Multi-media artist Tīpare’s new single ‘Abstract’ signifies a new era for the wahine, who has written, arranged, performed, recorded, and produced the new track.
A disco-inspired, beats-driven song ‘Abstract’ displays the artist's love of and affinity for 80s style production with its simplicity in communication form. A storyteller who has crafted a career as a multidisciplinary artist, director, activist and producer - Tīpare skillfully weaves together knowledge she has collected from her life experiences and funnels it into her art.
“Ultimately, it’s called ‘Abstract’ because I really didn’t think I was going to catch feelings for someone that I thought was going to be so different from me - but sitting in the back of my mind, with the sound, was that era [70s-80s]. A lot of contradictory art and sound was created that crossed cultural and disciplinary forms. Video was just coming into being, hip hop was being created, and the art scene was burgeoning with street and pop culture combining.”
Tīpare’s previous singles ‘Backbiters’ and ‘My Decision’ were both produced by well-known Aotearoa musician/producer Laughton Kora and New York producer Tiklah. Throughout the process, she relied heavily on their expertise, but this time, she decided she wanted to do it herself.
“It was confronting technically, but rewarding emotionally,” she says. “I flew to Melbourne to do a crash course in Ableton, so I could take control of the sounds I wanted to hear and be responsible for the risks in producing them.”
By self-producing, she was also able to choose her own vocal takes, something that has been important to her. “Sometimes I want to keep the mistakes. I’m not perfect, and I’m vulnerable, and in this day and age I felt I needed to be honest about that.”
Once happy with the tracks, they were mixed by award-winning engineer Neil Baldock, and mastered by Los Angeles-based Gene the Machine at Oasis.
As a bonus for listeners, she is quickly following this release with a ‘B-side’ single called ‘Quicksand’ - out June 10 - a song about unescapable love.
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