Clubs

Tiga has long since transcended his ‘Sunglasses At Night’ electroclash moment. That was 2002, and every year since then, his remixes and covers have been some of the most prominent milestones. His cover of Nelly’s ‘Hot In Herre’ particularly stands out. But in 2004, he stunned dancefloors into submission with his first original production, the bouncy bass and squelchy acid in ‘Pleasure From The Bass’ showing that he wasn’t just a pretty face with a cracking wardrobe to match. His debut long player, ‘Sexor’, was three years in the making, but well worth the wait. This is what Canada’s most irreverent disciple of the bass had to say before he curated Bugged Out at The End, bringing together those who influenced him and his closest friends for a blistering electro mash-up sweatfest. Feature continues

Busy little bee, aren’t you?
Yeah, I’m not even close to home. I’m taking a couple of days out in sunny, beautiful Finland in the studio working on the new album. That’s an exclusive for you! Can’t even tell you what it sounds like, though. I would if I had an idea. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I stayed up making elaborate plans for the videos and lists of who I want to work with, mostly the same people I worked with before (Soulwax, Jasper Dahlback, and Jori from Finland) but with more guest vocalists. I’d like Jamie Lidell;he sings like I’d like to be able to sing, and Stuart Price (Jacques Lu Cont) and I have always wanted to do something together.

You’re a bit of a list person, then?
Oh my God, you’ve no idea. It’s incapacitating. I’m borderline obsessive. If someone were ever interested, they could piece together every moment of my life with the ticket stubs I’ve collected. I write down how many hours I’ve slept, the temperature… But I’m trying to keep it under control. When you travel on your own, it pushes you to get weirder and weirder.

‘3 Weeks’ is a filthy, jumping track for something so haunting.
I’m incredibly happy when people notice. It means that people are listening. ‘Pleasure From The Bass’ rocks, but there are little areas on the album which you secretly care about, and when people recognise it, it’s good. A lot of times I don’t have anything to say; club tracks are fillers of nonsense for a feeling. This really happened right after my mom died, and I was really going through hell. The track is haunting and a bit intense, which was how I was feeling.

Given what was happening in your family life towards the end of making ‘Sexor’, it’s a pretty perky album.
I was happy that the music was celebratory, that it didn’t descend into a North American angst gloom. It’s had a good response, on the whole I feel understood. Maybe it would be different if I was getting genuinely slammed. Or even worse, ignored.

Is your real name Tiga Sonntag?
Yes, it’s German, although I do secretly consider myself Hungarian. I don’t know why. I’ve romanticised this idea about being Hungarian; even when I’m there I walk around and no one knows that I am, but I am. I have a dog that’s a Hungarian breed, Uma. She’s a racist dog, a right-wing dog, but we won’t go into that now. I also have a tortoise called Darwin.

‘Sunglasses At Night’, ‘Hot in Herre’… You’re a past master at electro cover versions. Who would you most like to cover which track off ‘Sexor’?
Obviously, if I could get Price to do ‘PFTB’, I wouldn’t turn that down. Maybe get someone to do ‘Brothers’. I think it could be better. Could we get The Smiths to reunite? Oh, wait. If we could get INXS somehow involved, with Michael Hutchence back from the dead. Definitely INXS.

Is it true your dad was a Goa DJ?
Yup. You know my pops…

Do you still think that clubland’s missing its characters?
It’s a hell of a lot better than it was in the mid-’90s. The fact that we can talk about Peaches or Gonzalez or DFA or Soulwax. A whole host emerged during or after electroclash, even if they weren’t part of it. It’s doing okay.

What can we get you at the bar?
Here’s a boring answer: ginger ale. I don’t drink; I don’t like the taste. I want to! If I had to, like absolutely forced to, I’d have an Amaretto sour with an umbrella in it. Something where you barely taste the alcohol. I’m a cheap date.

What looks are you working now?
Well, my new Aussie Tsubi jeans (made by Dangerous Dan and DJ Damage who are DJing on the night) that look like they’re painted on, really tight, like Pat Benetar. And turtlenecks. They do wonders for my face, the ‘professor with a dark side’ vibe. I’m thinking a bit Robert Palmer-ish, and rich, but colonial rich, not Versace rich. Er, can you play down the plantation angle?

Why is the launch at Bugged Out?
I’ve been playing for them for a long, long time. At its core, I’m an old Jockey Slut fan, and over the years, Bugged Out has been really supportive. It follows the friend vibe.

And why is Erol Alkan DJing at your party?
Besides the fact that I had to? I can’t imagine playing The End without Erol. London and Erol are synonymous. And I’d only agree to it if his cousin would be there. He is the coolest guy I know. It’s only friends allowed! There’s a bit of a brothers type concept going: Dangerous Dan & DJ Damage; the Speculoos Dance Squad, my brother Thomas. It’s a family thing.