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  Keno 1 aka Natural Self Interview
interview 0289 added 22.03.05 words: Mr Lingo
technical:
QED
The Natural Self is a man of many words,
and a couple of aliases. His
recent releases on Tru-Thoughts & Breakin Bread have caused a
little bit of a stir, so Mr Lingo caught up with the man to see
just what the guy is all about…
Hi.
Welcome to ukhh.com. For those not overly familiar with you,
tell us a bit about yourself, and what you've been up to
recently?
 Hi. My name's Nathaniel. I've been on planet earth for 26 years.
Originally from Oxford I now reside in Brighton, on the South
coast of Blighty. Recently I've been putting the final touches
on my forthcoming album and DJ'ing here and there around the
country. And making picture frames to earn a steady buck.
You
have had a number of releases, on both Tru Thoughts and Breaking
Bread as Natural Self, and Keno 1 on BB, does each persona have
a different sound?
Natural-Self is really like a 'project' name and Keno-1 is 'me'
if you see what I mean. All the records I make have 'written and
produced by Keno-1' on them regardless of the main name. The
Natural-Self music is made according to certain rough
principles, such as an emphasis on percussion and no effects,
although these rules are not absolute. At the moment my priority
is the Natural-Self material, though that may well change in the
future.
Was
it a conscious decision to keep the two separate?
Yeah I guess it was. When I had my first single (Shakedown) out
with Tru-Thoughts I knew I would also want to do stuff with
other people at some point for which I would have to use a
different name. I thought that if I was going to have these
names I may as well make a musical distinction as well. At the
time it was a decision based on necessity but it's actually
helped me to focus and form, what I hope to be, a distinct
style.
Where did the aliases come from?
Natural-Self was a result of a desperate brainstorming session,
running out of time before the release of Shakedown. I wanted
something that was hopefully unpretentious and not immediately
indicative of a particular genre. I also like the earthy and
vaguely spiritual connotations, although sometimes I get worried
that it sounds like some kind of product you'd find in a health
food store. Oh well, bit fucking late now isn't it? Keno-1 comes
from my middle name, Kenelm, an Irish name after a great uncle
who I never met. I'm sure he was nice bloke though.
"...Natural-Self
was a result of a desperate brainstorming session, running out
of time before the release of Shakedown..."
You
list Hip-Hop/Jazz/Latin/Electronica as your influences, how have
they come about, and how have they influenced you
Hip-Hop was the primary influence and lead me on to Funk and
Jazz and the rest, bit by bit opening me up to the world of
music. Hearing 'Fight The Power' on the radio was nearly too
much for my then 12- year old nervous system to handle. The
force and energy combined with such soulful rhythm near enough
blew my head off. And Chuck D remains one of my all-time
favourite rhymers. The arrival of Shadow and Krush was also very
exciting. They did a lot to broaden my understanding of what
Hip-Hop could be. The poly-rhythms and raw power of Brazilian
Batucada has and will always have a huge effect on me. The
dynamism of many layers of drums and percussion particularly
influences the Natural-Self material. To say that Electronica is
a strong influence isn't wholly accurate. I really like some of
the music of the Detroit dons, Carl Craig, Claude Young, Juan
Atkins et al, but it's really not an area of music I know much
about and only very vaguely informs some of the music I make. I
like the fact they expressed soul through entirely technological
means and the very progressive attitude they have to their
craft. If I were to mention specific names in music that inspire
and influence me, we'd be here all day and I don't want to bore
you! I've done a mix CD "The Ritual" that will soon be available
on Breakin Bread. Listening to that might be a good way of
answering this question.
How
do these influences come through in your music?
I try to just let myself absorb these things without trying to
self-consciously meld influences, like '2-parts jazz to 1-part
funk'. And I try to avoid thinking 'now I'm going to do a funk
tune' or 'now I'm going to do a Jazz tune'. Without wanting to
sound like some kind of New-Age bozo, I try to let it all just
flow through me, let it happen.
What
was the first piece of Vinyl you bought?
 I honestly can't remember. I actually started buying vinyl
before I had a record player when I was about 12 or 13. I
recorded it all on to tape and yearned for the day when I'd have
my own deck, which happened a few months later when I got the
family hi-fi, hand-me-down style. Among the first records were "Yo,
Bumrush The Show!", "Walk This Way" and possibly Silver Bullet
"Bring forth the Guillotine".
Your
tunes are very break orientated, with a lot of emphasis on the
drums. Is this always the starting point for you?
Not as a rule but I'm fascinated by drums and rhythm. In one way
or another, they are often the starting point. Sometimes a
certain drum sample might give me an idea for a whole track,
other times I might just start noodling around and see where it
goes.
How
did you start in terms of DJing/Producing?
I was always really into the DJ in Hip-Hop culture. I related to
it more than rapping. I got the Technics I have now when I was
16 (I'm 26 now). I used to do a night with Contortionist and 3rd
Party from Museum, Dave Laub (ex-Wordplay boss) and Benny G who
is now in the Mixologists. The love of DJ'ing developed into an
interest in production. I wanted to be more involved in the
music and felt the need to more fully express myself. I didn't
actually get round to starting properly until late 2000 though.
What
was the first set up you owned?
Cooledit Pro running on a fairly shit PC. I still use the same
thing only a better version of the program on slightly better
computer, with a little Behringer desk to run the mike for live
recording.
The
Tru-Thoughts stable has a very impressive array of talent,
including yourself, Quantic & Nostalgia 77, do you feel that
pushes & motivates you all to make better tunes?
Well I'm actually no longer on their roster but certainly Will (Quantic)
and Ben (Nostalgia 77) have an effect, in different ways. Will's
discipline and focus is extremely impressive. I'd like to have
that kind of work ethic but I think I'm cursed by a streak of
laziness! I couldn't say if I have any influence on him. Ben is
a very good friend of mine and a close collaborator in music. I
think we probably inspire and motivate each other in many ways.
"...Without
wanting to sound like some kind of New-Age bozo, I try to let it
all just flow through me, let it happen..."
Do
you find both aliases have an equal following, or does one have
a monopoly of your time?
Most of the stuff I've done has under been under the name
Natural-Self so I can only assume that's the one people know
about. It definitely takes precedence, almost exclusively so at
the moment.
What
have you got lined up in terms of new releases/projects?
The Natural-Self thing is going to roll on and get serious on
Breakin Bread. The mix CD I mentioned earlier is first up
followed by an EP featuring a track with Alice Russell, "I Don't
Need This Trouble". Then the album, hopefully out in the summer.
I've also done a remix of a wicked funky Afro-Beat tune by Oscar
Sulley for Miles Cleret's Soundway label and I'm about to get
stuck into doing a remix of a new Nostalgia 77 track. Me and
Mr.77 are also going to do an album together as Keno-1 & The
Hermit.
Any
heads up on Museum projects/artists?
Contortionist has a new EP that is done totally on the DIY, but
you can find the details at
www.m-u-s-e-u-m.com. Aside from that
Museum's kind of laying low at the moment as we're busy with
other stuff. It's going to carry right on and new stuff is sure
to materialise here and there.
Is
the label music policy along a similar vein to your own?
 It isn't really run like a label. It's an outlet for some of the
stuff me and the other fellas do. There isn't really any sort of
policy. If someone does something and we all think it's cool, we
do it. It's a simple thing.
What
is the master plan for yourself?
To learn to play a keyboard with at least some degree of
competence, improve my singing voice and lyric writing and start
trying to develop some kind of live incarnation of my music. To
hopefully make a living mainly from music and to carry on doing
it for as long as I love it. That's the plan at least.
Top
5 party tunes always in the box?
Ogyataana Show Band "Disco Africa"
Beastie Boys "33% God"
Upfront Rudies "Rudie Smoothness"
Eddie Bo "Can You Handle It?"
Charles Wright & 103rd St Rhythm Band “What Can You Bring Me"
Any
tune you wish you’d made?
Not really. I don't really think in those terms. There are
countless tunes that are inspiring in so many ways but I'm
perfectly happy that someone else made them.
"...sometimes
I get worried that it sounds like some kind of product you'd
find in a health food store..."
You’ve done a few remixes/collabs. Any artists/tracks you wanna
get your hands on?
Well I'm really pleased to have have done something with Alice.
I feel very lucky to have had that opportunity. I think she's a
really excellent singer. Ages ago Will and I talked vaguely
about doing a track together so perhaps we'll get round to that
at some point. M Sayyid (ex-Anti-Pop) I rate highly and I'd like
to do something with him sometime. That would be really
interesting. Remix wise, I just love doing them so there'll be
more, although I'm not hawking after any tracks in particular.
Any
shouts and plugs.
The Good Gentlemen of the Museum, Miles C and Hugo T Mendez at
Soundway, Rob and Skeg. Laki 139, The delectable Miss Russell,
Speedy Servini, George Murder at D&G Mastering for doing a
wicked job on the EP. I reckon that'll do for now.
Peace
K-1
- Lingo
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