‘For my creativity to feel alive and free, the biggest thing I tap into is travel.’
Feature by Marley Ng
Celebrated musician, entrepreneur, photographer and creative director Ta-ku is a true multi-hyphenate. His hunger for creativity and strong ties to his Māori, Scottish and Filipino heritage drive his unique lens on the world.
Born and raised in Perth, Ta-ku (aka Regan Mathews) continues to call the Western Australian capital home. Yet the pull of global cultures keeps him on the go. For Ta-ku, travel is the richest way to find inspiration. From connecting with his roots in Whakatāne and Manila, to feeling foreign in Tokyo or exploring his wife’s home in the lively city of Seoul, travel pushes him out of his comfort zone and allows him to experiment with his creativity. We chat with Ta-ku about his plethora of creative ventures, soundtracking his travels, and his Seoul Travel Playbook.
On where you’re from
I was born and raised in Perth, but my parents are both from elsewhere. My dad’s from New Zealand, a place called Whakatāne, and my mom grew up in Manila. Perth is becoming a place that I call home more comfortably and confidently the older I get. I’m getting lazier too. Being in an isolated place definitely has its advantages and disadvantages, but for the most part I really love it here.
On your love for Perth
The one thing that’s kept me here is the pace. As a creative the amount of things I’m involved in can be quite intense. If I lived in a city where the pace wasn’t like Perth, I wouldn’t be able to cope or balance myself as well as I have throughout my career. Perth has an amazing natural beauty about it — our beaches, our nature and what it has to offer. You have a lot of opportunities to switch off and you’re in an environment that allows you to do so. Whenever I travel for a long period of time and come back, I really appreciate having a place to take a break and reset. Living in a place like Perth and then going elsewhere abroad also really opens your eyes to how different we are here. If you’re from a city that’s already hustle-and-bustle and you go to another similar city, I don’t know if you have the advantage of having that point of difference.
On your early global upbringing
When I was younger, my mom and dad took me back to their hometowns. I didn’t travel much as a teenager. As soon as I hit my 20s, I was keen to see where I’d come from and take my mom back to the Philippines to see her with her family. It was eye-opening to meet my relatives and cousins. Same with family reunions in New Zealand. If you’re an islander, Māori or Samoan, those family events are pretty amazing in terms of how much love is thrown around. When your family is in different parts of the world, you have an instant connection to those places. You’ve spent most of your life away, but as soon as you get there, you feel something. It is an emotional experience that’s part of your fabric, and what’s made you the person you are today.
On your connection to your heritage
My dad is actually half-Māori, half-Scottish. Whenever we go back, we go to the heritage land and connect with our ancestors’ lineage. My relationship with my Māori heritage is still pretty new, but there’s something about it that I really stuck to early on in my music career. That’s where the name Ta-ku comes from. It’s actually a Māori word for ‘me’ or ‘mine’, depending on the context you use it in. When I started making music, it was important to let people know who I was. Being comfortable with who I am and being my true creative self also ties in to me being comfortable with my heritage, where both my parents are from, and what my identity is.
‘Being comfortable with who I am and being my true creative self also ties in to me being comfortable with my heritage, where both my parents are from, and what my identity is.’
On significant experiences
My earliest one is when I first started making music. I applied for the Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona and was accepted to be part of this two-week workshop, where they invited musicians from around the world. That was my first trip overseas by myself at age 20. Then when I played the Sydney Opera House, that was a big honor. For anyone around the world, the Opera House is one of those places that has so much legitimacy and integrity as a venue. I was like, ‘Are they sure they know what they’re doing?’
On your evolving creativity
A lot of my creative endeavors stemmed from things that I’m interested in. I had a friend in Tokyo named Repeat Pattern, and he was taking amazing photos. I was touring and traveling a lot, and wanted to document it. I just gave it a go, and then fell in love and became really hyper-focused. Over time, being a musician has led me to other opportunities, like being a creative director for brands. That’s what led me to start my creative agency [Pretty Soon] with my good friend Ben Wright in Perth. 823 is a creative label. It started off as a love for film photography, but then turned into more of a community of people wanting to try new things. Now we do merch and apparel, we make records and publications. We also have the Hopes & Dreams Club, which is a group of creatives that make something every month. I feel like you reach your quota when you do one thing all the time, and you need to switch it up a little bit. I think I have a very addictive personality. I just want to do different things, even if I do them half as good. As long as it doesn’t feel like a job, I’m happy.
On supporting emerging creatives
I love working with other creatives and helping facilitate what they can do. Every time I see the product, it’s like opening a present. The surprise behind spontaneous creativity is really exciting. Growing a network of creators or a community is something I really love. I know what it felt like to be someone that was in their bedroom with a nine-to-five, not knowing where to put my creative energy. Making something is one thing, but letting the rest of the world enjoy it is another plethora of skills you need to learn. I’m always about building communities that share work with each other. If you have the platform, the know-how or the opportunity, you should do it. You’re giving other people an opportunity to tap into this community to help them get their work out in the world. There’s a beauty in allowing people to share something raw and spontaneous.
‘The best feeling you can get when you’re traveling is that you feel completely out of place, but also completely inspired at the same time.’
On feeling foreign
You want to feel foreign, you want to feel lost in foreign places. The best feeling you get when you’re traveling is feeling completely out of place, but also completely inspired at the same time. Exploring different cultures is all about immersing yourself. When I travel I get that feeling like, ‘No one here knows me and I don’t know anyone here’. That feeling is the truest feeling you can get when you’re creating. You almost feel like you’re a completely new person, so therefore everything that you’re taking in is a new experience. You need that spark every now and then, whether that comes from observing a new culture or experiencing something in a new city. For my creativity to really feel alive and free, that’s the biggest thing I tap into. Also just knowing that you’re such a small part of this world, and that anything you do — while it’s the smallest speck in the grand scheme of things — is still important, because it’s an expression of who you are. Being put outside your comfort zone will only lead to good things.
On your relationship with Seoul
I would describe it as still new, we’re still dating. Being half-Asian, Seoul is that perfect spot for me. Tokyo is amazingly beautiful, but sometimes it’s just too perfect. My wife is Australian-born Korean. Before I met her, I actually fell in love with Korean music, due to how extravagant it is, and how no one else in the world is doing something to that degree and detail. When I met my wife, I fell deeper in love with the culture and the people, and her family as well. As a photographer, Seoul was one of the cities where I felt so inspired and had so much fun shooting. I kept wanting to go back. I knew there was so much more that it had to offer me.
On showing a friend around Seoul for the day
The most impressive site for me is Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which a lot of people go to, but it’s an amazing architectural visit. At the same time, they do a lot of great things in the Design Museum. There’s also an amazing textile and street food market that is just adjacent to the big plaza. It’s a good spot to people watch and take photos because the architecture is so insane. Myeongdong is known for shopping, I guess it’s like the Times Square of Seoul. Most people stay away from it because it’s so hectic, but underneath is this huge record store, where it’s just wall-to-wall records. I dig for records to sample my music from. Namdaemun is a really great one if you’re into cameras. There are amazing second-hand camera stores in the area. If you like dumplings as well, or mandu [Korean dumplings], there are heaps of side-street stalls. You get really fat in Korea by the way!
‘As a photographer, Seoul was one of the cities where I felt so inspired and had so much fun shooting. I kept wanting to go back. I knew there was so much more that it had to offer.’
On a must-do experience
I would always take someone to a jjimjilbang (Korean public baths and saunas). You have one level of different spas, and then you meet on the next level and you can eat there. After that, there are different hot saunas you can enjoy. You’ve got to get naked for most of it, but if you’re going to experience something that culturally puts you outside of your comfort zone, I would highly recommend going. There’s one just behind Seoul Station called Siloam. It’s the most clean and convenient. Just go once and see what you think, it’s a nice experience.
On where to take a date
I’m a big sucker for amusement parks. Disneyland is my favorite place to go, ever. There’s a place near Seoul called Everland, which is their version of Disneyland. The food is great. There are two roller coasters that are amazing. It’s just a really cute Korean theme park that — especially if you go with your partner — is a very romantic place.
On your favorite spots to eat
There’s a bunch of markets in Seoul. Some that come to mind are Dongdaemun and Namdaemun Night Markets. There’s one called Gwangjang Market, which is attached to a textile market where they make hanboks. I was impressed by this one due to the sheer size and the vibe of how busy it was. They have food stalls inside and you just pull up a chair and enjoy the street food that Korea does so well. Another food spot is called Pyongyang Myeonok, which actually specializes in Pyongyang naengmyeon. It’s different to mul naengmyeon or your standard bibim naengmyeon — Pyongyang naengmyeon is quite subtle, but that’s what makes it so beautiful, because it’s so neutral and fresh.
On a song that best represents Seoul for you
When I travel somewhere, I always want a key moment or song to take me back there, so I choose an album or song that I hammer as much as I can. When I listen to that song back home, I get that sense of euphoria. There’s this song by Crush called ‘none’ that I listen to a lot when I travel in general. That song for me is like the perfect amount of nostalgia, but also, the way it builds is very reminiscent of a plane taking off. This climax of the way he lays his vocals and the way he nuances throughout the buildup is really quite beautiful.
‘One food spot is called Pyongyang Myeonok, which actually specializes in Pyongyang naengmyeon. The dish is quite subtle, but that’s what makes it so beautiful, because it’s so neutral and fresh.’
On a window or an aisle seat
Obviously the window is always amazing. When I was like 10 and in the backseat of my mom and dad’s car, whenever it would rain I’d put a really sad song on my headphones and touch the window, and pretend I’m my own main character. That doesn’t change for me even when I’m 35. Now, if I get that window seat and the view is beautiful, I have to soundtrack what I’m seeing. It makes me feel like a kid again. But also, I’m that emotional type that likes to think that he has a lot of problems, even though he doesn’t.
On Seoul in one word
Love.
It was one of the first stops my wife and I took on our honeymoon, and just to understand a bit more about her culture was important. Already being in love with Seoul and then knowing that that’s where her heritage was, was pretty special.