As CARBON 2014 approaches, we’ll be sharing our interviews with the speakers appearing at the creative culture festival. March 29 and 30 will see a whole host of mavericks and trailblazers converge on Melbourne to share insights from the worlds of art, photography, design, style, music and more. The next cab off the rank in our interview series is multifaceted beatmaker and savvy brand-builder Ta-ku.

CARBON festival 2014 is on March 29 and 30 at RMIT’s Storey Hall in Melbourne. You can get tickets from the ACCLAIM online store. 

Ta-ku, otherwise known as Regan Matthews, certainly lives up to his self-appointed title of ‘genre killer’. In addition to his own progressive production practice that is crystalised in his lauded Songs to Break Up To release, he is also a master of the remix. Adding his Midas touch to some of today’s biggest pop and dance hits, Ta-ku’s ability to take nostalgic hip-hop and R&B songs cuts and transform them into tracks that are at once classic but contemporary, has become his calling card. His significant following both online and IRL solidifies Ta-ku’s name and brand in the current landscape of music.

What inspired you to become a producer?

That feeling you get from that perfect song. To be more specific, Slum Village’s ‘Fall in Love’.

What are you currently inspired by?

Love, relationships and family.

If you weren’t involved in music, what would you be doing?

Something creative. I dropped out of design due to being colour blind, so I’d probably study that again.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?

Stay grounded, work hard and don’t take anything too seriously.

What advice would you give to aspiring producers?

Be yourself and let your music and brand do the work for you.

How important has the internet and social media been in promoting yourself and your work?

Extremely. So easily accessible, if marketed correctly, the reach is endless.