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CD review: Tiga
By Billy Schear
wschear@mscd.edu

Tiga Sexor (Pias Records, 2006)

Planet Sexor is a world rich with natural resources, containing vast deposits of funkiness along with mines filled to capacity with freshness. It is a world that knows no discrimination, as all persuasions are encouraged to embrace the sweet and sexy beat.

The strength of Tiga’s album is in its simplicity. The beat is not especially elaborate, nor is the lyrical content. Often his vocal range goes no further than a monotone conversation, however the earnestness behind Sexor more than makes up for any lack of versatility.

Sounding as if it was recorded within the span of an afternoon, Sexor’s low production quality and low-tech synth work give the album a refreshing texture. It is garage band dance/electronic that doesn’t necessarily sharpen the exceedingly dull edge of pop, but definitely adds a bit of sheen.

A cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Down in It” is a perfect example of how a cover should be done. It owes to the original somber tone of the song, but stands as a reinvention that Tiga puts into his own modern voice.

“The Ballad of Sexor” is not only notable because it is the titular track, but because it is possibly the first recording in history to actually call into question just what Sexor is. According to Tiga, some say it’s a man, while others insist it’s a prince or a woman, perhaps even a god. As asinine as this idea for a ballad seems, once again the prophet known as Tiga delivers the message with sincerity and class. It may not close the chapter on the origins of Sexor, but it gives the world something to ponder.

Surprisingly, for a dance album, the tracks are not dripping with sexual innuendo. Instead, they offer insight into what makes Tiga tick. Whether he’s grappling with a fate imposed upon him by his friends, or pronouncing his inability to cope with the end of a relationship, Tiga puts a warmth into each track that sharply contradicts the superficiality rife throughout the dance music genre. The vocabulary may not be Shakespearean, but, nonetheless, there is a certain poetry resonating throughout.

If you insist on bumping this in the car, prepare to drive with your teeth, as there is no way you’ll be able to stand Tiga’s funkiness without raising your hands to the roof and waving them to and fro.