Tigerlight presents Tigermix 01
We recently caught Tigerlight at Beta Nightclub with the ever-so-entertaining High Rankin. In all honesty, we were expecting your usual opener/headliner set from these two, and what we got was nothing close to that. In its place, we caught a perfectly orchestrated tag team set that had the crowd dancing from a wide array of genres. After seeing that, we were more than excited to hear a little more from this London based producer.
TMN: Is this your first time playing in Colorado?
TL: It is my first time! Everyone has been so friendly I’d love to stay longer
TMN: What are your thoughts on playing this highly acclaimed venue?
TL: Everything about the venue is awesome; the sound system is amazing as are the crowd, the staff, the lights, the gear and layout.
TMN: You’re a multifaceted artist, with experience all over the place. You’ve been a vocalist, DJ, songwriter, producer. Solo Artist & collaborator. Out of all of those, what do you seem to gravitate to more?
TL: My voice has been my instrument since I was 7, so as a form of musical expression, it’s been with me for the longest but I wouldn’t say I gravitate to one instrument or role more than an other it’s more project/creativity dependant on what is pulling at me or needed from me at a certain time to produce whatever musical activity needed. The source comes from the same place inside me so it all gravitates from the same place.
TMN: With that much musical ability, we have to assume that you had some sort of classical training as a kid. Did you play any instruments growing up?
TL: I studied music up to University level and in my modules for my Music degree I focused on jazz, music theory, performance and composition. I am not classically trained but I have been singing and performing since I was a kid. I taught myself piano at 16.
TMN: Who were some of the musicians that inspired you during those years?
TL: If you’re asking re organic musicians then definitely from that time in my life: Miles Davis, E.S.T, Mahler, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Moloko, Eva Cassidy, Jeff Buckley… too many to mention.
TMN: Alright, let’s fast forward to today. You’re currently touring with Will here, (High Rankin), what crazy shenanigans have ensued on tour?
TL: It was an incredible tour but we were so busy flying from one location to the next that not much craziness occurred it was more get a plane fly for x amount of hours across country, go to hotel get changed for the show, go to soundcheck, do the gig, get picked up, go to hotel, sleep for not enough hours, go to airport, fly to next city and repeat. It was a massively amazing experience.
TMN: You guys released “Shouting at the Sky” earlier this year. The track itself is gorgeous with beautiful melodies, emotional lyrics, and a really attractive liquid drum n bass section. What was the collaborative process like between you and Will?
TL: Thanks so much Well, usually I play around some chords on the piano till I find a nice sequence or riff and then we start humming a melody over the top and then we write the lyrics together and then build the rest from there.
TMN: While the song was seemed very deep, the video was quite playful and satirical. You are all dressed up as other DJ/Producers (Mau5, Steve Aoki, Skrillex, David Guetta). How did that concept come about?
TL: The video was ‘commisioned’ by the music channel UKF for April Fool’s day. So High Rankin and his comedy writing partner James Pryor (who plays Steve Aoki in the video) came up with the initial concept for the video first, then we did some group brain storming for the storyline including with the cameraman and editor Mark Hunt and then High Rankin and I wrote the song afterwards. The video is completely satrical and the whole idea was a joke, from the cheap costumes to the made up love affair. It was in no way a commentry on the state of the music scene which a few confused youtube commenters thought. All just for lols.
TMN: Was the last scene inspired by Jack and Rose from Titanic?
TL: Absolutely.
TMN: Speaking of DJ feuds, what’s your opinion on them? Do you just look the other way, or do you feel they have any validity?
TL: I don’t pay attention to that kind of jazz.
TMN: Alright, let’s move into some randomness. We’re going to ask you some quick questions, and you just fire away with the first thing that comes to mind:
TMN: When I’m on tour I can’t live without….
TL: My passport.
TMN: The first website I check when I get up is…
TL: Facebook.
TMN: Favorite Hall and Oates song?
TL: None.
TMN: What’s your favorite food when you’re in the states?
TL: I had some amazing Italian at a deli in New York.
TMN: If your music were an animal, what would it be?
TL: A bird.
TMN: If you could only only load your ipod with one musician, who would it be?
TL: Too hard to answer – the Artist is dependant on where I was going and what I was doing with the ipod. I mean I love jazz but melancholic Scandinavian jazz in the gym for the rest of my life would make me break something eventually.
TMN: Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
TL: Thanks for spreading spread the word, spread the love My solo ep is out this autumn keep saying hello online, I try respond to all the comment on my pages.
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