Reviewed on Friday June 3 (photo by Daniel Boud)
After a false start brought on by a technical failure, Perth producer Ta-ku (born Regan Matthews) returns to the stage not ten minutes later with banter fully in tow.
“When I first got asked to do Vivid, I was going to do an hour of interpretive dance for you,” he says in mock seriousness. “But I decided instead to play some music.”
Probably for the best, Reg. The packed-out Concert Hall is vibrant with animated chatter, many here also to witness his collaboration with Future Classic labelmate Wafia, but also to experience the full bass force of his slick, soulful production. He is accompanied by a live drummer and pianist, as well as a live string quartet that really adds weight to those forlorn, drawn-out notes. It’s also exciting to see that he has recruited the talents of Kiwi artist Thomston, local soul singer Thandi Phoenix and the Melbourne R&B prodigy Oscar Key Sung on backing vocal duties.
As Ta-ku opens with ‘I Miss You’ from his 2013 release Songs To Break Up To, Phoenix takes vocal duties amidst the short and sharp bursts of strings. ‘We Were In Love’ is another early highlight. For the most part, geometrical shapes and flowers accompany the flowing electronic compositions, pulsating against the beat.
Following Wafia’s appearance onstage, they launch almost immediately into her hit track ‘Heartburn’, taken from her well-received 2015 effort XXIX – EP.
Promotion of their upcoming EP (M)edian comes in strong with a three-track preview dominating the next few minutes. At this point, however, it feels like a bit of a dent in the atmosphere, with these songs just a little too sleek and shiny pop entities next to Ta-ku’s usual progressive beat production. The duo also use this time to gush about their partnership with Intel, giving the latter a shameless plug and drawing attention to the digital face scans floating across the screen in what’s meant to be an abstract fashion.
After performances of ‘Love Again’ and ‘Down For You’, with Key Sung and Phoenix on lead vocals respectively, the show finishes with a final Wafia and Ta-ku duet – the slowed-down, slightly creepy version of ‘American Girl’. It doesn’t seem to stoke the fires. As soon as the song finishes, practically everyone rises to leave, with only a pipsqueak call for an encore. The audience has spoken.
