Exclusive Interview with Electro Artist Tiga

Wait, you haven't heard of Tiga? The Montreal-based artist just released his second album Ciao!, and his single "Shoes" is potentially the best thing that's ever happened to our ears. Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's damn catchy in the silliest way possible.

MANHUNT Daily got a chance to speak with the sexy Juno Award (essentially a Canadian Grammy) winner regarding his upcoming singles, who he's remixing and who he'd go gay for. Wait, we didn't mention that he's straight? Oops. 

Read our interview below:

We just can't stop listening to "Shoes". The video is fantastic too. Are there any plans for a follow-up? 

Yeah, actually there are going to be two. The main one is going to be "Beep Beep Beep", which is the first track on the album. But in England, they are going to release "What You Need" first. I am not exactly sure why. Must be some high level music business brain waves going on that I can't understand.

If you had to listen to one song from Ciao! on repeat, which would it be?

Do you have any remixes coming up that we should be looking out for? 

I did one for that band Fever Ray. I don't think my remix is out yet. It's coming out very soon. It's a track called "Triangle Walks", and I really like the remix. Actually, it's one of my favorites. I mean, I love her and I love the band, so it was fun to do. 

That's the only one I've done for now. I haven't had time right now. It's like all press and album support. They've got my brain tapped. I just have to talk all day so I have no time to make music. I'm planning on taking some time off, probably after the summer, to do some studio work.

Who's been catching your ear recently?

I like some of La Roux's stuff. There's something about it. I like Lady Gaga too.

Oh? Do you have a favorite song by Gaga?

No, I only know the ones I hear on the radio or TV, but what she's doing, she's doing it perfectly. Who else do I like? There's some more underground stuff I like… This guy Proxy on my label or this guy Brodinski. He's this French guy.

You're able to collaborate with any artist dead or alive. What's the collaboration?

Oh, God I don't know. Okay, well Prince would be pretty incredible. Although Prince might be a little overwhelming. Even if it's a fantasy, you still want a shred of reality in there. Prince would be fucking awesome, like if you actually had time. I just don't know what I would bring to the table. Like, I'd get his coffee or something.

It's a bit weird, but I'd love to do something with Timbaland. I love his beats so much, and I think there's someone with his kind of techno background and just so many different angles. I think it could be something super cool.

It's nice basically to collaborate with people who are different from you. I don't know, dead? It'd be pretty dope to do a track with Freddie Mercury. Again, I'm not one hundred percent sure what I would bring to the table. I'd figure it out.

A bit of a topic change. I once read an interview in which you mention a fan who bit your ass so hard that it was bleeding…

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he was straight.

That's hilarious. I guess that sort of ruins my segue though. I mean, where do you think you'd be without the gays?

I think it's a very, very big reason for my success. I really do. I don't think there's anything overtly gay about the music or what I do, but consistently from the beginning I've had this amazing support and it's very loyal. It's encouraging, especially at parties and clubs like I don't know. I think it's very important.

Is there any guy you'd go gay for?

Yeah. I have my pets–the ones that I keep my eye on. You know who's somebody I think is so cool, like looks and everything? That actor Ray Fienes. He's dope. And well, Morrissey is gay, right? Not him, not him though. He's miserable. He's always complaining. I don't want to reveal how much time I put into thinking about this, but I used to think Gary Oldman was pretty cool too.

Let's conclude this with a silly question. You worked with producers Soulwax on this album and your previous effort. Between David and Stephen of Soulwax, who would you rather?

That's fucking wrong. That's an impossible question on so many levels. It's an impossible question because they're kind of like brothers. It gets a bit incestuous. Forgetting even the sexuality issue, it's like I can't and even if I could, I would get into such political problems if I picked one over the other. It's an impossible question. Actually, hold on, wait a second. Is it really? Well, I will say one thing. Steph is a real romantic. I will give that much away.

So say you had a daughter, and she could only…

I'm not gonna fall into your little trap. I'm not picking between them because I really, really don't see them in that way at all. But Steph is a real romantic. Steph's a lover basically. I would imagine him for whoever, he enjoys life. 

They're actually two of the most heterosexual people I've ever met in my life, Steph especially. I don't even know what that means, because usually it means something else when it's so overt.

Photo credit: Qarim Brown