Mara TK - Bad Meditation (Extra Soul Perception)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:

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WHAT WE SAY:

​Having been an ambassador for the New Zealand Ministry of Future Soul via the Electric Wire Hustle for a few years, Mara TK drops his debut album for the equally excellent Extra Soul Perception project, and to be honest I couldn't have hoped for any more. Give your Saturday a proper soul injection.

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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY:

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WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY:

This Spring sees the highly anticipated return of Mara TK, the golden voiced singer of the Kiwi future soul trio Electric Wire Hustle. While EWH’s globally acclaimed career has seen this Māori-Scottish singer wonder all across the world, with his debut solo album ‘Bad Meditation’ he is returning to deeply personal topics about his home in Aotearoa (or long white cloud, the Māori name for New Zealand). The third single and the album’s title track is released 9th April. 

Electric Wire Hustle released three critically revered albums released over seven years with their final output being ‘The 11th Sky’ came in 2016 across which time they grew a devoted following. 

In the five years since then, Mara TK has been on a journey of musical self-discovery, as he says; “writing this album has been a form of therapy over the last few years trying to figure out what kind of music I wanted to make next”. The result, ‘Bad Meditation’, is his thirteen-track magnum opus, written and produced by Mara himself. 

Speaking of the process of making the album he says; “I was offered what was basically a whole studio worth of gear from a friend who was moving overseas. I took a gamble and bought that gear and have spent the last five years learning how to use this shit. I had to bet on my own ability to learn new things so it was scary, but also keep in mind that music, like any other creative form doesn’t have to be perfect - the brush strokes don’t have to be exactly straight”. 

‘Bad Meditation’ is an account of love, loss, healing and the story of Mara’s Māori heritage. As he explains; “Growing up poor, everything goes through our indigenous lens. Here in Aotearoa we have our own Gods, our own values our own ways of speaking that are different to the colonial/capitalist culture”. 

This sentiment is carried through on the groove of ‘Grew Up Inna Chaos’ and the storytelling on previous single, melancholic lament, ‘Highly Medicated’, which sees Mara open up about his journey to heal following the death of his grandfather, who was his link to traditional customs in Aotearoa. Current single ‘Bad Meditation’ and ‘Colours’ are filled with layered harmonies, while the influence of Mara’s father, psychedelic rock guitarist Billy TK, seeps through. Features on the album include Kenyan R&B singer and songwriter Xenia Manasseh on ‘Met At The River’ and Māori musician Troy Kingi on the Boris Gardiner inspired ‘Every Hori Is A Star’. 

An alumnus of Red Music Academy in Toronto, Mara TK’s work beyond Electric Wire Hustle has seen him collaborate with critically lauded names including Om’Mas Keith of Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Detroit producer and J Dilla collaborator Waajeed, and Steve Spacek. 

Extra Soul Perception is a collaboration and community music platform that started life between the UK, Kenya and Uganda but is now continuing to grow and connect independent musicians worldwide. Now with Mara TK added to the roster, Extra Soul Perception has released music by Lex Amor, K15, Maxwell Owin, Lynda Dawn, Hibotep, Karun, Labdi, Faizal Mostrixx and more. 

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IF YOU LIKE THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS:

Some of my favourite underground nu-soul artists from recent times with a focus on under appreciated quality, left of centre joints & lesser known artists.

Smartlink to the playlist on Apple Music, Deezer, Soundcloud and Youtube.​