The electronic, trip-hop project of Wagga Wagga-raised producer/multi-instrumentalist Annastasia Lucas (primary instrument: tenor saxophone), Ta'sia crafts delicious beats using vintage vinyl samples, live instrumentation and analog samplers.
ESTA, Ta’sia’s debut album, is “a celebration of women in music” for which Lucas gathered a slew of female vocalists plus brass, woodwind and rhythm section players.
Ta’sia incorporates her collaborator’s herstories into this work, much of which blossomed from improv jam sessions during gigs and rehearsals. See: the standout, Araminta-featuring Stick Around – originally written for live performance, this one will get you swaying and forgetting about the world’s woes in no time.
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Opener Evil Dub’s sinister undercurrent lures listeners in from the get-go before an instantly memorable brass melody brings the party. Araminta’s limber vocals – definitely One To Watch – are the intoxicating cherry on top: “Sloppy seconds like a seagull/ He don’t know that he’s evil…”
Naarm-based singer Araminta shines on many of these tracks – also Krill, which is sung in Spanish – which gives the collection cohesion. We recognise “Paso Doble” (translation: double-step) within Krill’s lyrics – it takes two to tango, after all. Hypnotic, textured and lush – the four-piece brass section is bang on.
Lady In Waiting is languorous, delighting in percussive detail – do we detect occasional triangle plinks? The bongos in Salt Plain – such nuanced playing! We recommend you add ESTA to your lazy Sunday playlist sharpish.
LABEL: INDEPENDENT
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Stream Ta’sia’s debut album ESTA here.
