A couple of our favourite Aussie artists have joined forces for a delightful new collaborative project, with multi-faceted Perth producer Ta-Ku and talented Brisbane vocalist Wafia meeting in the middle for the aptly-titled new EP, (m)edian.
Ta-Ku aka Regan Matthews has of course been a prolific force in the Australian electronic scene for a minute now, while Wafia has impressed in recent years in the lead-up to the release of her debut EP earlier this year, and the makeshift duo sound as great together as you’d expect. They’ve both given us a rundown of what went into each track, which you’ll find below.
(m)edian is out today via Future Classic, and the multi-talented Ta-ku will make his directorial debut at September’s Red Bull Music Academy Weekender in Sydney, with a three-part visual presentation of (m)edian. Having seen his stunning work as a photographer, we’re sure it’ll be amazing.
Photo by Matsu
Treading Water
Wafia: We wrote this song on our first day in the studio working towards an EP. Reggie and I learnt very early on that one hundred percent transparency with a co-writer is very important or else a song ends up being pulled in as many different directions as there are co-writers. As much as these sessions were focusing on the music, they became therapeutic in discussing the similarities between our family lives and particularly, our fathers. This song might be the most personal because we didn’t try and mask our personal instances with metaphors in the verses. The way Reggie and I weave in and out of pre-chorus is one of my favourite moments on this EP.
Ta-ku: This song came from a very simple and honest place. Wafia and I were spending more time describing our childhoods and family situations at the time and the song fell into that space. It has a very fragile feel to it and is also very vulnerable. The outro to this song is such a strong statement in a way. It sets the tone for the whole EP for me.
1.5
Ta-ku: This is the connecting interlude between the two songs. This interlude helps us express our adolescence. It includes sounds and atmosphere that denote a time of youth and change.
Wafia: Each transition is like an intermission for personal growth so that from the beginning to the end of this EP there is a shift on both of our perspectives. They also depict time elapsing. Personally I think we as humans have a tendency to be more forgiving and open as time goes on.
Meet In The Middle
Ta-ku: This is the first single we dropped and I feel the most deliberate of all three songs. It has such a strong message of compromise and sacrifice. Something we all know about. The song is also very raw and the production hits hard.
Wafia: Thematically speaking, this song really helped us tie up all the loose ends on this EP in terms of how we were going to present it to the rest of the world. The words ‘middle’ and ‘median’ came up a lot and we started thinking about all of the things we put second to our families and the personal sacrifices that comes with that.
2.5
Ta-ku: Another interlude connecting the two songs. This interlude helped us express the transition between feeling bitterness to feeling some peace. A lot of whispers and other people’s opinions can be so distracting. At some point though – it all comes to a sudden stop.
Wafia: Reggie said this best!
Love Somebody
Ta-ku: This is my favourite song on the whole EP. It’s our love anthem. At the end of the day love endures all things and will always win. Love is such an important part of growth and learning who you are. I’m very proud of this song.
Wafia: Like Reggie, this is also my favourite song from the whole EP. There’s a sense of openness and optimism that is unique to this song compared to the others. I’d add that it’s an admission to the amount of sacrifice it takes to make love work.
