March 11, 2016
iNatty Records
Fans of the Madison, WI-based collective Natty Nation have been anticipating a new album since the group whet their appetite in 2010 with the emotive & anthemic single, "Suffice." The song was the first new track since the group's highly acclaimed 2008 album, Reincarnation. On March 11th, Natty Nation will release Divine Spark (iNatty Records). The album represents epiphanic spiritual & artistic journeys. All ten tracks were mixed by legendary Bob Marley recording engineer Errol Brown, features a seething guest verse from acclaimed South Side, Chicago-via-Madison rapper F. Stokes, & includes two dub remixes by the band. "This release is inspired by the physical & invisible forces of the divine within all mankind. The divine spark is the higher self within everyone," explains frontman JAH Boogie. "I've learned that through raising your vibration, & opening your chakras, you are able to tap into your divine spark. Our music is for the mental, spiritual & physical expansion of the human family. We are spiritual individuals who express our spirituality through the frequencies & tones of the music that we play." Initial tracking for the album began in 2010 at the band's home studio. Through the next six years the band worked in spurts on the album, taking time away to get fresh ears & also to be sure the collection of songs would be one of the group's finest. "This is the first time Aaron & I wrote all of the songs together for an album since he entered the band in 2002," JAH Boogie reveals. "This is definitely a step up in songwriting, production, & overall vibe." Highlights on Divine Spark include the title track, "Meditation," & "Civil Rights." The album's spiritual core is the simmering & soulful title track. "This song deals with the spiritual essence of each human being," JAH Boogie explains. "The song also expresses that when you open your heart chakra it helps to open up the many other chakras within the spiritual body. When these energy centers or chakras are open then many other dimensions are open as well." "Meditation" aptly conjures its name with sweetly languid grooves. Soul rebel militancy bubbles over with the self-explanatory "Civil Rights" courtesy of F. Stokes's signature fiery & brutally honest rhymes. Errol Brown (Bob Marley, Burning Spear, & a list of who's who in reggae) mixed the album while on tour running live sound for Rebelution, so he set up a makeshift studio in the back of the tour bus. He came into the picture after Aaron Konkol attended a Rebelution show, & discovered he was the engineer behind the band's pristine live sound. Errol worked humbly & consistently with Aaron to fully realize the elusive sound Natty Nation envisioned for Divine Spark, which Errol now calls a masterpiece. Divine Spark marks the beginning of an era of fevered creativity & watershed output for Natty Nation. The band plans to spread the joy, uplift the people, & share these future classics on the road.