Please Wait is a new group featuring Australian producer Ta-ku and Toronto musician Matt McWaters. The two found each other online years ago, and have slowly been exchanging ideas over time, which has finally resulted in their debut EP, Black & White.

Chances are that you’re more familiar with Ta-ku than Matt McWaters, but that should just mean that you’re prepared to hear some beautiful downtempo music, so you’ll be just fine listening to Black & White. The tone is similar to past Ta-ku projects, with the difference being mainly in the instrumentation, with McWaters adding a lot of gorgeous keyboard among other things to the proceedings, but also some nice vocals as well. There are also a few key guest vocalists who come in and help push this downtempo EP further into neo-soul territory, including kerri, alayna, and Masego. All three are talented singers, but my personal favorite is alayna, who shows some really nice melodic instincts and a subtle touch that fits the production perfectly. This is definitely a headphones release, something that you really want to spend some one-on-one time with, and just let the music grow on you with each subsequent listen.

Ta-ku is one of the most unique talents to emerge out of the 2010s, and he found a collaborator in McWaters who really complements his style very well. Black & White isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel or anything, it’s just giving you the best possible version of the downtempo neo-soul that they can. It’s subtle, it’s gorgeous, and just an incredibly thoughtful EP that unfolds at a really patient pace. It’s a beautiful piece of music with a lot of nice layered compositions.