Review: Tiga - Ciao!

Does anyone know what was Tiga doing the last few years? I am starting to think that he was in deep coma for the last couple of years and some months ago he miraculously came out of it and decided to record an album. Due to this coma obviously he forgot how good music was made and really didn't care as a deal had to be fulfilled and thus "Ciao" was recorded.

Although many define Tiga as a typical electroclash musician "Ciao" is more of an expedition in the realms of house music, mainly acid and electro. You have your usual coherence between the tracks, creating a set-alike list. I assume this is the main reason why "Ciao" sounds like an-hour long song, changing rhythm, pace and , of course, lyrics from time to time. The spirit of house music throughout the album is so strong that some of the songs are almost indistinguishable from one another. Originality was definitely not present while recording "Ciao" and the new ideas were at least several years old, everything ending up as a belated celebration of acid house. "Ciao" is strikingly boring, old-fashioned and disturbingly distasteful, it sounds as if Tiga was so bored that he decided to fill up some spare time composing a few house tracks.

As far as hobbies are concerned it is admirable to make music for fun with the sole condition it remains only on your computer. The moral from the story is that you should never leave the work that wins your bread for the last moment as it probably happened with Tiga, who decided to see for himself how would people appreciate his hobby. Let's say that better house albums have been released in the short history of this genre and Tiga has only discovered that the daylight comes from the sun. I wish I could say there were a few gems to be discovered, but the more I listen to "Ciao" the more I realize they are left outside.

"Sexor" (his previous album) may not be the creme de la creme of electronic music, but it was at least eclectic, ranging from electroclash dance songs to house ballads. "Ciao" on the other hand sounds as a farewell album after many years of recording and producing plenty of material, and Tiga was finally dry on new ideas. Unfortunately this is not the case as this is his sophomore effort and it is way too soon for him to be tired of the music bizz. If music is just an aside hobby for Tiga I advise him to stop releasing his spare-time-fillers and come to terms with his career as a musician. If not, please, do not release anything new until you are pretty sure it's worth showing it to the world.

Songs to hear: "Beep Beep Beep", "Shoes", "Sex O'clock" and "Speak, Memory"

Personal rating: 4 out of 10

Ten electroclash albums you have to hear before you die

Electroclash is one of the youngest styles in the enormous family of electronic music, but it has managed to give the world some excellent music acts and splendid albums. This is my list of the ten electroclash albums you should hear before you go to a better place (hopefully). It is not a full list and is based on my own taste and may I be excused if I miss some other essential albums or artists. If so do kindly remind me and there might be part 2 as well.


10. Felix da Housecant - Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever

The best album by one of the most prominent names in the electroclash scene. To me he together with The Hacker are the godfathers of this style. Although his products have varied from release to release he always orbits in the field of electroclash and I am pretty sure that Felix is going to be among the last standing defending the honor of electroclash.

9. Chicks on Speed - 99 Cents

Chicks on Speed may not be one the best electro bands of our times, but on the other hand they are provocative, artistically independent and eccentric and their albums are some of the best examples of good electroclash. "99 Cents" is surely not the price of this album, but it is a fine compilation of electronic songs.

8. Miss Kittin - I Com

One of the strongest debuts I have ever heard. Miss Kittin with the help of her friend The Hacker became one of the most important figures in the electroclash scene and now just two albums later she is The Princess of electroclash music.

7. Fischerspooner - #1

Fischerspooner to some are the male equivalent to Ladytron, but they are more than that. The album #1 is not full of number one hits, but is among my favourite efforts in the electronic scene. In order to understand the whole concept of this artistic presentation of music, perhaps, you should watch some of their live performances.

6. Tiga - Sexor

Tiga is one of those artists that I began to like long before they actually released their debut albums. He came to prominence with "Sunglasses at Night" a collaboration the Finnish DJ Zyntherius and now he is famous for his tracks "Hot in Herre" (unfortunately not included in "Sexor"), "You Gonna Want Me", "3 Weeks" and "Louder Than A Bomb". "Sexor" is not a sexually explicit album despite the name, but what a real electroclash album is supposed to sound.

5. Cansei de Ser Sexy - Cansei de Ser Sexy

Cansei de Ser Sexy is probably the best newcomers from Brazil and for the last couple of years they became one of the best known bands coming from Latin America. Their eponymous album is full of tracks suitable for either parties or when you just need to cheer up. I love how they mix English and Brazilian and fuse as many music genres as they manage to.


4. Robots in Disguise - We'Re In The Music Bizz

I've discovered Robots in Disguise just two years ago and now I am a proud fan of their music. Sue and Dee don't give much shit about the music business and do whatever they feel right. "We'Re In The Music Bizz" is a proof of how good music can be without taking it too seriously.

3. Peaches - Impeach My Bush

All rise! The Queen of electroclash is in the building and she is about to blow your minds away. You might think of her as of a sweet and yummy fruit, think again! She is peachy, talks dirty, shows some real pussy galore and really doesn't give a damn about your problems. "Impeach My Bush" is how bisexuality would sound if it were a music style.

2. Client - City

"City" is to me one of the best not just electroclash, but electronic albums ever! It contains so many good tracks that if I start telling about each one of them I might need to post separate comments on every one. Sadly Client are not as famous as Ladytron, although this is no hinder to their way to the infinity of electronic music and I am pretty sure that with some more stuff like "City" they are going to be on the top.

1. Ladytron - Witching Hour

When I was thinking of this list the first group that came to my mind was Ladytron. Let's say that this is the band that actually brought the electroclash scene out of the dark and proved that this is a separate branch of the huge electronic scene. I chose "Witching Hour" because it is a fine example of how electroclash can be combined with new wave, dream pop, synthpop, electropop and alternative electronica and still sound unique. This album contains some of the best Ladytron tracks and it is among my favourite albums of all times.