Tag Archives: ta-ku

[TMN Interview] Ta-ku & Wafia Discuss their Joint EP, (m)edian

Taku_Wafia_EP_3000px-2

International fame and critical acclaim have attached themselves to everything Ta-Ku has released for an unprecedented amount of time. With a stacked resume of late containing the release of Songs to Break Up To in late 2013, the foundation of Create & Explore, releases under the moniker HWLS, collaborative efforts with HW&W and Street Dreams Magazine, while also having a hand in the success of Australia-based Weston’s Barbershop, the Perth trendsetter has been hard at work creating a multimedia empire off of his many talents. Your favorite Music Ninja writers has covered multiple Ta-ku releases over the years: FrogsI Miss YouDown For YouLong Time No SeeLove AgainNo Reason, and Help Me Lose My Mind. His June 2015 release – appropriately titled Songs To Make Up To – exceeded all expectations in its depth and composition. As impressive as his catalog has been up to this point however, the recently released EP may overshadow them all in complexity – thanks to the lyrical infusion.

Median, stylized as (m)edian, is a concept album in the form of an EP; it’s short, succinct and tell a formative story of the dual protagonists Ta-ku and Wafia. Starting in 2015 and after much collaboration, the duo, Regan Matthews and Wafia Al-Rikabi, released their breakout take on Estelle’s “American Boy” with their aptly titled “American Girl, along with a collaboration with Charles Murdoch on “Frongs”. Shortly after, they debuted their joint live act during Ta-ku’s MoMA PS1 show. This spawned the duo’s (m)edian EP sessions in early 2016 that also included Wafia’s trusted collaborators Thomston and Ben Abraham. After solidifying a bond around their experiences with their fathers, they poured those feelings into (m)edian, which resulted in a raw confessional that unearthed a bedrock of complicated emotions.

Lyrically, the album focuses on several themes: strength in the face of adversity, maintaining a balance emotionally, and the space between familial love and forgiveness. As one of our first glimpses at Ta-ku the vocalist, the dynamic range of his singing is a welcome addition to the repertoire. While listeners are processing the limitless talents of Ta-Ku, Wafia comes into the fold, seductively harmonizing her lines intermittently throughout Median. On the introductory track, “Treading Water” a sparingly light sequence of piano keys sets the scene, before a dynamic lyric-infused ballad takes hold and finishes painting this masterpiece. Tracks two and four act as instrumental bridges between one, three, and five – accentuating the storytelling vibe of the album. Taku and Wafia sat down with TMN to discuss their experiences putting the album together, as well as inspirations behind the project, in great detail: Continue reading

Related items:

HWLS Talks Touring, Ta-Ku & “Gamma” [TMN Exclusive Interview]

HWLS Press Photo 2016

Justin Elwin – the frontman of production duo HWLS – recently came off his first US tour with Flume, and we had the pleasure to briefly catch up with him and talk about the exciting happenings revolving the HWLS project. Check out what the Australian duo has been up and peep their new single “Gamma” with ShockOne here.

TMN: First of all, congrats on your first US tour with Flume! Is it your first time in the US?

J: First time touring as HWLS in the US but been back and forth over the years for different things. Nice to be back here though touring and playing in different venues and people each night so it’s a super exciting time at the moment.

TMN: What are some things you have to cross off your bucket list after this trip to the US? Especially California?

Playing at the Shrine was a tick of the list but during the down time I wanna check out the country sides and nature so Yosemite is definitely on the list, playing at red rocks is a bucket list tick as well!

Continue reading

Related items:

[Podcast] Music Ninja Radio – Episode 46 (Recap)

Music Ninja Radio
Episode 46

Music Ninja Radio is a weekly podcast broadcast live on San Francisco’s BFF.fm — Best Frequencies Forever. You can tune in here every Friday from 4-6PM PT / 7-9ET. 

Last Friday’s show marks the one year anniversary since we took our talents to the airwaves of BFF in San Francisco’s best kept secret(alley). From deep in the Mission District, through the port of a pirate ship, we’ve been bringing the best of the best to your ears – Best Frequencies Forever wasn’t voted ‘Best Radio Station‘ in the Bay Area for nothing!

With that in mind, now seems as good a time as any to start providing our fellow Ninja readers with a weekly recap of our show, Music Ninja Radio aka Dojo by the Bay. Curating the best releases each week, themed shows coinciding with specific artist releases, and a fair amount of throwbacks sprinkled throughout, Music Ninja Radio has something for everyone.

The full show’s playlist can be found on the website’s archive here.

Related items:

[Dance] HWLS ft. ShockOne – Gamma

HWLS
Gamma (w/ ShockOne)

HWLS, the production project of Justin Elwin, just released a cross-genre dance gem that will pump up your Friday morning. HWLS first came into spotlight after Elwin teamed up with Ta-Ku with the release of tracks like “Plays” with Ty Dolla $ign and a remix of Tokimonsta‘s “Realla”.

Co-producing with fellow Australian producer ShockOne, HWLS combines a hardhitting bassline with sharp synth stabs to create an all-out infectious melody. To our surprise, Gamma’s high energy and upbeat production is drastically different than the chilled out and ambient vibe. The two various drops also put Elwin’s versatility in production in display. The genre-ambiguity will definitely satisfy a wide range of dance crowds.

Released via Future Classic, “Gamma” will be sure to make some waves for HWLS going into his debut US tour with Flume in August. Make sure to stay tuned for more tour info and exciting news for the talented HWLS!

Related items:

[Album Review] Sango & Dave B – Tomorrow

avatars-000186622640-isz41l-original

For the readers out there who regularly tune in to our podcast, Music Ninja Radio, it is common knowledge that Kai Wright (aka Sango) is one of our most played and beloved producers. Since first bursting onto the scene via his remix album More Balloons and solidifying the fanbase with his debut LP North – an album that I still refer to as the greatest collection of music since its Summer 2013 release – Sango has truly spearheaded a sonic movement. Working with the influential Soulection crew, as well as the Grand Rapids/Seattle collective Astronaut Gang (AGO), Sango has pushed the boundaries of experimental trap & instrumental hip-hop well past would-be contemporaries everywhere.

Continue reading

Related items:

[Chill] Charles Murdoch – Frogs Feat. Ta-Ku & Wafia

Charles Murdoch
Frogs Feat. Ta-ku, Wafia & Hak

The recent run of dynamic musicians coming from Australia these past few years shows no signs of slowing up.

It appears as if our kangaroo-boxing neighbors to the south have commandeered the progressive electronic music world; artists are able to piggyback off of like minded producers, while forming collectives that insulate them in positive and constructive environments to create polished works at a breakneck pace.

Riding the wave of success that gained traction on the back of Flume, Chet Faker, and countless others, Charles Murdoch – a long time Future Classic member – went back to the studio, working on a soon-to-be-release LP, Point.

Earlier this week, the stars aligned and fans were graced with the first release from Point; a collaboration involving familiar artists expanding their repertoires into unfamiliar roles. While Murdoch’s widely popular remixes may be what he is best known for, his latest original work certainly sets the bar much higher.

“Frogs” opens with a 30 second monologue by none other than Ta-Ku – reminiscent of a spoken word session at a poetry club – fading into a soft downtempo warbling that persists throughout the remainder of the track. As the beat picks up, he demonstrates a sultry smooth vocal skill set on “Frogs” that fans have only heard snippets of via his eccentric Instagram account.

While listeners are still processing the limitless talents of Ta-Ku, Wafia comes into the fold, seductively harmonizing her lines intermittently throughout the song. The masterful duet takes Murdoch’s dark, brooding instrumental and injects it with feelings of solitude. Following a Wafia solo at the 3:00 mark in which she serenades listeners with a single emotive line, “Frogs” ends all too soon.

Charles Murdoch fans can keep up with his works and the upcoming release of Point on his Soundcloud page.

Related items:

[Chill] Ta-Ku – Down For You Feat. Alina Baraz & Atu

Ta-ku
Down For You feat. Alina Baraz

International fame and critical acclaim have attached themselves to everything Ta-Ku has released for an unprecedented amount of time. With a stacked resume containing the production of Songs to Break Up To in late 2013, the foundation of Create & Explore, releases under the moniker HWLS, and collaborative efforts with Street Dreams Magazine, Perth’s finest has been hard at work creating a multimedia empire off of his many talents.

His latest EP – appropriately titled Songs To Make Up To – exceeds all expectations in its depth and composition. The latest single from the 8-track EP is a re-composed version of the Atu produced track, “Long Time No See.” The redone version, dubbed “Down For You”, features the intoxicating vocals of Los Angeles singer Alina Baraz.

Baraz, who recently released her own album with Galimatias, harmonizes in the gentle introduction of “Down For You,” over a sparingly light sequence of piano keys, before beginning a dynamic ballad at the 1:15 mark of the song. The unique sounds of Atu are particularly noticeable, especially in the string progression and key resonance throughout.

Ta-Ku has joined together with Atu before, but the release of this sentimental gem by the trio has TMN hoping they plan on coproducing again in the near future. Listeners can purchase the entire album at the Future Classic shop here.

Related items: