Moby has teamed up with Gregory Porter and Amythyst Kiah on a remix of ‘Natural Blues’.
The 55-year-old musician has reimagined his biggest hits from the past three decades featuring the Budapest Art Orchestra with new orchestration and arrangements for his upcoming LP, ‘Reprise’.
And the latest cut is a new version of the 2000 single by Moby from his acclaimed ‘Play’ album.
Moby said: “I’ve had songs that are very despairing, and some that are celebratory, but more often than not I guess my music lives in a bittersweet in-between. Gregory Porter and Amythyst Kiah’s performances bring a new sense of yearning to the song that encompasses both light and dark tones. Their thoughtful interpretations bring out deep nuances to the track only they could uniquely offer.”
Gregory commented: “When I first heard Moby’s ‘Natural Blues’ I had an immediate connection with the song. It sounded very modern, but at the same time, it felt a thousand years old. The different influences that flow through this music are brought to the fore again in this new version – amplifying the soul, spirit and voice of another time. It’s a pleasure to lend my voice to this classic tune, reimagined and renewed.”
Amythyst added: “I was honoured to be asked to sing on this incredible remix of ‘Natural Blues’. I remember hearing the song as a child, but it wasn’t until I studied old-time music in college that I realised that I had been listening to the voice of Vera Hall, sampled from the Lomax collection. I’ve been playing ‘Natural Blues’ for years now and it’s the example I give when talking to people about the importance of field recordings and the places they transport us, musically. To come full circle in this way is more than I ever could have hoped for. Hearing my voice with Gregory Porter’s is just stunning and I’m so happy to share this song with such an incredible vocalist.”
The remix of ‘Natural Blues’ follows ‘Porcelain’ featuring Jim James of My Morning Jacket and ‘The Lonely Night’ with Kris Kristofferson and Mark Lanegan.