sharp breath of fresh air into a dying genre, the impetous actions of youthful exuberance, or the inevitable backlash against a genre couched in pretension. Pick and choose any one of these reasonings and you have a justifiable answer as to why Tigerbeat6 was formed by Kid606 and Cex in the late 90s. The duo reportedly found one another through their shared love of Christina Ricci and digital music. But, the most important thing that they shared was a dissatisfaction with the IDM community, in its present state.
Working against the faceless pretension of IDM, the label has consistently confounded expectations, while also attempting to stamp a human face on their output. In effect, personality has as much weight on the records of the label as the music itself. Unfortunately, this takes away, to a degree, from the enjoyment of a large portion of the music. By reacting so violently against the facelessness of current IDM, the label has, at times, lost its way musically. Over time, however, the punk rock attitude and musical output has overcome the stigma and been a shining light of American IDM, a long shunned sub genre of electronic music due to the hegemonic rule of the England/Germany musical axis.
In advancing American IDM, perhaps unwittingly, the label has opened up doors for other labels and artists. Couple this with the increasingly MAX/MSP software being created in California, as well, and it seems that American IDM has arrived fully on the world scene.
The future looks bright for the label as they continue to expand outside of normal IDM contstraints and release music that excites, rather than conforms. While the ethos of punk dictates an eventual end to movements that are based merely on reaction, it seems that Tigerbeat6 is eclipsing this by evolving to serve the marketplace. And when the product is this good, consumers won't be complaining all that much.
Label Roster Highlights: Electric Company, Kid606, Blectum from Blechdom, Cex, Kid606, Lesser, Stars As Eyes, Dj/Rupture, Knifehandchop
Ten Essential Releases:
Electric Company - Greatest Hits
Blectum from Blechdom - De Snaunted Haus
Kid606 and Friends- Volume 1
Kid606 - Why I Love Life
Cex - Role Model
Cex - Tall, Dark, and Handcuffed
Stars As Eyes - Important Youth Movement 7"
Dj/Rupture - Minesweeper Suite
Various Artists - Attitude 3" CD
Numbers - Numbers Life
By: Todd Burns Published on: 2003-09-01 Comments (0) |