Hear Childhood Friends Irfana and Taslina’s Buoyant, Badass Debut EP ‘Ko-Lab’

While the title Ko-Lab might come across as an obvious play on the word collaboration, South Indian hip-hop pair Irfana Thasleem Hameed and Taslina Nazar define the name of their debut EP to stand for “Kodaikanal Laboratory.” It explains the lab-coats and beakers aesthetic of their EP art and pays homage to their hometown.

Friends since they were three years old, the bond between the artists is seen and shared across four tracks which abound in head-bobbing grooves and trap energy, along with more guests. Irfana says, “It was quite natural for us to watch each other pursue music the way we’re doing right now.” They also took up perfectly complementary roles in the music space, with Irfana influenced by poets as well as hip-hop artists like Joey Bada$$ and J. Cole and Taslina drawing from hip-hop beats but also techno and footwork.

Bearing a shimmer and heavy-footed keys running through songs like “MOB” and “Program,” Ko-Lab was written when the duo were in Mumbai and imbibing the local hip-hop circuit a few years ago. Irfana adds about the lyrics on the EP, “At the time I was also studying political science remotely and it was easy to get inspired due to the kind of atmosphere that has developed in divided India. It came naturally as all poems do and when we began conceptualizing this project, I had already had a lot of material to curate from.”

“Zig Zag” comes through as a more playful bop, which includes a verse written by Taslina. Irfana says, “That was super special because it was the first time she put her voice out there and she’s got the most beautiful voice.” While “Program” and “MOB” features Kerala producer Kalla Sha, they ramp up the collaborative part of the EP on “Gospel,” featuring Bengaluru-based producer/artist Doc Awes aka Amrith Raghunathan (from neo-soul group T.ill APES) and another school friend turned musician – Indian-origin Dutch singer RANI aka Pooja Prakash Raj. Irfana says they didn’t necessarily plan on having guests but people hopped on when it felt right, creating what she calls “a perfect combination of artists for an EP as versatile as Ko-Lab.”

Knowing this was an outcome of a longstanding friendship, it might be a while before we hear another collaboration between Irfana and Taslina, considering both of them are focusing on their specific fields at the moment. Taslina, who is also a graphic designer, has just entered the NFT space, while Irfana has plans to work in commercial and film music. She adds, “[I plan to] launch projects that have more depth and personal attachment. We will see how it all plays out. More collaborative music will be coming from both of us when the time is right.”

Listen to ‘Ko-Lab’ EP below. Stream on more platforms here.