REGGAE | Super Natural Selection

Earlier this year in our 420 issue, we introduced you to Super Natural Selection (SNS), a Roots Reggae band from Arnhem, Nijmegen, and Wageningen in the province of Gelderland, the Netherlands.

The roots of the band are from Suriname and they have been making music together since 2002. All of their songs are original and written in English, Dutch, and Sranan Tongo (the native language of Suriname).

It has been 5 years since SNS has been in the studio, thanks to a packed tour schedule. SNS previous albums include ‘Mash It Up’ (October 2013) and ‘Make Us Strong’ (July 2014).

For their 3rd album release, ‘Rasta Live’, SNS hired producer Rekesh Dukaloo and recorded all tracks of ‘Rasta Live’ in 432hz, ‘the sound of the universe’.

Release Date: March 29, 2020
Label: Skicksound
Copyright: ℗© 2020 Skicksound
Total Length: 44:26
Total Tracks: 12
Format: Album
Genre: Reggae

Dreadlock Rastaman

Full of conviction, self-confidence, and passion, SNS creates a vibe that you can’t resist! SNS not only promises but guarantees that you will not get bored! As a matter of fact, standing still will not be an option!

Anyone with a pulse will be captivated from the second the band starts playing their powerful roots reggae with different grooves, catchy melodies, kickass guitar solos and lyrics with a message.

To sum it up, Super Natural Selection’s reggae music is Strictly Roots that gives you a natural high!

And that is why IRIE is feeling blessed to present this exclusive interview with SNS!

The Interview

IRIE. SNS was formed in 2002. How did you meet and what inspired you to form a reggae band?

SNS. Well, I (Max Odarty) was asked to play keyboards for a reggae band from Arnhem called ‘Out of Many’. Even though I’m a bass player, I decided to take on the challenge. So after learning 18 songs in 3 weeks and a couple of live shows later, the trombone player (Eric Valk) told me that there was another band in Arnhem looking for a bass player. So he introduced me to Prince Naffy and Brian Brainstorm. Our inspiration came simply from the love for reggae music.

IRIE. How did the name Super Natural Selection come about? Is there a special meaning behind it?

SNS. We first called ourselves ‘Natural Selection’. But after Foster Lamptey, a ‘multi-musician’ who can play all the instruments, joined the band in 2004, we changed our name to ‘Super Natural Selection’ because it had a nice ring to it.

IRIE. When producing your music, is it a band effort, or do certain members have specific roles?

SNS. Well, Prince Naffy writes all the lyrics and comes up with the melodies. General Foster, Frans Keys, and I mostly create the music. Sometimes the entire band will spontaneously come up with a new riddim out of thin air.
 

IRIE. Who were some of the musical influences that helped inspire your sound?

SNS. Music-wise: Soul, funk, rock, and dub. Artists wise: Bob Marley, Burning Spear, and Black Uhuru.

IRIE. How would you define the SNS sound?

SNS. SNS Music is Roots Reggae with a twist.

IRIE. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing new songs and lyrics?

SNS. Honestly, we have the privilege (and luck) that the music and lyrics just flow out of us. Blessings to the MOST HIGH!

IRIE. You’ve released two previous albums; Mash It Up (2012) and Make Us Strong (2013). What was the band’s mindset going into recording ‘Rasta Live’?

SNS. After the first two albums, which were pretty much straight forward, we wanted to do something different. So we set out to do the impossible (at less that’s what everybody said): to record a full-length album in 432 Hz, the sound of the universe.

By the grace of JAH, we actually pulled it off.

IRIE. ‘Rasta Live’ was mixed and produced by Rekesh Dukaloo. How did you manage to stay creative and be productive as a band through the pandemic/lockdown?

SNS. The truth is we had the entire project completed before March of 2020.

So the whole pandemic didn’t influence our creativity or productivity at all.

Rekesh not only mixed all ten tracks, but he added horns, percussion, keyboards and sound effects to make everything sound amazing.

IRIE. Is there a track from ‘Rasta Live’ that resonates most with the band?

SNS. Definitely ‘Try To Make the Change’.

With its positive message, smooth backing vocals, and upbeat tempo this is our favorite track.

IRIE. What do you hope first-time listeners take with them after listening to SNS?

SNS. It would be nice if they would think: “Wow, in Holland there is also good reggae music!”

IRIE. Now that you have your third album release with Rasta Live, what does the future hold for SNS?

SNS. We hope for more invitations and attention from the media and hopefully more international live shows. The sky’s the limit!

IRIE. Is there anything you would like to share with our audience?

SNS. Give thanks for taking the time to show interest in Super Natural Selection and of course for reading this article.

Please visit and give us a like on our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channels.

IRIE. Much Love & Respect, family!

SNS. Big thanks to IRIE magazine for the opportunity. It’s really nice to be appreciated after all these years! 🙂

Official Website:

SuperNaturalSelection.nl

Spotify:

LISTEN to IRIE on Spotify Playlist | IRIE on SPOTIFY – September 2020

LISTEN to Super Natural Selection (SNS) on Spotify | Super Natural Selection (SNS) on SPOTIFY