Introducing Neon Tiger, a new producer bringing some old school electro vibes back

Neon Tiger is a very fresh producer living in the US, but originally from Melbourne. And while the Neon Tiger project is new, as you'll learn below the man behind the moniker has been in the game for a few years now, under a few different aliases. We've loved all three of his first few tracks so far, so sent him a few Q's to help us, and you, get to know him a little better.

Tell us about about yourself?

I’m from Melbourne, Australia but have lived in the US for the last few years, in NY and now LA. I’ve been in music for 12+ years under the names Those Usual Suspects and then Maarcos, where I made more groovy, progressive house music. Neon Tiger is my indie/electronic moniker that I will be spending the majority of my time on moving forward.

I’m also addicted to ice-cream, I actively seek out ice-cream places when I travel.

What kinda music are we talking?

Indie/electronic. There’s not a specific genre or sub-genre I can label but this music has a heavy influence from the 80s, and I’ve combined that with a combination of funk, groove and emotion. I really love how electronic records in the late 90s and early 2000s don’t rely on EDM beeps, boops and effects to build tension, they kind of build and transition through sections only using instruments, chord changes, vocals and/or sampling and chopping to get that effect. I like that, and use that mantra throughout my process.

Production/writing process:

I started this process two years ago, I had never done an album so it was something I really wanted to challenge myself to do. I don’t like sitting still nor complacency. I started with a bunch of melody ideas and experimented with different sounds, trying to focus on analog synths and marrying that with meaningful vocals. The album lyric themes have a lot to do with relationships, positivity and freedom. Apart from feature vocalist input, where we shared writing duties, I wrote and played all instruments on the forthcoming album.

I’ve decided to sing on a couple of tracks as well, which was definitely a test. I think I did okay, it’s not Michael Jackson but that wasn’t really the point of why I made that creative decision. I have enjoyed the album-cycle process and see Neon Tiger continuing that trend.

Can you tell us about your three part release series?

As a “new” artist, I wanted to launch a few singles from the album to I guess build a new foundation and provide a taste of what is to come. I launched this Spotify-exclusive series to do that. M.Y.M.D.M. was the perfect jump off point as it married old (sampled but re-sung) vocals with new sounds and ushering in a new era for me. We Can Run was a chance to show my songwriting side and I worked with Conway who delivered a perfect blend of sweet, sexy and unique vocals that have almost a Blondie feel. Lastly, See You Again connects 80s music rhythms and style with modern sounds that will lead into the next release which is the lead single from my forthcoming album. The choice of this three was deliberate in showcasing a range of different things. I have three ‘sections’ or ‘chapters’ in the album and all three of these tracks sit in chapter two.

What’s the rest of the year have in store?

Well on June 30th Neon Rose will be released on all platforms (not just Spotify), then we have another single in mid-July and then the full album release at the end of July. The album has three chapters and also includes some cinematic/interlude tracks to break up the sections and provide guidance for an overall story. I also have a few little surprises in between all this as well as planning a live show for an album tour we’re preparing to put together.

Where can we hear more of your music?

Currently on Spotify for these three releases, and soon on SOUNDCLOUD as well. We kept these streaming only for the moment. All future singles, the album (which will include the three launch releases) will be available on all platforms so you can stream and download to your hearts content! I am terrible at INSTAGRAM but I do post occasional stories from the studio showing what i’m working on, so you might see some snippets in there!

Follow Neon Tiger: FACEBOOK