TAUK & Matisyahu was never a predicted musical pairing. At least, I didn’t see it coming.

For starters, when I first saw Matisyahu at Virginia Beach’s now-defunct Jewish Mother restaurant/music venue on July 13, 2005, I obviously didn’t sense his broad personal and artistic changes that would come over time. Luckily, I was able to catch him again the following night at the All Good Music Festival, Masontown, WV.

At that point in his life and career, the artist was building his fame beatboxing, rapping, and chanting lyrics intertwined with Hasidic Judaism’s influence while living within the guidelines of an orthodox lifestyle. Stepping back from some of the overarching rules, he developed an identity all his own, evidenced in the musical and lyrical changes he has made since then.

TAUK’s four-piece magic, on the other hand, touched my radar a full decade later. Their openness to creativity and taking musical leaps has constantly been refreshing, and they’ve always been an impressive band to catch on stage. My first live taste of their prog rock/deep groove explorations was under the dehydrating sun of 2014’s LOCKN’ Music Festival, a short drive from Charlottesville, Virginia. TAUK is so musically deep and proficient that they usually impress, at times even overwhelm, and I remember sort of just starting, in sweaty, sunburned awe. 

How did these giants in their own scenes come together? Credit to TAUK, as the band is working on a series of collaborative singles, and “Sky to Light” is the first in that lineup. 

As is expected with Matisyahu’s own output, this is a hip-hop, reggae pleasure. TAUK’s bassist, Charlie Dolan, spoke to the band’s desire to collaborate and how Matisyahu fits into that equation: “Going into the studio with artists that you respect but have never worked with before is a unique mind space to get into that’s fun and exciting,” said Dolan.  “It’s impossible to not have any kind of expectations, but the end product is often outside of them. Challenging yourself creatively brings some of the most rewarding moments.”

TAUK with Matisyahu (center)

He continued, “I remember seeing Matisyahu at Bonnaroo almost two decades ago and loving his show. Since then, we have shared several festival bills and had a few opportunities to hang and see each other play. Between mutual friend connections and all the times we crossed paths, this collaboration felt inevitable.”

“Sky to Light” opens with a beyond-legendary horn intro, borrowing from “Rock Fort Rock” by The Skatalites. From there, the sound drops into a heavy grind, with a growling guitar that blends into an airy, spacy release. The music continues to thoughtfully shift and twist back on itself through the length of the track. Those first quick changes open the mic for Matisyahu’s heady lyrics, wrapped in his always-recognizable singing style.

He sings about the speed of time and the value of seeing it as worthy of our fullest efforts:

I’ll be gone to the mountain top, but these days I can’t stop 

And, if the vibes is right, then I’ll be up all night

I chant until the sun rays turn the sky to light

And there’s a million stars that burn through the heights

And there’s a million pathways to make things right

Continuing, Matisyahu tells us that, “I have to fight for my right to live.”

Through genre jumps and introspective, confident lyrics, the “Rock Fort Rock” horn line comes and goes. It acts to tighten the braid that keeps everything unified. The spirit behind this release is most evident in how it invites diverse elements together.

TAUK’s drum and bass team vibes with a seasoning that’s only established through experience together. Team up the keys/guitar of the four-piece, and that signature TAUK sound is able to develop expected reggae sound textures into something fresh and budding. From the “Rock Fort Rock” intro, the music takes pathways that honor reggae’s foundations while opening the door to the development that’s possible and natural in thoughtful art. The music is a testament to what happens when one respects the past, while also understanding that vibrant music is a living, changing language.

Back in the day, nobody may have seen “Sky to Light” on the horizon, but how great to bask in its warm glow today.