Tasha Baxter

Tasha Baxter’s Debut Album Turns SA Music’s Best-kept Secret Into Hot Public Property.



For years Tasha Baxter has been one of South African music’s best kept secrets – but the release of her debut album Colour of Me is destined to turn her into hot public property.



This creative escapade is the result of a partnership between Baxter and Andre Scheepers. Scheepers, a gifted pianist and songwriter who has worked with the likes of Merchandise and Black Rabbit, collaborated with Baxter over a period of almost a year to create Colour of Me. This talented duo put together the demos which would later form the album, working in Baxter’s dining room and other unconventional spaces. The 9 track demo that was the eventual result of this process was indeed a labour of love, with Baxter contributing bass,guitar, vocals and melodies; and Scheepers contributing keys, synths and beats. Once the demo was complete, Baxter set about finding a way to bring the music to the public.



Baxter met Noisia – Thijs, Martijn and Nik – in an online dance community. She quickly impressed them, as one of South Africa’s most forward-thinking dance, trip-hop and drum ‘n bass innovators. Baxter took a chance on the Dutch production team and sent Noisia some of her music online. Before she knew it, in February 2006, she was on a plane to Holland, where a collaborative in-studio process saw Baxter create the demos that earned her and Scheepers a deal with EMI South Africa.



Recording ‘Colour Of Me’ was a challenging process, Baxter confesses. Scheepers and Baxter did pre-production and songwriting, with Baxter returning to Holland in May for more in-studio work. This was followed by the recording of live instrumentation at RP studios in Johannesburg, with acclaimed SA engineer, Neal Snyman. Martijn from Noisia journeyed to South Africa to oversee this process and returned to Holland with the precious separates in hand. Mixes flew back and forth over the net, until finally the mastered version reached South Africa in late September.



‘I think that the production speaks for itself,’ says Baxter. ‘We have managed to treat each of the songs individually and so each one stands out.”



Baxter’s debut solo offering is already casting a spell over music fans countrywide off the back of first radio single, ‘Who’s Sorry Now’, a gem that’s already notching up some heavyweight radioplay. The track is indie pop at its most powerful, bringing into the musical mix Baxter’s considerable background in dance, trip-hop, and drum ‘n bass to create a memorable piece of music that’s a sure-fire summer hit.



The album reveals that Baxter is something of an artful dodger, moving with practice through a head-spinning array of musical genres, among them dance, trip-hop, pop, funk, drum ‘n bass and more. “Each song on the album is completely different,” Baxter reveals, “because that is a real representation of who I am and the kind of music that I write. The common thread I think is my vocals – for me, it’s the signature throughout the album.”



But the most striking feature of ‘Colour Of Me’ is, undoubtedly, its far-ranging soundscape.



If ‘Who’s Sorry Now’ takes its cue from pop and dance, other tracks are harder to pin down, with the likes of (track 11) a compelling hymnal pop-folk ballad that’s emotion-drenched. Then just as easily, Baxter can pull out the ragga beats (track 13), or the sludgy edges of dance on the likes of (track 12).



Over the past few years, Baxter has built a reputation as a multi-talented artist, lending her songwriting and vocal skills to many high-profile projects, albums and songs. Chief amongst these was Roger Goode’s ‘In The Beginning’ off his album ‘Coming Up For Air’. It was Baxter who contributed lyrics and vocal melodies for the track which turned into a bonafide global smash hit, "In the Beginning"earning a chart-topping spot on 5fm’s Top 40 chart and a remix from none other than internationally recognised house DJ and producer, Ferry Corsten. At the same time, the track was also voted Pete Tong’s favourite single and it took the number 1 spot on the UK dance charts.



What many people didn’t know at the time was that Baxter had contributed vocals and songwriting to four other tracks on Goode’s album – including ‘Little Angel’ which she wrote for her daughter, and ‘To Move You’ – more than proving her strength as a composer along the way.



Alongside her work with Goode (which still continues through Baxter’s presence on his Saturday Surgery show), Baxter has made a substantial impact on the Cape Town and Johannesburg music scenes, working with the likes of drum ‘n bass producers, Counterstrike (on the tracks ‘Questions’ & ‘Nemesis’), various house producers, and featuring on Soulsista’s album. Her raft of corporate work – composing tracks for commercials and more – is as impressive and she has also performed alongside some of the biggest names in the DJ world, including DJ Vadim, Roger Goode, Diesel Boy, Aphrodite, Cut La Roc , Raiden, Pendulum and Dom n’ Roland to name but a few. Baxter,part of the Reflex crew was also resident drum ‘n bass DJ/MC at Transky,mow Tokyo Star in Melville Johannesburg for years and her continuing passion for being behind the decks saw her play in the Dutch city of Utrecht and in Bristol in October this year.



All this has laid the foundation for Baxter’s most powerful project – her debut solo album which is an authentic representation of this singular artist’s expansive musical vision; one that may include a diversity of musical influences but is threaded together by Baxter’s impeccable songwriting and vocal performance.



Baxter is a seriously heavyweight talent – and it’s going to have no trouble in winning over South Africa’s music fans in the early months of 2007.



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