Tiga Takes You To School

MONTREAL — DJ Tiga can now add two more titles to his already impressive resume: Juno Award winner and professor.

"I was DJ-ing a show in Munich at the time," says the veteran of the Montreal electronic scene of his best dance recording Juno win for Sexor, which he still hasn't picked up yet. "I was using my phone to tell the time during my set, and it wouldn't stop buzzing.

"It's exciting to win. I don't normally win awards, and I don't expect to. Most of the press and shows I do are in Europe, so it's nice for something like this to happen in Canada."

The globetrotting king of the remix, known as much for his dancefloor-friendly reworkings of Nelly's "Hot In Herre" and Corey Hart's "Sunglasses At Night" as he is for his own material, will impart more than a decade's worth of wisdom on starry-eyed students at the Red Bull Music Academy's Montreal info session on Saturday at Stereo. It will be his second time putting on his instructor cap, as he gave his first speech for the Academy in Rome in 2004.

"I usually don't get specific questions [from aspiring musicians], just general things like how to first get noticed," Tiga says. "I also get asked about if it's important to cultivate an image, since I like exploring that side."

Naturally, Tiga is often asked about the secret to making the perfect remix, and he thinks confidence is the one thing aspiring DJs need to work on.

"It's important to remember that you've been asked to do a remix not because of the band's work that you're remixing, but because they want your ideas. It should reflect your sound. If you're a DJ, it should sound like something you would want play in a set."

Next up to receive the Tiga treatment are Human League, New Young Pony Club and The Gossip. He was also approached to do a Mika remix, but time constraints may prevent him from doing so.

The Red Bull Music Academy is considered a music fantasy camp where 60 aspiring musicians from around the globe will be chosen to attend. This year's event will be held in Toronto from Sept. 23 to Oct. 26. The academy is held in a different locale every year, and this will be its first time in Canada. Participants, who will be chosen based on their applications and demo recordings, will have their flights and housing covered. The syllabus will contain guest lecturers, live performances and studio sessions.

Thursday's info session in the host city featured Cut Chemist and drummer Bernard Purdie.

After Tiga's lecture on Saturday afternoon, he'll return to more familiar confines later in the evening and headline a party at the S.A.T. along with Sunshine and Tommy Dare.

Sexor will be reissued with a bonus CD in May. Tiga refers to it as a collection of all the recordings that were done during the making of Sexor, including several remixes that had previously only seen release on vinyl. The submission deadline to get into the Red Bull Music Academy is May 6. Applications can be found at its website.