Tali brings a rare human warmth to the often cold, mechanical world of drum and bass. Her sound is defined by the duality of her performance: she can pivot from a rapid-fire, technically precise MC flow to a soaring, soulful vocal melody without breaking a sweat. It is music that feels equally at home in a sweaty underground club and a high-end lounge, blending the grit of the UK breakbeat scene with the lush, organic textures of her New Zealand roots.
What truly sets her apart is her ability to treat the voice as a lead instrument within complex electronic arrangements. While many vocalists in the genre are used as mere samples or hooks, Tali builds entire narratives and emotional arcs across her tracks. Her collaboration with legends like Roni Size helped define the 'liquid' sound, introducing jazz chords, live piano, and introspective lyrics to the high-tempo world of 170 BPM.
Start with her classic 'Lyric on My Lip' to hear the blueprint of the vocal-led dnb movement. From there, move to her more recent award-winning work like 'Love & Migration' to hear how she has matured into a sophisticated songwriter who can command a stage with just a piano or a massive sound system.
Natalia Sheppard (née Scott), better known by her stage names MC Tali and Tali, is a New Zealand drum and bass singer and rapper, first found acclaim for her 2004 hit "Lyric on My Lip", which reached #39 in the UK Singles Chart. Tali has also worked with prominent artists, such as former Mercury Music Prize nominee Roni Size. Tali prefers to use the name "Tali" when singing and songwriting acoustically or live, preferring to use 'MC" whenever she collaborates with electronic music artists, sometimes using the former. In November 2019 Tali won the Vodafone New Zealand Music Award for Best Electronica Artist for her 2018 album "Love & Migration".
Shares drum and bass, jazz fusion (subgenres); studio polished, drum machine, analog warmth (production style)
Shares studio polished, drum machine, analog warmth (production style); drum and bass, contemporary r&b (subgenres)
Shares drum and bass, contemporary r&b (subgenres); studio polished, drum machine, layered dense (production style)
Shares drum and bass, contemporary r&b (subgenres); urban night, festival, late night (atmosphere)
Shares studio polished, drum machine, analog warmth (production style); rap, harmonized, breathy (vocal style)
Shares studio polished, drum machine, analog warmth (production style); drum and bass (subgenres)
Shares drum and bass (subgenres); studio polished, analog warmth, layered dense (production style)
Shares drum and bass, contemporary r&b (subgenres); studio polished, drum machine, layered dense (production style)
Shares studio polished, analog warmth, drum machine (production style); urban night, festival, late night (atmosphere)
Shares liquid funk, rap, drum and bass, soulful (signature)
Shares liquid funk, drum and bass, jazz fusion, soulful (signature)
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