The slap bass gospel inspired house of “SNL” receives the killer remix treatment from Benji Candelario and DJ Melvin Gentry, as well as a disco homage bootleg mix from Black Stereo Faith.
DJ Melvin Gentry stays true to the original but nicely ramps up the elements to give it a club groove that keeps the party going. The Black Stereo Faith Bootleg adds a laid back Philly disco treatment while Benji Candelario wraps the vocals (with special guests Inaya Day and Darryl D’Bonneau) in a classic Frankie Knuckles sound. It’s spacious, sets the song up as the track unfolds, grows in intensity, and rides the vocal changes with tension and drive.
“We’ve been working on getting this package together since the summer,” says Ultra Naté. “Now is the perfect time to get them out as the remixes serve all the tricks and treats.”
In her nearly three decades of making music, Ultra Naté has remained a musical chameleon, embracing a variety of sounds, from R&B/hip-hop, soul and disco to house, rock and electro-pop. Black Stereo Faith is a culmination of this experience and coincides with the 20th anniversary of the release of her all-time classic #1 hit, “Free.” “Free” was recently named by Billboard as #10 Greatest Of All Time Top Dance Club Songs while Ultra Naté was also named #12 Greatest of All Time Top Dance Artists
Black Stereo Faith is Ultra’s 9th studio album. She initiated work on this ‘pet project’ whilst recording her eighth album, Hero Worship. That acclaimed full length features Robbie Rivera, Aussie wonder twins NERVO, chart-topping EDM troubadour Chris Willis, Italy’s hit maker Nicola Fasano, Hometown Baltimore’s DJ Class, Michelle Williams (of Destiny’s Child) and house music innovators Todd Terry and David Morales.
In addition to his solo productions, Quentin Harris has worked with top artists including Joi Cardwell and Mariah Carey. His many remixes include fan favorite Mariah Carey’s “Don’t Forget about Us,” Justin Timberlake’s “My Love,” and Britney Spears’ “Guilty”. His debut artist album, No Politics, included collaborations with Danny Krivit, David Morales, Danny Tenaglia and Frankie Knuckles. In 2010, he released his second album, Sacrifice. Quentin’s latest club reinterpretation for Tony Award winner Billy Porter and India Arie’s duet “Carefully Taught” breathes a whole new life and potent relevance to Richard Rodgers’ “South Pacific” classic.
The complete Ultra Naté & Quentin Harris as Black Stereo Faith album is available now on iTunes, Spotify and all digital platforms.
The remixes of Black Stereo Faith’s “I’m Too Sexy (Touch This Skin)” and “SNL” release to iTunes, Spotify and all digital platforms on November 3, 2017 from BluFire/Epod/ Peace Bisquit.
