For the momentous Crosstown Rebels #100, one of electronic music’s great innovators makes his long-awaited comeback as Tiga. The Montreal avant-gardist’s first original work in four years ‘The Picture’ is big, bad and heavy in every sense. Factor in an outstanding remix of ‘Pleasure From The Bass’ from wonder boy Subb-an and you have a very special landmark release indeed.
Tiga has always had a knack of injecting freaky character into the tantalizing late night music he crafts and with ‘The Picture’, Tiga literally bulldozes all expectation giving Crosstown Rebels an unforgettable flash of rave imbued dark pop-electro tech. Assuming the transcendent verse of Prince, Tiga’s echoing vocals glower like iridescent petrol as the trippy, molten sound wall of bleeps and beats propel this inexorable dancefloor slayer.
Killing it on every level right now, Rebels favourite and One Records boss Subb-an brings Tiga’s dance classic ‘Pleasure From The Bass’ up to date with a wonky logic and deeper swing on the drums adding spaciousness to the groove. With Tiga’s penetrating vocal in tact along with fresh tweaks of acid, Subb-an’s badboy bassline bumps towards a medley of spooky keys evoking a ghostbusters rave scene and although undeniably groovy, Subb-an’s rework still fizzes with electric shocks and twists.
Tiga has wowed the electronic universe with his ghostly fluorescent sonic beams since ‘Sunglasses At Night’ first dropped on City Rockers in 2001, when a longstanding friendship with then label boss Damian Lazarus was born. Now with Lazarus about to enter the tenth year of his pioneering Crosstown Rebels imprint, it is fitting that the two should entwine in this destiny for the milestone #100.
Besides a head spinning career as DJ and producer, Tiga has been running Turbo Recordings since 1998 - home to some of the most cutting edge, genre-crossing brilliance out there with releases from Chromeo, Azari & III and Tiga himself - as well as lately delivering a smoking trail of high-profile remixes. It would take all night to even glaze over the story of Tiga’s career but it’s safe to say it’s been one full of colourful decadence and a disregard for the norm. Both Tiga and Crosstown are true trendsetters and together they are a potent combination.
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