Tasha Baxter's dreamy synth music on her debut album, Colour of Me, is an indie-electro mix. Although the compositions rest on a bed of familiar pop, it's not a run-of-the-mill mainstream sound, and diversions such as the subtle splash of reggae on Don't Believe In Love, keep it fresh.
This new face on the South African scene will launch her album at the Bang Bang Club in Loop Street on Thursday.
Tasha's opening track, Useless, is the most potent song on the album. The release is the result of a partnership between Baxter and pianist-songwriter Andre Scheepers.
Scheepers has worked with the likes of Merchandise and Black Rabbit, and has collaborated with Baxter over the past year, piecing together Colour of Me.
Working in her dining room, the duo assembled demos for the album. Baxter contributed bass, guitar, vocals and melodies, while Scheepers added keys, synths and beats.
Noisia, a group of Hollanders, handled the production. Baxter met Noisia, Thijs, Martijn and Nik, in an online dance community. Baxter decided to take a chance on the Dutch production team, and sent Noisia some of her music online.
And by February last year, 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.
Together with Scheepers, they did pre-production and songwriting, and later Tasha returned to Holland for more in-studio work.
This was followed by the recording of live instrumentation at RP studios in Johannesburg, with engineer Neal Snyman. Martijn from Noisia came to South Africa to oversee the process, and returned to Holland with the precious separates in hand. Mixes flew back and forth over the internet, until the final mixes reached South Africa in late September.
Baxter says: "I think that the production speaks for itself. We have managed to treat each of the songs individually, and each one stands out."
The first radio single, Who's Sorry Now, which conveys her trip-hop influences, has already been getting radio play.
You'll also find touches of dance and drum 'n bass on the album. "Each song on the album is completely different, because it 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."
Baxter's songwriting and vocal skills have also been used on other projects. These include Roger Goode's In The Beginning from his album Coming Up For Air.
It was Baxter who contributed lyrics and vocal melodies for the track, which earned a chart-topping spot on 5fm's Top 40 chart and a remix from house DJ-producer, Ferry Corsten.
The track was also voted Pete Tong's favourite single, and it took the No 1 spot on the UK dance charts.
Baxter has also worked with drum 'n bass producers, Counterstrike, on the tracks Questions and Nemesis, with various house producers.
Her resident spot as drum 'n bass DJ and MC has been at Trailer Park in Melville, and her passion for being behind the decks will see her play in the Dutch city of Utrecht in October.
- Tickets are R50. Doors open at 9pm.