An interview with Ta-Ku

With a string of remixes under his belt and a recently released EP on the mighty HW&W label, Australian beat maker Ta-ku is quickly establishing himself as a guy making serious moves. We chat to Ta-ku about his philosophy towards his craft and his upcoming projects. 

ILU: Firstly, congratulations on your success thus far. I can proudly say I’ve been a fan since the early days; the most prominent memory of your music is of your Day and Night EP from 2011. I vividly remember skipping classes to drive around jamming “House Party” and “Ladies Night” amongst others. 
One thing that I have noticed about you compared to other musicians is your work ethic is insane; the shear amount of music you have released to date is more than most musicians put out in their whole career. How do you find the time and inspiration to put out so much quality music? 

T-K: Thanks for the kind words brother, it means a lot. Honestly, just making sure I at least try to spend an hour making something every other night. Making a habit and having good time management always helps. 

ILU: Your recent tracks have had more of an electronic feel, a change from the hip-hop beats you came onto the scene with. This exploration into different genres can be risky for a lot of musicians but it seems to come naturally to you. Do you have a preference for producing any particular genre? Is there going to be more surprises in the future with the sounds you put out as you and the beat scene evolve? 

T-K: Definitely. I love to experiment and see what other styles and techniques I can pull off. I love making all types but my heart really lies with the real dusty hip-hop productions. That’s where it all started. But that being said, I love messing with electronic music and seeing if I can still incorporate my sound into it all. 

ILU: All of your album/EP cover artwork has had strong graphic design/photography elements to them and all look impeccable. How important is that visual art direction to you as a musician? 

T-K: Crucial. I have strong desire to make everything I do or produce to be just as aesthetically appealing as they are sounding. People make such a strong connection with what they hear to what they see in that very moment. It’s a beautiful thing that can leave such a strong impression in your memory. 

ILU: If you weren’t in the music industry what else would you be doing? 

T-K: Staying far away from the music industry, haha. I’d love to start my own creative agency one day. 

ILU: Where do you see yourself in 2 years? 

T-K: Happy with family & friends. Travelling ALOT more. 

ILU: Who would you love to collaborate on a track with? 

T-K: Singer - Dwele. Rapper - K.Dot. 

ILU: Music is a massive influence to us here at I Love Ugly; most of us have been or still are DJs, beat makers and MCs. Can you offer any wise words for the aspiring musician who wants to get into the game? 

T-K: Foreal, just do what you love. Never take it too seriously. Even though music has somewhat become full time for me in the last few years. I have always made a conscious effort not to get to caught up with it all. Just have fun with it and still enjoy it otherwise you will see it as a burden. That’s the last thing you want to do to your creativity. 

ILU: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions; I know you’re a busy man. Here at ILU we have a saying we go by which is “Aspire in Inspire before you Expire”, I truly think you’re a testament to this quote as you continue to inspire people everywhere with your work ethic and high quality work. I feel like you still have plenty more to show us and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next. 

T-K: Much love to you family. Keep an eye out for my EP with Fools Gold coming out soon. Also my DEBUT LP, which will be a special one. <3 

Check out Ta-ku's latest EP Songs To Break Up To here. 

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Also listen to Ta-ku's take on King Krule's Cementality below.