Tiga adds acting to his repertoire of talents

Tiga needs no introduction. You know him as the Canadian superstar DJ/top notch midas touch producer/style icon/electro hero/boss of Turbo Recordings – but did you know he’s also venturing in to acting with a starring role in Chilly Gonzales’ new film about chess? He’s bringing his crew over to this Bank Holiday’s L.E.D Festival to show Londoners how they do it on Planet Turbo. Kara Simsek found out more – and some other stuff too!

Notion: Hi Tiga. Tell us, what can people expect at L.E.D Festival?
Tiga: It’s gonna be great, fantastic!

Notion: Will you be playing any new tracks or remixes that people might not have heard before?
Tiga: I will actually, I’ll be playing quite a lot of new stuff. There are a couple of remixes that I’ve done lately, there’s a new one for LCD Soundsystem, there’s one for Jamie Liddell which isn’t quite so new now but is still relatively new, and there are quite a new tracks lately which I’ve made as ZZT, a collaboration I do with Zombie Nation. He’s playing also, but I’ll be debuting some of our new material as well, and a few edits, including the one I did for Arcade Fire so I’ll play that. There are a few bits and bobs.

Notion: Are you looking forwards to bringing ‘Team Turbo’ over to the UK?
Tiga: I am, it’s a nice place to travel to in a little posse.

Notion: Do you have matching tracksuits for when you’re on the plane?
Tiga: We don’t, but we should I always wanted to make us boxing jackets like at the beginning of Eddie Murphy’s ‘Delirious’. It’s a good idea.

Notion: What’s the deal with your acts? You have so many good ones on Turbo Records, what have they been working on?
Tiga: Proxy’s album is almost finished, we’re just plotting the release – obviously it’s fantastic, he’s amazing I think he’s the best at what he does. The Chromeo album is almost out. Azari and III will be DJing at L.E.D, and their sound is a bit like Hercules and Love Affair, it’s kinda like Chicago house, really good, and we have an album from them. We have a new Swiss guy just signed called Crowd Pleaser, he won’t be on tour with us, but his album is great. We have an album coming from a Glaswegian guy called Sei-A, it’s really really good techno. There will also be a ZZT album.

Notion: Wow! Busy! So is there anyone playing at L.E.D who’s set you’d really like to catch?
Tiga: Aphex Twin is playing but I’ll miss him, he’s who I’d really like to see. On my night, I’d like to see David Guetta, I’ve seen him quite a few times and it’s always a good vibe. Afrojack, I’d like to see them, and I’ve heard that The Bloody Beetroots’ show is really really good.

Notion: The day before you play L.E.D there’s a screening of Chilly Gonzales’ new film Ivory Tower. You’re in it aren’t you? How did that come about?
Tiga: Chilly Gonzales is a friend of mine, and we’ve worked on some of my records before, we were actually playing a lot of chess for about a year. I’m not particularly good at chess but I’m ok, I can hold my own, but against a serious player I get killed. Or against a computer. We were playing a bit of chess and he had the idea to do an album which he did with Boys Noize, and at the same time the idea started with doing some short videos, and idea that developed in to doing something feature length. He cast me as his evil brother which came quite naturally to me. I had the opportunity to write my own lines which was great for me, a really nice experience, a lot of fun. We did it with Peaches. I haven’t seen the film, but it was a lot of fun to do it.

Notion: Do you think you might do more films?
Tiga: I’m definitely interested in writing for films, screenplays. As far as the acting, if I got an offer after this experience, if I was given a role (laughs) I would take it.

Notion: You’re playing an evil brother this time, in the future would you like to see yourself play the romantic lead?
Tiga: Yeah, maybe. There is a romance between me and Peaches in the movie, it’s not full Top Gun style, but there is a, I guess you could call it a love scene. It was fun, really fun. So romantic lead, sure why not. But actually I am a really bad actor. I think I can play a certain type quite well, which is a type that really isn’t that far from who I am.

Notion: Well Orlando Bloom has basically made a living out of being himself in a variety of films so I’m sure you wouldn’t have any problems.
Tiga: I could be the obnoxious, sarcastic version of Orlando Bloom.

Notion: Isn’t he that already?
Tiga: No, Orlando Bloom is nice! He’s very British, he’s always like an elf or something. I always picture him wearing armour or something.

Notion: Speaking of image, you’re widely regarded as being the DJ who pioneered a new type of androgenous style to dance music when you first made a name about 10 years ago. How do you think that fits in today’s scene?
Tiga: They’re all dressed up now. I pioneered the press shot, now everyone’s got a fancy press shot.

Notion: Do you work with a specific creative for those?
Tiga: (mutters) No, I do them myself… I think in the early electroclash days, the DJs cared a bit more about what they looked like, that seemed like a new concept but it was very obvious. I don’t think it took very long to catch on as performers, so now everyone is in to looking their best so I think it was just a matter of time. Image-wise I don’t think there are any DJs with anything very interesting going on, but equally I don’t think it’s a performance that lends itself to very much image. Maybe for albums, but for DJing, me included, it’s not really the place to be dressed all like a peacock.

Well, behind the decks maybe not, in the crowd though it certainly is. See you there Tiga!

L.E.D Festival takes place on the 27th & 28th August at Victoria Park – London
For full line up and tickets visit www.LEDfestival.net