When we spoke to DJ Taye in June of 2014 as the TEK Life dojo heir it was not prophecy on our part, but rather the order of operation. Having been producing since his pre-teens, at age 15 DJ Taye entered the TEKmosphere through battles which caught the attention of the late DJ Rashad. His entrance into the Hyperdub roster was under way before that interview as Taye informed us he’d already sent a gang of tracks to label head Kode9 to select for a project. He’s been featured on releases like the Next Life compilation, but later this month DJ Taye will officially debut on Hyperdub with the Break It Down EP.
Through email DJ Taye informs me all the collaborations on the EP were down in person, there was no vast network of file trading going down. “Go Away”, which features overseas TEK member DJ Paypal, was composed in Berlin while Taye was on his first ever European tour with DJ Earl. Chipmunked vocals and synthesizers capture a early millennium vibe of mainstream rap, perhaps channeling that jocular sell out sound we’re anticipating from the upcoming DJ Paypal EP on Brainfeeder.
“Everything just happens naturally, I like to just let things flow when it comes to making music with people,” he wrote. “You never know what someone could come up with.”
That openness to exploration is prevalent across the Break It Down EP and has played an instrumental role in past projects like the What You Think EP. Still, Taye says that discovering his style was never a eureka moment. “I could say oh yeah I found this style that works for me that I like now and then I could just improve the sound the next day and switch it all up.”
“I’m always looking for improvement , and new sounds to inspire me to do new things.”
With the EP out soon and a full length planned in the near future on Hyperdub, I asked DJ Taye if the seminal electronic label was on his radar before his introduction through Rashad. “Black Sun is for sure one of my favorites still, off the top of my head,” he says referring to the Kode9 & The Spaceape record. Going on to say it was memorable primarily for Kode9 & The Spaceape’s “sound choice, grooves and time signatures overall.”
DJ Taye’s Break It Down EP is out October 16 on Hyperdub.
