DJ-Kicks

This is a continuous in-the-mix CD compiled and mixed by Tiga. When he gained a surprise hit in Europe with his jokey cover of "Sunglasses at Night" (produced with Jori Hulkkonen, as Tiga & Zyntherius), Tiga began receiving the kind of attention most techno producers don't want: mainstream attention. The campaign to rescue his underground reputation began with this edition in the increasingly essential DJ-Kicks series. His third mix album, it doesn't have much in common with the mimimalist techno and electro of Mixed Emotions (on his own Ultra label) or the throwback American Gigolo (another favor to the Gigolo label he'd blessed with its biggest hit single in five years of business). Tiga spends his time on DJ-Kicks digging deep into the dance underground, staying far away from the type of crossover electro that soon became more about fashion spreads than phono jacks, and quickly halted the momentum of true artists like Felix da Housecat, Christopher Just, and DJ Hell. An understated blend of tech-house with streamlined electro and occasionally a synth-pop nugget, DJ-Kicks aims for the mind instead of the gut and deftly hits its target: to avoid the present tense of contemporary musical trends and simply exist as great music. Easing the way are remixes from a trio of artists with the same viewpoint as Tiga's on the existence of electro as a blessing and a curse -- Detroit neo-electro heroes Adult. and Mo' Wax survivors Playgroup and DFA (the latter with a crucial version of Le Tigre's "Deceptacon"). Still, listeners will have to wait nearly an hour for the best (remix, that is), of M鋜tini Br鰏' "The Biggest Fan" by Black Strobe. By making sure any commercial impulses are subverted to the will of musical excellence, he's ensured he won't be forgotten by the fans; bring on the Tiga & Zyntherius cover of "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"! ~ John Bush * Now includes his sultry anthem of Nelly's 'Hot In Herree'. Helming 2003's first installment in !K7's seminal DJ-Kicks series, Montreal's Tiga is making yet another colossal splash in the electronic music scene he has been championing for over a decade. As a world-renowned DJ, party promoter, record store owner, label executive, and producer, Tiga has not only helped establish Montreal's burgeoning music scene but runs one of the most respected labels in North America, Turbo Recordings. For his DJ Kicks mix, Tiga has chosen a diverse collection of danceable grooves, ranging from straight up techno to mutant disco and icy electro. Lyricist: Inga Humpe. Personnel: Tiga (vocals); Jake Shears (vocals). Audio Mixers: Babydaddy; Tiga. Audio Remixers: Tiga; Black Strobe. Recording information: Numidia Recording Studio, Rome, Italy; Tuta Me Studios, Brooklyn, NY. Editor: Tiga. Photographer: Mark Vogel . Arranger: Chromeo.Rolling Stone (2/20/03, p.62) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A rubbery re-think of this decade's longing for the flashy, Eurotrashy early Eighties....It's all very camp...it's also deeply funky..." Uncut (2/03, p.82) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Fast'n'sexy retro-techno workout from electroclash hard-hitters..." CMJ (1/20/03, p.7) - "...A fierce mix of techno, house and solid electro that could only be mixed by a true DJ gigolo..."