The collaborative EP from Ta-Ku and Wafia has finally been released, a project that has been highly anticipated over the past few months and for good reason.

Titled ‘(m)edian’, this communal effort from the two Future Classic artists is a dreamy, atmospheric project that depicts an enchanting musical chemistry between the two.

We were lucky enough to speak with both Ta-Ku and Wafia ahead of the release, to pick their brains about collaborating, the creative process and how they came to meet.

1. So you guys have just announced that you will be joining forces for a collaborative EP which is set to be released this coming august the 5th can you tell us a little more about what the EP will sound like?

Ta-ku: This EP is something I’ve never done before. Wafia has taught me an awful lot about song writing and having a more pop mentality with my approach. It’s been a lot of fun and the EP is a perfect blend of Wafia’s intricate and polished sound with my more rugged & soulful sound.

Wafia: I think this whole EP is an amalgamation of both our sounds, visual aesthetics + the circumstances that lead us to this EP. We’ve managed to weave our stories together and tell it in a way that otherwise might have been overwhelming for one person to say on their own.

2. How did you two come to meet?

Ta-ku: We met in Melbourne through a mutual friend. She was taking press pics on the same basketball court that I was balling out of control on (HA) -I went home that night and listened to her music and was an instant fan! Since then she’s become like my little sister.

Wafia: Reggie then hit me up on twitter DMs saying nothing but “Let’s work?” and it was a no brainer. We tried but nothing really came together till he sent me American Girl and once we found our groove we started on Heartburn. Since then it’s just been effortless.

3. And why did you guys decide to work together on this EP? Was it a familiarity with each other (from previous work,) a synergy in your work process, or something else perhaps?

Ta-ku: Yes, it was just a mutual respect for each other and our being. We never would rush anything or try to force anything. It was completely organic and such a nice way to collaborate. We also are very alike and share similar values and morals, which helps a great deal.

Wafia: Totally, Reggie is family now. Our prior collaborations had mostly been via email, so writing this EP in the same room was a little foreign to us. I think we were both a little nervous to see how it’d play out but thankfully it worked out well and having that bit of history with each other meant we were comfortable making mistakes in the studio, which I think is really important in a working relationship.

4. You guys have worked together before on ‘Meet In The Middle’ which Regan, you said was a song that ‘tells a story than runs parallel to both your lives, that compromise is sacrifice.’ could you explain that notion a little bit for us?

Ta-ku: I can talk forever on this – but simply but this EP is about our dads. My dad. Wafia’s dad. Both experiences are independent of each other. However both stories are very similar. It’s hard when your parents divorce. However we are both blessed with very strong mothers. We both love our Dads very much. They are good men. However we just wanted to write about our journey and how hard it was for us as young people to deal with that range of emotions and issues that come from a broken family. I know that a lot of young kids out there are going through the exact same thing. We hope that IF they listen to this EP – it helps them talk to someone. Or express their feelings creatively someway/somehow. Don’t keep it bottled in.

5. So are there any similar messages for this forthcoming EP? (perhaps an extension on the ‘compromise is sacrifice’ notion? Or is there a deeper meaning at all?)

Ta-ku: I feel like the message you take from this EP is all relative to what kind of person you are. I think the inspiration from the EP came from a very particular place for Wafia & me. However I feel that it can be relatable to a lot of different situations for different people. That is what makes music so special. It can be interpreted in so many different ways.

Wafia: Exactly. I think the way we write allows for listeners to put themselves in the song however they see fit. We wrote a conceptual EP to help us process what we were going through, but I think our song writing permits the songs to exist in other people’s realms as well as our own.

6. Any chance that we will see the two of you planning some live show dates to perform the EP together?

Ta-ku: Yes for sure. Keep an eye peeled for some special AUS Dates soon! We are also touring ASIA and US next month. (Tickets here)

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Stream Ta-ku and Wafia’s EP ‘(m)edian‘ below, and share your thoughts with us on the collaboration.