Ultra Naté and Quentin Harris as Black Stereo Faith album out now

July 7th marks the release of Black Stereo Faith’s self titled debut album; a project 10 years in the making from house music legends Ultra Naté and Quentin Harris.  

Black Stereo Faith’s album harkens back to the unvarnished and underground feel of Ultra Naté’s acclaimed 1990 debut, Blue Notes in The Basement. A vibey, unapologetically loose amalgam of R&B, house, rock and electronics highlighting multi-instrumentalist wunderkind Quentin Harris’ production and arrangement skills alongside Ultra’s passionate vocal stylings and delivery.

 The songs, pure class from start to finish. There’s the slap bass gospel inspired house of “SNL,” the theatrical “Stay,” the italodisco / Moroder-esque “Tears,” the New Wave influence of “Transformation,” the wild electroclash-era cover of Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy (Touch This Skin),” the silky smooth vocals of “Hey,” the 70’s disco-funk of “Taking Me High,” the powerful and rock infused “Lil Miss Baby,” the tougher than nails pop dance of “Life,” the uplifting and liberating “Luv 2 Bee,” the dance-meets-classical music clash of “Give It 2 U,” and finally, the theatrical dance rock hybrid “All The Money.” Black Stereo Faith is unlike anything on the market right now and certainly like you’ve never heard Ultra Naté or Quentin Harris before.         

“I think the most important thing to us was to not limit or restrain ourselves with worries over where music is at this particular moment. When we were putting the initial ideas together I would just fish through everything and anything I liked as a jumpoff point. Pink Floyd, Pointer Sisters, Nine Inch Nails, Madonna, Timbaland, Chic, Tammi Terrell, Eurythmics, The Go-Go’s, Fleetwood Mac, Frankie Knuckles, The Stones, Kate Bush, Earth, Wind and Fire, Sinead O’Connor, Soft Cell, anything that moved me. The great thing about Quentin and what we were doing is that he was open and excited about all of it - no matter how quirky and left of center the idea. I think most listeners are music lovers and open to whatever makes them feel.” - Ultra Naté

“From the moment we started we had no rules with the kind of music we were making on this record. I didn’t feel any kind of pressure to make things this way or that way. We made whatever we were inspired by. Even with all the different genres we touch on from song to song, if you listen to Black Stereo Faith cohesively it all makes sense together. It’s all encompassing of dance music from rock to disco to urban. It’s not a one trick pony…” - Quentin Harris

Black Stereo Faith coincides with the 20th anniversary of the release of Ultra Naté’s all-time classic #1 hit, “Free” which was named by Billboard as one of the top Dance Club Songs of all time. Ultra Naté was also named by Billboard as the #12 top dance artist of all time.

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Ultra Naté and Quentin Harris team up on Black Stereo Faith project + album

House Music fans, we’ve got a treat for you. The genesis of Black Stereo Faith; a project 10 years in the making from house music legends Ultra Naté and Quentin Harris.  

Black Stereo Faith’s album harkens back to the unvarnished and underground feel of Ultra Naté’s acclaimed 1990 debut, Blue Notes in The Basement. A vibey, unapologetically loose amalgam of R&B, house, rock and electronics highlighting multi-instrumentalist wunderkind Quentin Harris’ production and arrangement skills alongside Ultra’s passionate vocal stylings and delivery.

The songs, pure class from start to finish. There’s the slap bass gospel inspired house of “SNL,” the theatrical “Stay,” the italodisco / Moroder-esque “Tears,” the New Wave influence of “Transformation,” the wild electroclash-era cover of Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy (Touch This Skin),” the silky smooth vocals of “Hey,” the 70’s disco-funk of “Taking Me High,” the powerful and rock infused “Lil Miss Baby,” the tougher than nails pop dance of “Life,” the uplifting and liberating “Luv 2 Bee,” the dance-meets-classical music clash of “Give It 2 U,” and finally, the theatrical dance rock hybrid “All The Money.” Black Stereo Faith is unlike anything on the market right now and certainly like you’ve never heard Ultra Naté or Quentin Harris before.         

“I think the most important thing to us was to not limit or restrain ourselves with worries over where music is at this particular moment. When we were putting the initial ideas together I would just fish through everything and anything I liked as a jumpoff point. Pink Floyd, Pointer Sisters, Nine Inch Nails, Madonna, Timbaland, Chic, Tammi Terrell, Eurythmics, The Go-Go’s, Fleetwood Mac, Frankie Knuckles, The Stones, Kate Bush, Earth, Wind and Fire, Sinead O’Connor, Soft Cell, anything that moved me. The great thing about Quentin and what we were doing is that he was open and excited about all of it - no matter how quirky and left of center the idea. I think most listeners are music lovers and open to whatever makes them feel.” - Ultra Naté

“From the moment we started we had no rules with the kind of music we were making on this record. I didn’t feel any kind of pressure to make things this way or that way. We made whatever we were inspired by. Even with all the different genres we touch on from song to song, if you listen to Black Stereo Faith cohesively it all makes sense together. It’s all encompassing of dance music from rock to disco to urban. It’s not a one trick pony…” - Quentin Harris

The release of Black Stereo Faith coincides with the 20th anniversary of the release of Ultra Naté’s all-time classic #1 hit, “Free” which was named by Billboard as one of the top Dance Club Songs of all time. Ultra Naté was also named by Billboard as the #12 top dance artist of all time.

Those in or who are planning to be in NYC on Saturday, July 8th are welcome to join Black Stereo Faith for their debut DJ performance as part of  Silent Disco at Lincoln Center NYC for Midsummer Night Swing: Nu Disco Edition.

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“Get Down” with Matroda’s Contagious Bass House Jam

Croatia's Matroda wastes no time getting down his latest bass house single “Get Down.” Through haunted vocals and distorted basslines, Matroda creates a contagious late night warehouse jam.
 
Just last month Matroda made a strong Dim Mak debut with the bass house burner “Ghetto Funk,” which received support from the likes of Steve Aoki, David Guetta, Tiësto, Afrojack, and more. Magnetic Magazine hailed “Ghetto Funk” as “the song you need for your weekend parties” and the track has since racked up 250K+ streams on Soundcloud alone. More recently, Matroda’s collaboration with Raven and Kreyn, “Back To The Future,” was featured on Generation HEX 004, a new compilation EP from Don Diablo’s Hexagon label.
 
Matroda’s one-of-a-kind sound comes from his classical training in violin, drums, and keyboard. Since partnering with Chris Lake in 2015 on an official remix of SNBRN’s “California,” which received support from Major Lazer and Calvin Harris, Matroda’s profile has steadily risen. With a pair of two new stellar Dim Mak releases in his belt, the future looks bright for the skilled bassmaker.

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Croatian Beatsmith Matroda Unveils "Ghetto Funk"

In a fierce blend of bass house and breaks Croatian beatsmith Matroda delivers the sinister "Ghetto Funk," using eerie synth plucks and wicked wobbles to deliver a behemoth of a Dim Mak debut. The single has already seen support from Tiesto, Oliver Heldens, David Guetta, and more.

Matroda’s well-rounded sound pulls from his classical training across the violin, drums, and keyboard. In 2015, he kicked off his career by partnering with Chris Lake on an official remix of SNBRN’s “California”. It proved to be a stellar debut, quickly reaching the #2 spot on Beatport’s main chart and #1 on the house chart.

Since then, Matroda has steadily become an artist to watch. His 2016 bass-house hit “Chronic,” on Spinnin’ Records, garnered wide A-list support including Avicii, Diplo, Laidback Luke, and RL Grime, who dropped it during his 2016 Coachella set. 2017 is looking to be an even bigger year for Matroda, as he’s coming off a brand new Dustycloud collaboration “Come Back” and an infectious VIP Edit of Migos’ “Bad and Boujee.” The VIP skyrocked to #1 on Soundcloud’s House Chart and Billboard cited it as one of the “5 Best ‘Bad and Boujee’” remixes.

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MORTEN Links Up With TWOLOUD On House Collaboration “Certified”

Danish dynamo MORTEN links up with TWOLOUD for the 128BPM house thumper “Certified.” Brilliantly interweaving exotic synth patches with grimy wubs, the track is a perfect marriage of both electro and bass house.
 
Fresh off his collaboration with dancehall legend Mr. Vegas, MORTEN’s catalogue gets stronger and stronger with each track he releases. He kicked off the summer by unleashing the bass house smash “FIYAA,” which ThisSongSlaps called out as a “summertime sizzler.” This was followed by his official remix of Garmiani’s festival anthem “Bomb A Drop,” garnering widespread support including Jauz live at Ultra Music Festival Europe. MORTEN kept the momentum alive by releasing two massive singles: his collaboration with Steve Aoki “Kids” and his electro / dancehall hybrid “Love (feat. Mr. Vegas).” Since its 9/16 release, “Love” has gained mixshow support from heavy-hitters David Guetta, Deniz Koyu, and Morgan Page, among others.
 
Through high-profile collaborations with Tiesto, Showtek, Qulinez, and more, masked duo TWOLOUD are behind many of today’s most-played festival tracks. This summer the mysterious pair was commissioned by UNTOLD(Romania’s largest annual electronic music festival) to produce their official anthem “My Remedy.” Most recently, their collaboration with Konih “Gimme Some More” received support from heavy hitters such as Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Hardwell, Martin Garrix, and Avicii. Additionally, TWOLOUD has released official remixes of Tiesto’s “Red Lights,” Steve Aoki & Linkin Park’s“A Light That Never Comes,” and Calvin Harris’ Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs #1 track “Summer.” Epitomizing the phrase “jack of all trades,” TWOLOUD also runs their own electronic imprint Playbox Music. Together with MORTEN, they unveil the trailblazing house track “Certified.”

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GLOWINTHEDARK Release “Numba One” EP

In a flurry of house, trap, and twerk, GLOWINTHEDARK's unique sound is on full display with their versatile "Numba One" EP. Returning to Dim Mak in grand fashion after their Beatport chart-topping EP Stars & Moon, the Dutch duo delivers a 3-track bundle chock full of anthemic vocals and festival-ready drops.
 
With their ability to produce both melodic vocal-driven tracks as well as club-ready bangers, GLOWINTHEDARK has taken the electronic world by storm. Fresh off official remixes for David Guetta & Zara Larsson’s UEFA Euro 2016 anthem “This One’s for You” and Fat Joe & Remy Ma’s Platinum single “All the Way Up,” the production pair has enjoyed a white-hot 2016. After dropping the electro house original “Fogo” on their own LightState Music imprint, GLOWINTHEDARK released their Stars & Moon EP on Dim Mak. The project topped Beatport’s Hip-Hop charts and spawned the hit Hasse de Moorcollaboration “Make It Swing,” which YourEDM lauded as “a chaotic, electrifying original that will have your heart racing the whole way through.”
 
Since 2013, GLOWINTHEDARK has performed regularly at famed Ibiza nightclub Pacha, solidifying them as must-see live performers. Their highly energetic live persona has propelled them to appearances at numerous industry-leading festivals, including Tomorrowland and Mysteryland, among others. Be sure to catch the duo on their home turf, as they tour around Netherlands and Europe this fall.

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RUDIMENTAL REVEALED AS THE CREATIVE FORCE BEHIND UNDERGROUND IBIZA CLUB HIT ‘HEALING’

BRIT Award-winning collective Rudimental have been revealed as the creative force behind the huge underground club hit ‘Healing’ (https://BigBeat.lnk.to/Healing). Originally white labelled, then listed as fictional artist Major Tom, (after the band’s Hackney studio and new record label), Annie Mac revealed the true origins of the track on her Radio 1 show, commenting “this is so perfect for Café Mambo at sunset; it couldn’t be more perfect”.

The house-infused track is layered with Rudimental’s signature horns and an addictive baseline, reminiscent of their previous releases, “Baby” ft. MNEK & Sinead Hartnett and “Rumour Mill” ft. Annie-Marie & Will Heard With vocals from Roc Nation’s rising star, J Angel, ‘Healing’ has fast become the soundtrack to clubs around the world this summer, particularly the home of dance music, Ibiza, with DJs including Calvin Harris, Groove Armada, Roger Sanchez, Crookers, Oliver Heldens, Todd Terry all dropping the track in their sets.

Rudimental embarked on their first ever headline world tour earlier this year, which saw them play live to as many as 80,000 people a night across Australia, America and Europe, including a sold out show at London’s O2 Arena. They have since spent the summer working on new material and taking the Rudimental party global, DJing and performing live in clubs and festivals around the world.

Rudimental’s second UK #1 studio album, “WE THE GENERATION,” which featured their single “Lay It All On Me” ft. Ed Sheeran (along with a VIP Mix edit that included Vic Mensa & Big Sean), was released last year to rave reviews and poignantly included the very last vocal recordings from the late, great Bobby Womack. It followed the band’s debut album “Home,” also released to critical acclaim back in 2013, earning them a Mercury Prize nomination and a BRIT Award.

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