Basically Tiko Disko champions a blend of Asian music mixed in with some soul, spaced out jazz, funk, and AOR (album-oriented rock). We’ve been loving this music for many years, having first heard it when we were kids. Looking back, we realize these tunes still sound good now, so we thought it’d be really cool to showcase these gems again to a new audience.
How do you source for music from yesteryear?
Most of the music was sourced from music blogs or from our own personal collection. Some of the stuff we play is digitally ripped from our vinyl records, thus you’ve got that warm, fuzzy sound. It may not be audibly perfect, but we like it dirty like that!
What sets you apart from other DJ collectives or party organizers in Singapore?
The music we play is stuff you’d probably find in bargain bins or at the back of your dad’s record collection, and it’s in a variety of languages including English, Japanese, Mandarin, Hokkien and Thai. I doubt that other music collectives are playing that sort of music here.
What kind of vibe do you seek at a Tiko Disko party?
We hope that people have fun at our events, and that they can listen to the music without any prejudice. There are just so many gems to be heard within our region, and you will be surprised at how cool some of these tracks are. We just love to see people be themselves and let loose, be it sitting down chilling with a drink or just getting up to boogie. Anything goes at a Tiko Disko night. Just don’t request any EDM.
Finally, for those of us who are totally new to the kind of music you play, can you recommend 5 songs to play in order to get a feel of it?
To narrow it down to five songs is quite a challenge, but the following tracks have been mainstays in our sets:
歐陽菲菲 (Owyang Fei Fei) – 熱情的沙漠 (Passionate Desert)
We heard this many times when we were kids, but it’s only now we’ve grown up that we realized how much of a funk gem this is. And that “ahh” is simply lasciviously delicious!
Tatsuro Yamashita – Bomber
From legendary Japanese musician Tatsuro Yamashita, the bassline on this baby is a funk monster. This tune never fails to get us up grooving, and is a pretty good indication of the funky element in our sets.
劉文正 (Liu Wen Zheng) – 飛鷹 (Eagle)
Although he’s more well known for his ballads, 劉文正 also has quite a few up tempo numbers like this one. It has that slight Latin groove mixed with 70’s rock-the lovechild of Santana and Barry Manilow!
Simon Junior & The Stylers – 十一哥
Simon Junior is probably the most underrated singer in our region, and that’s because many would consider him as “obiang” (unfashionable). But he’s incredibly unique with his blend of English, Mandarin and even Hokkien, and this classic tune where he’s backed by The Stylers (another prolific Singaporean band) has got an infectious funky beat that we can’t resist.
Steely Dan – Do It Again
The ultimate defining “a-gogo” beat drum for us. Listen to this and tell me if you can’t help but nod your head and groove along. A perfect marriage of jazzy cool and finger-snapping boogie.
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