I had seen Tiga three times already and even though his score was averaging a lousy C+ I couldn't stop telling everyone this is the one show you have to go to because he's so going to kill it and try to make it for MSTRKRFT if you can.



It seemed impossible for it to be anything but the best show of the year. His set at The Loft in July, 2005, after all, had been the best show of 2005 until I saw The Hacker play in September. But in the few months between the two shows I couldn't shut the fuck up about how amazing Tiga is behind the decks because the stuff he was throwing down just kept on getting better and better 'til I'm sure some people disintegrated at Washing Up's climax. I left exhausted and exalted.



Prior to that epic set my live experiences with Tiga had been sub par. First there was that too housey set at The Loft back in the summer of '03 and then a deep house set in the fall of the same year that made three-quarters of Sonar weep out of disappointment. Regardless I was dead-set he was seriously going to kill it. It wasn't just delusion. Lets we forget that between then and now he's produced a marvel of an album and remixed some great songs into the most spectacular tangible manifestation of aural brilliance a raver or geologist has ever laid ears on. You've heard his version of Washing Up, right? And once upon a time he mixed his own DJ Kicks. Such a masterpiece he'll always have credibility with me, even if he decides to start remixing Beatles' tracks.



Before he stepped up to the plate MSTRKRFT pounded out some heavy metal for a couple of hours. When I first got there it was good. Like, screw saying 'hi' to all my friends I need to dance right away kind of good. But within twenty minutes it degenerated to a bunch of loud and cacophonous noise. My ear can usually process and appreciate noise but this was too much. Dr. Jones told me that their mixing was really tight. I couldn't be bothered to pay attention enough to give an opinion.

At around 01.30 Tiga stepped onto the stage. I can't remember what he started with but second track was my beloved Washing Up (Tiga's Na Na Na Na Na remix) and o my god even the regular Richard's kids who know nothing of spine-stretching electro were on their toes pogoing. I, of course, was front and centre. It is still in my top ten, perhaps even top five most favourite tracks of my life. Serious.



Then it got all weird. All he did was showcase his own tracks. One after another he played self-produced songs and his mixing was... well... it was just whatever. I'm not sure what his point was except, perhaps, just to show us that he is one of the best freaking producers and remixers in the world today and he knows it. What other reason could there be? He didn't look like he was even having that much fun either. Basically, it was weird.



By the end of the show there was more rhythm and punch. Maybe it was because I couldn't get over my delight and view of the mass of people shimmying to his beats or perhaps he let go of his agenda and just started playing the goods, whether they be his or not.