A review of the five-track Lofi & Jazz EP by Taki Brano & friends.
Morning 'til Night is an homage to the memories that were birthed in Providence, Rhode Island; Taki Branos stomping grounds. The cover artwork (Made by Azuku) illustrates, with some tasteful embellishment, a location inspired by the "Water Place Park," with Providences's gleaming cityscape standing tall in the back. One Google search of the city will allow you to feel the degree of faithfulness that this was recreated with (See images below). The concept Taki explored here is a breath of fresh air to me–in a post A.I. world– to see artists still telling stories of old; and permitting us to walk alongside the most important places of their lives. Taki's music always speaks stories, but this one especially feels personal.
Taki dropped this album in December of 2023 via Jazzhop Records and collaborated with friends such as Theo Juarez, Yotsugi, Fred Paci, Lofi Sax, Hank Lee Nelson, and RIVA for a dramatically dynamic sound. Having an extensive collaborator list is nothing new with Taki though, most of his work involves others and this method has led to his work to always sound fresh with various perspectives, while still retaining a "Taki Brano" feel. To this, he said: "I felt I was in more of an executive producer / Rick Rubin type role because even though I do have live playing parts in the form of bass, chord progressions, solos, and riffs on various instruments throughout the project (and on every track, as well as the drums), it was fun to be able to sample my collaborators’ live jams and write full instrumental songs around them."
The project is embroidered with Taki's signature drum feel. (Which I thought was live, but apparently, it's all programmed!). Compared to his recent work, Morning til' Night stylistically explores a jazzier tone with a bit more complexity. It's not quite a departure from his "sound," nor does it remain in the same place as his previous work; It's more of a maturity in his production, in my opinion. He's taken what works and is conservatively adding spice to see what could also work on top of that.
Taki's hybrid style is rooted in Hip-Hop production yet contains seasonings from Jazz and light funk to create an exotic bite for the palate. Contrasting to that of his previous album, "Horizons 1.5", where he and Diggy Diamond dropped a high-speed, future-funk-turned-Lofi record, this project represents a slower pace, a "coming back down to earth" kind of vibe for me. It isn't at all vague functional music, as it has never been with Taki, but rather a genuine glimpse into the sound that takes him home again. I anticipate (and hope) more artists will embrace this kind of genuine approach as the world gets increasingly digital and anonymous.
What's on the horizon for Taki Brano?
"For 2024 I’m focusing a lot on my personal life, health, being a dad, and my family. I’ve fallen back a bit from constant Lofi releases with labels but I should continue to release with a few (JHC and Tsunami come to mind immediately 🫶🏻) and I’m going to be concentrating more on sample creation, sync music, and releasing music with vocal artists. I’m also starting a new merch line sometime this year with original designs on thrift-sourced vintage clothes. I plan for Taki Brano to start looking more like a brand vs. a lofi artist going forward. :) "
Favorite track on the EP?
(1) Thayer Cafe
(2) Ice Water
(3) Better Half
(4) As Soon As I Walk Out The Door
Thank you for taking the time to read this review, be sure to peep the project more in depth; which you can find here.