The Guy In Shades

When that happened TIGA dropped everything else. He sold his shares in the club, gave the store to a friend, and quit all his regular DJ gigs. The first thing he did with his newfound enthusiasm was put out a mixed CD called Mixed Emotions. Electroclash originator DJ Hell loved it and helped him link up with everyone else in the revolution. TIGA began touring and became part of Hell’s family, which includes bands like Fischerspooner, Miss Kitten, Crossover, and DMX Crew. He did a mix of Hell’s Gigolo Records roster that brought together all the bands we’re talking about and it took off. The electro rockers realized TIGA was one of the few that had been there since birth (his own birth) and they knew he was going to bring some much-needed musical credibility to the scene. Then things got really big. Last year, just for shits and giggles, TIGA remixed the classic Montreal pop hit “Sunglasses at Night.” Now that everyone was free to play with any old samples they wanted, TIGA and his friends were combing over their junior-high years with a fine-tooth comb. He sent it to Hell with a note saying, “Prepare to laugh your ass off” but the single exploded like a bottle rocket. To date it’s sold 150,000 copies. It debuted in the German pop charts at 25 and led to the Top of the Pops appearance. Sigue Sigue Sputnik are begging him to do a remix of one of their new songs. The video has stayed in the MTV dance charts for 6 weeks and the German music press unanimously voted it record of the year.

“I’m like the David Hasselhoff of dance music over there – it’s odd,” he says, “I’m even getting to know the customs guys at the Frankfurt airport.” I asked TIGA what he thinks of the hype. About the arguments over what it should be called and who was the founder, and he seems worried. “It’s perfect for magazines because it’s sexy and the people involved are colorful, but that kind of attention kind of scares me. You’re just waiting for the press, especially the British press, to tear it to shreds in a matter of weeks. I just hope that, while everyone argues about who’s more credible and poses for magazine articles, they remember how we got here in the first place. We ended up here because we were sick of being so serious all the time. We’re here to have fun. We’re coming out so you better get this party started (to cold act ill or get retarded).”

Check for Tiga & Zyntherius’ “Sunglasses at Night” single, the American Gigolo compilation, and FPU Crocket’s theme (remixes), all on Turbo Records.