Electro's DJ Tiga: Sunglasses and Eyeliner At Night

"The early '80's especially, whatever people may say, were about experimental music and naïve self expression, all underlined by a sense of fun. I'm thinking of artists like Boy George, Adam Ant, Duran Duran or Soft Cell."

Canadian based electro producer DJ Tiga spent his childhood years growing up in Goa, where his parents DJed and lived the hippy lifestyle, though the post punk experimental disco of London and New York was to have a profounder impact on his life. Currently cracking global dance charts with his sublime cover version of Sunglasses At Night, he's also recently remixed a compilation CD for DJ Hell's enormously fashionable Gigolo Records though his first musical love remains technp:

"It's not like I'd go home and listen to Kraftwerk, but I find that in the last three or four years the most interesting branch to develop from techno has been electro," he told Skrufff's Benedetta Ferraro this week, on the phone from his latest home Canada.

Skrufff: How did growing up in India shape your life-

Tiga: "In general, travelling when you're young, especially in a place like India, broadens your perspective, makes you more chilled out, less materialistic, less straight and less uptight and puts you in closer touch with nature. Musically speaking, I got to witness that whole drug, party culture up close from a pretty young age, which first gave me the notion of a DJ being the one who provides the soundtrack for all of that."

Skrufff: Your dad was DJing in Goa during its golden age (80s and early 90s); did he take you out partying with him and would you be offered drugs-

Tiga: "Sure, but my parents were not reckless drug takers, they enjoyed partying. I have seen drug casualties there, but I never thought of partying as a means to escape reality and that's thanks to my parents. I think that despite being very open, they also taught me good principles."

Skrufff: Did you find the Goa party scene at all cliquey-

Tiga: "I'd say it's very cliquey, but for me cliquey didn't mean anything at that age. Going back this year was different; all the English were in one place, the Italians in another, the Israelis in another and so on. Personally I feel like an 'old timer', because I was there so long ago with my father and we don't feel part of any group; also I was very young then, so social groups didn't mean that much to me. Still, I can see it now for what is really like, very cliquey."

Skrufff: How has the scene changed from your memories-

Tiga: "Being a child then, I don't really remember much, but I guess it has changed quite a lot, like everywhere else in the world it's a lot more commercial and tourist driven. I figure it's getting harder and harder in the world to find a real, honest escape as they all seem to turn into a trend or travel brochure. Goa often is criticised because of its trance scene, but it's still a beautiful place. I love it."

Skrufff: What has made you embrace electro, given that trance is also very popular where you're based, in Canada-

Tiga: "My true love is electronic music and techno, although seven or eight years ago I did like trance, actually psychedelic trance, still, I would never make it nor play it. I like trance in its context, that is, if you're sitting on a tropical beach on acid. There you wouldn't want to hear electro, definitely not house or minimal techno, so in its environment it makes sense. Personally, I've always been into techno, harder and darker stuff, which then grew into electro. However I'm not a hard core electro fan, it's not like I'd go home and listen to Kraftwerk, but I find that in the last three or four years the most interesting branch to develop from techno has been electro."

Skrufff: Electro's always associated with the '80's though, a decade often described as lacking in style…

Tiga: "I wouldn't agree with you and anyway, it's always like that when you look back in time. Soon younger kids will regard the '90's as ridiculous w Tags

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