Sup, Tigr3! Glad to have you as a part of our interview series! I’m going to be honest, judging from your rare social media activity, I was doubting that you would be open to an interview. Thank you for joining us to talk about your music, the EL TIGR3 Project, and yourself.
The first question might seem painfully basic, but why exactly is the project named EL TIGR3 and not, say, El Leo or even El Leopardo?
• Simply because Tig3rs are cool and Leopardos are not.
Can you share some details about your collaborative work with Dennaton Games? In your opinion, why did your very first track “She Swallowed Burning Coals” become so massively popular that it became a part of the Hotline Miami 2 soundtrack?
• She Swallowed Burning Coals was the first electronic song I ever wrote. After posting the track online, an anonymous person mentioned it sounded like something from Hotline Miami 1. I wasn’t aware of the game at the time but ended up doing some research and tracked down the game creator. I sent the creator a message asking if they would be interested in using my song in one of the games. This led to it being featured in Hotline Miami 2. I wasn't expecting it, but I’m thankful for the anonymous person who suggested it.
Many tracks from your two most recent albums are hard hitting. Some of them encourage you to rip and tear through your enemies, while the others make you face the unbearable pain of existence (like my favorite, “Waiting To Die”). Does the unpredictability of each track’s mood match your personality, or is there something else that explains why each track is like this?
• On most of my albums, I like to give some flavor of light and dark sounds—aggressive, yet calm. When I started “Waiting to Die”, I was unsure which direction I wanted the track to go, but after meeting my now fiancée, I decided to take on a different approach that didn’t include drums or bass. The song is very relaxing that way, but in order to put it on the album, I still needed to give it a dance feeling. I like to play it both ways live.
Do you implement any physical synthesizers to make the sounds for your music, or are you a firm believer of the convenience of software instruments? What’s your setup like?
• My first few tracks were 100% software based. As the years have gone by, I’ve incorporated more physical synthesizers and analog effects into my music, as nothing can really replicate physical stuff. I mostly use a 1984 Casio Tone 408 chained to various guitar pedals. Any bass is done with Moog, and the drums are a mix of samples. If I do use software, it’s usually something from a free VST website.
There’s only one collaborative track you’ve done in your entire career – “Maimed” -- that was produced with Gurglesplat. How did you guys come up with the project?
• Gurglesplat is one of my good friends. We’ve worked on a few projects in the past, so we figured it was time to write a song together. It’s definitely one of my most unusual and favorite tracks.
Who would you also like to collaborate with?
• I would love to collaborate with someone god-like such as Com Truise.
Regarding your inspirations, could you tell us about the media that you grew up with? Any particular books, movies, or music that shaped the artist that you are now?
• I grew up strictly listening to Death and Black Metal. Without a doubt it’s what gets me inspired to write El Tigr3.
You once tweeted that when you reach a million Soundcloud streams, you’ll get a face tattoo. You have way over a million now, so… did it hurt?
• Oh yeah, but it was totally worth it. It was just a small dot so no one will ever notice it.
Did you know that most of your listeners on Spotify come from Moscow? Why do you think Russian listeners enjoy your music so much? Do you follow any Russian or post-Soviet artists?
• I’m absolutely aware of my effect in the Russian and Post-Soviet countries. They’re probably my biggest and most loyal fan-base. I’ve definitely been listening to a bunch of Russian artists. I’m a huge fan of Garcons. Those dudes know how to lay it down. If you’ve never heard of them, I recommend a listen.
A few years back, you had your first live show in Denver. How would you rate it, 1-10? How did it feel? Maybe you’d like to do another show, say… in Moscow?
• I played a few shows in Denver and San Francisco. I love those cities and would rate it a 10, as performing in front of a live audience brings in a whole new level of energy. El Tigr3 live is the best way to experience the music and the plan was to head out to do a few shows around Europe. Unfortunately, due to the COVID pandemic, I had to put that on pause. Once things settle down, I’m definitely heading out for a live performance again!
Finally, your latest album Kronos was released earlier this year. What makes it special, and how important it is to the El Tigr3 catalog?
• Kronos was put together to pair with a visual piece. I wrote the album from start to finish to sync with a video created by Wonder Science. This is the first time I’ve ever written to be heard and seen. However, I don’t think it will be my last…
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions, dude! Say goodbye to our readers :)
Support El Tigr3:
Bandcamp: https://eltigre.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/El_Tigr3098
Interview taken by Oleg Vasilenko (E:/music/synthwave VK Community)
Edited by HannahB
posted by CYBERTHING!