Taska Black is on tour with San Holo for his ‘album1’ debut, but he has new music to drop as well. Just recently he released his MINDS EP on San’s label Bitbird, and it’s pumped with forward thinking lyrics and and an amazing sound both combined beautifully into a successful and inspiring EP.
Taska had a very early start in music by playing piano at the age of 4, but he quickly was jumping outside the bounds of formal music education and into something entirely unique to himself by dabbling in and out of different genres of music. He has had quite of a bit of successes being such a new producer, but also has had some hardships. After battling health issues and an intense year, he has come out on top and was inspired to create MINDS, an EP that is guaranteed to challenge people to think about their daily life and expand pop music in a different way. *Listen here*
This new EP offers thrilling and innovative sounds and perspectives, as well as original visuals such as the “Loosing Our Minds” ft. Nevve music video. This track offers spacious production filled with guitar-backed instrumentals, mixing together with Taska’s signature electronic production which has carved his own unique path in pop music.
A lot of Taska’s songs include self-reflection which has help shaped his ability to handle his mental state to better his music and ultimately his life.
“‘I realized that it’s more important to make sure you enjoy every day of the road instead of creating an illusion for yourself that the future will make you happy. So spend time with your friends and family, be happy with what you’ve achieved instead of being unhappy over what you haven’t achieved”.
The track ‘Get Out Of My Head’ was a collaboration involving LA singer/producer, Midoca and involved a very helpful life perspective. Originally the lyrics were written by Midoca “as a repetitious mantra to reflect how I was feeling– way too in my own head and needing escape” and Taska rolled with it. For him it was “all about how I turn into myself whenever I had panic attacks or when I was stressed or worried. I couldn’t get out of my own head and was lost in an endless loop of thoughts.” Which I think most people have internally struggled with.
‘In The End” was Taska’s way of looking back and reflecting on the ups and downs of his past year.
It’s been roughly 9 months since my first encounter with panic attacks etc. Now it’s easier to deal with it because I know what’s going on with me and I know it’s all in my head and that I’m in control. This song is about the never ending struggle but also the realization that it’s all in my own head, that it’s all gonna be fine and that you grow stronger because of this in the end.
This whole EP has such a unique and helpful perspective that pushes the edges of pop music AND the edges of peoples minds (see what I did there). This type of music is so imperative to the industry and the health of people. With every track, he unravels a rawness through his intrinsic aptitude for melody and sound design which has seen him garner support from fellow heavyweights Zeds Dead, Alison Wonderland, Marshmello, Martin Garrix and more. I can’t wait to see what Taska does next and how he continues to shape not only his craft, but the music industry as a whole.
Tour dates & tickets here
Here’s a deeper look into his time on tour and his thoughts with an exclusive FMF interview:
Fresh Music Freaks: How did this opportunity with Bitbird arise, and why did you decide to sign with this label specifically?
Taska Black: I found bitbird on soundcloud back when they just started out. I sent them a couple of songs and they wanted to release one of them. They never cared about the amount of followers a person has, as long as the music touches them in some way. That’s why bitbird is different than other labels, they manage to keep pushing artists that I’ve never heard before but surprise me every single time. I think bitbird is a good home for my music because they understand the story I’m trying to tell, they seek for musicality and that’s exactly what I’m after.
FMF: What has been the most exciting or memorable aspect of being on tour with San Holo so far?
TB: When I did the first couple of shows with San I saw how good of a performer he is on stage. He’s inspired me to find my own way in performing on stage. Being on all of his album1 tour shows is taking things to a whole new level for me. He keeps inspiring me and this a chance for me to develop my performance even further and show my music to even more people around the world.
FMF: What was the biggest breakthrough in this EP verses your previous projects? What influenced you to pursue that new direction?
TB: This EP is sort of a transitional phase for me. It’s a bridge between the “old” and the “new” Taska Black. I felt like I had to evolve into something new as an artist coming out of EDM. I’m very excited about making pop music so I love to combine both my EDM background with those new pop influences that make me excited again. I think this EP is a good blend to give my fans a sense of who I am and of what’s to come.
FMF: What were some of the highlights when working with the different artists on MINDS?
TB: “Losing Our Minds” initially started as a demo that I got from Nevve. I ended up completely changing the melody and the meaning behind the song. I went to LA to meet with them in the studio for the first time and after struggling for so long the song finally fell into place. “In The End” with Aviella came together so naturally. I had a session planned with her in LA and the night before I sat down with my piano to come up with something. I came up with this basic chord progression and melody and the next day we finished the whole song together.
FMF: It seems that MINDS has a theme, “Losing Our Minds” and “Get Out Of My Head”, is there a story behind this chapter?
TB: This EP was a chance for myself to write about everything that happened to me this year. It’s been a very intense year for me because Taska Black was growing faster than I could sometimes realize and I started touring worldwide. At one point my body couldn’t handle the stress anymore and I realized I had to take a step back sometimes and take it all in. MINDS was a way for me to process this all and zoom in on my different experiences.
FMF: What is your next project after this EP going to be?
TB: I’m working on a lot of new music for 2019. It’s gonna be a bit different but I finally feel excited again with the direction I’m headed.
FMF: You’re still at the beginning of the tour, but what venue or city are you most excited to visit (besides Seattle of course) and why?
TB: I’m very excited to play in LA in the Shrine, it’s just a legendary venue and I can’t wait to play there. I’ve also heard a lot of good things about House Of Blues in Boston so very excited for that one as well.
