Coming from a background so wildly eclectic, it’s intriguing how new artist Takkin‘s music instead comes from a middleground so warm and accepting. Check out his playlist picks, and of course his new single ‘Stay Together’, available now both in English and Mandarin on all major streaming platforms. With his debut single, Takkin explores how music has been his levelling ground in his first exploration:
“Regardless of what is going on in my life, happening around me and to me, music has and continues to be a constant. If I’m a gnarled, weathered tree on a cliffside, music is the roots that prevent me from cascading into the sea. It’s my place of solace and reflection. When I can’t concretely pinpoint what I’m feeling or experiencing, it helps me work through those emotions, expose them, and express them. “
With picks by friends who have inspired him (Mantis Hands) and other musical aspirations (Daniel Caesar, Sabrina Claudio), Takkin’s picks reveal the first piece of the puzzle. Learn more about his music by heading back over to our news article on him!
01. Takkin – Stay Together (Eng & Chin)
It’s a love letter from one person to another, an extension of the hand. There is hope. It is soaring, mournful, and meditative. This song is the best representation of the world in which Takkin operates, where my music lives and breathes.
02. James Blake – Into The Red
This song captures the essence of love. It’s expansive and fantastical, all the while grounded in a concrete, historical phenomenon: the Gold Rush. Seeing him live at Terminal 5 (twice!) remains one of my fondest music memories.
03. Mantis Hands – Palace
Mantis Hands is partly responsible for Takkin’s birth. Over the years, I’ve collaborated with him on a plethora of projects: animation, voice-over, but never music. This song makes me feel like I’m in the Matrix, drinking a neon blue cocktail from a martini glass. Always cool, always pulsing, digitized thought.
04. Daniel Caesar – Get You (feat. Kali Uchi)
The song is deeply sexual, playful and catchy as hell! I see rays of sunlight through half-closed blinds over a half-made bed. The opening with the church organs, the bass and drum kit kicking in on the verse, fantastic.
05. Sabrina Claudio – Belong To You
Sabrina makes you feel like she’s singing to you and nobody else, that it’s just you and her in close quarters. She’s ethereal, her voice just above a whisper, that echoes deep in the halls of your mind. All mundane words sound extraterrestrial.
06. Mac Ayres – Slow Down
This song has such a gentle groove. Mac’s voice glides so lightly on top, like whipped cream on a milkshake. He’s another vocalist with complete control and confidence, capitalizing on the soft, muted tones of his voice.
07. Maggie Rogers – The Knife
Such smart song writing coupled with the funkiest bass line I’ve heard in a long time. I instantly want to get up and dance from that snare and hi-hat! Which instrument is the knife? It changes with every relisten.
08. Active Child – Darling
Simple, pastel colors, fragile; sitting on a gondola with a loved one, or holding a newborn in a nursery. The only thing that matters is the one with you.
09. Denzel Curry – Bulls on Parade (triple j Like A Version)
This song is definitely an outlier from the others but I can’t stop listening to it.
It’s pure, raucous adrenaline and an incredible live performance.
Listen to Takkin’s new single ‘Stay Together’, now out on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud. Follow Takkin on all his social medias (Facebook, Instagram) to stay tuned for his upcoming regular releases!
