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Tigersushi and the 'Revolution of the Imagination'

Author: chloe burke
Monday, December 16, 2002
'Basically we are omnivorous Tigers so we listen to all kinds of shit.' Tigersushi, the website, the record label, the online portal that stands for nothing less than quality music, regardless of genre. In conjunction with the release of 'More Goddam Music', TranZfusion chats with Tigersushi co-founder Charles Hagelsteen.

Tigersushi became an online point of reference for avid lovers of music but a year ago and alongside partners Joachim and Julian, Charles has created Tigersushi as a unique online city for users to navigate through. With their signature 'le tigre' displayed proudly, Tigersushi have integrated music media with music streaming, and they know no prejudice when it comes to the type of music featured, it just has to be good; expect to find jazz, hip hop, punk, leftfield and electronica amongst the Tigersushi archives.

What exactly then are Tigersushi all about- 'Tigersushi is mainly about quality music. We defend what we deem to be the best music from the past, present and future on the website and try to communicate it to people. For a while it was enough but then we decided we could also produce great music and gave it a go with a record label. For now it seems to work so we'll keep sticking our whiskers in the wind and see what comes next.'

The record label that Charles speaks of has been in full swing for eight months and the intention to create a label actually existed well before the website came into being. 'It was our intention long before we started the website to start a label. Actually one of the founding members of Tigersushi is a musician; he is called Joakim and produces music for Versatile, a French record label. But at the time, we thought there would be more innovation if we tried the Internet angle. When we started out there seemed to be limitless potential for music online but maybe all that tech fad forgot about what mattered in the first place…music. We chose to work on that angle and build a music-fanatic website. The label for now is more or less a real life testimony of that dedication but it's gradually turning into an artist label.'

To date Tigersushi have enlisted the talents of Morgan Geist, Maurice Fulton, John Tejada and Terrence Parker, artists that Tigersushi have long admired and as it seems have also assisted with Tigersushi's escalating success. Both the Tigersushi label and website are currently working as an awareness vehicle for each other, with fans primarily of the music becoming aware of the website and those who visit the website are discovering new artists and fresh, innovative music.

The recently released 'More Goddam Music' is testimony to Tigersushi's respect for the old and knowledge of the new, it's sexy, decadent, beautifully odd and bordering on the delightfully insane. 'What we wanted was to establish a connection between like-minded producers from the past and the present. So each producer actually takes the vibe from the past and reissues it without ever remixing it!' With music icons Max Berlin, Gina X, Cluster and Silver Apples all having had new life breathed into their work, it leads me to ask if Tigersushi believe in the revolution of the imagination- 'L'imagination au pouvoir' is what we are all about. If we were mainstream everybody would know it.'

Not everyone though has agreed to take on Tigersushi 'Yes of course, people do say no. We get turned down by milkmen, musical geniuses, bankers and supermodels alike. But sometimes they say yes. So, we just chill and enjoy!'

Whilst these oddball kids are busy creating their online world, what gets their juices flowing- 'Currently I'm into Lizzy Mercier Descloux, I listen to Soft Cell quite extensively, we have a nice DFA remix of Radio 4, and we keep on receiving some crazy German tunes for one of our projects. Basically we are omnivorous Tigers so we listen to all kinds of shit.' For those who share Tigersushi's passion for music and want a bit of insight into who is going to be hot, Cha
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