In the world of electronic music, there are shooting stars (see: Madeon, Avicii, etc.) and there are stars tucked away, coasting through the Milky Way galaxy. Without these stars, the sky and the electronic musical landscape would be a much darker place. Fear of Tigers is this kind of karmic star that keeps the galaxy aligned. Fear of Tigers (aka Benjamin Berry), transcends genres and has become somewhat of a mystery, enigma and anomaly in the electronic music realm/bloggosphere since his debut album, Cossus Snufsigalonica, was released in December of 2009 as a free download. This release helped gain Fear of Tigers a cult following, as the gift-wrapped album contains sounds of pure, ethereal joy.
Fear of Tigers creates music and sounds that simultaneously soothes one’s ears and shakes their body. No stranger to the music scene, Fear of Tigers is a London-based producer that takes one on a mesmerizing musical journey through the 70s, 80s, 90s and present that will only leave you thinking: What Tigers? Without further ado, let’s hear from the man, the myth and the legend himself, Fear of Tigers.
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Play and listen uber vitamin, this week’s “The Guestlist”, a radio show, featuring a new remix from Mille of an Edwin Van Cleef track, a Justin Faust interview, and a track selected by this Jewish bread:
Any album/track inspired by the Rhythm of the Night is a guaranteed Vacay Victory. If you know what Cossus Snufsigalonica means, you’re quite the scholar and please let me know. For lack of knowledge, I’ll define it as: Wisdom.
Fear of Tigers – Old School Mix – Vacay Exclusive (Download)
Cossus Snufsigalonica was your introduction to the worldwide electronic bloggosphere. What made you want to finally share your music with the world?
I’d been giving out tracks on the net for free for a couple of years and then my girlfriend suggested I make an album. I mentioned something about making a long player on myspace and there was quite a lot of interest–actually people wouldn’t let up about it–so it really made me get my act together and put one out.
Let’s talk about the album itself. I’ve listened to it over 100 times and I still have no idea what it means. To me, the album represents a sort of Daft Punk Discovery tale. The story of two lovers–almost Romeo and Juliet trying to overcome obstacles-and of course in outerspace. Would you call it a concept album? Tell us how that album came about and what the title means?
Well I mean, the first album-it was just a labor of love really. There were a load of tracks that I liked and I just put them together-I’d like to say that there’s some big meaning behind it but with music, like anything you just kind of put your own meaning behind it. When I listen back to it, I just hear all the mistakes and things that I should have done…And it’s just a listening experience I suppose. You can have 40 minutes or whatever it is and you know you’re going to be listening to a certain vibe.
What’s your favorite track from the album (sorry, I just can’t pronounce it)?
Well I very rarely listen to my own music but I quite like ‘Sirkka’. It just kind of came around really quickly–I think I made it in a day so I never got too hung up on it.
“What Did I Do” is probably my favorite track–tell us how that came about?
See that track, I did that with a friend of mine like 10 years ago. And we kind of forgot about it. So I just kind of resurrected it and did a new version of it.
So when I first heard your sounds, I thought they came from some wunderkid. This is not at all the case-tell us about your early career in music?
I started off on pirate radio in the North of England. Then I moved to Tenerife in Spain, a cheesy holiday resort (author’s note: “I’m envisioning Club Med”). The first place I played was this club called Tequila Mix. It had fake tequila barrels all around the room, really naff. Just before the summer kicked in the owner decided to change its name to Ministry like the Ministry of Sound. Except they got the spelling wrong and made this huge neon sign that read ‘Minestry’. We were the laughing stock amongst the other DJs but we used to have a really good vibe in there. I was dj’ing six days a week for about three and a half years. There were 24 hour parties, it was crazy but I got my fill of DJ-ing. Now I kind of pick my gigs carefully.
And did growing up in Japan influence your work at all? (Note: Ben was born in Kobe Japan and spent parts of his youth in Singapore and Hong Kong)
I love the Japanese way of thinking. I’m not talking about bright lights and manga cartoons but really the old Buddhist and Shinto beliefs. Zen is something that is very important [to] me particularity the concept of Shoshin. (note: Shoshin is a concept in Zen Buddhism that means “beginner’s mind”) I can’t claim to be even remotely Japanese but I’d like to think that something I was exposed to in my childhood stuck in some way. I’d like to go back and study quietly in the mountains at some point in my life.
Your public catalogue of tunes is relatively small. Finding your music is somewhat of a scavenger hunt. Why don’t you release more music and do you have more remixes hidden in that record box of yours?
Well there’s stuff I’ve done that hasn’t come out yet-remixes that you’ll hear in the next few weeks I imagine. The thing is, when you do a remix people ask you to do it really quickly and then you’ve no idea when it will be released. It could be months. It makes you wonder why there was such a rush. As for original stuff there will be a second album very soon which will launch on my own record label.
So I know you have two cats. What made you choose Fear of Tigers as your name-I mean, how did it come about? It really stands out as unique.
There’s nothing interesting behind it: The story is this. When MySpace started, I had stopped making music for a few years. I thought that was it for me musically actually. And then I did a remix and I thought I’d put it on MySpace. All the names I wanted and all the urls were taken. And Fear of Tigers was free. So I don’t really know exactly why I chose it but that’s the story…It’s just kind of grown with me and I quite like it now although it’s a bit of a mouthful.
What started it for you–where does your love of music come from?
I was very lucky to have parents who gave me piano lessons, so that was part of it. I’ve also got an older brother and sister. My brother was a Bowie fan. My sister was a fan of The Cure. My brother was in a band and I kind wanted to be like him. When I was about 15 I went down the dance music route after the indie and punk phase.
Well, was there any moment when you just had an epiphany and knew then and there that music was life. Was there any album that came on and you were like this is my life calling?
If there was a moment that kind of changed my life, that would have been going clubbing of one of the first times. I was probably 14 or 15 and I went to a big gay club in Leeds and Northern England. And my life just changed in that one night. Disco, house music-that was the moment. I remember dancing with these two girls and being totally in the moment. I seem to remember they were playing ‘What Would We Do’ by DSK but it was pretty hazy.
What equipment is in your studio?
I’ve got a Nord Lead synth a Roland JV-880 sound module a TC-Helicon voice synth and a talk box. But I use a lot of stuff inside the box too. I used to have thousands of records but I gave them to a friend. I couldn’t cope with them anymore! (writer’s note: that’s what you call being a good friend).
Favorite electronic music album of all time, is it Discovery?
No! I like Daft Punk but to be honest I don’t revere them like some of my friends. For me they’re just a metaphor for French House. There was a lot of music at the time that was better that’s been forgotten about. A lot of it written by Guy and Thomas themselves in fact, like all the records on Roule and Crydamoure.
Underworld’s ‘Dubnobasswithmyheadman’ was a record that was a big influence on me. Also ‘Selected Ambient Works’ by Aphex Twin and Amber by Autchre.
Let’s talk genres and albums…First off, do you believe music should even be classified into genres anymore?
I can understand why people use genre terms. I’m not against them per say. But people get hung up on them and I guess I just want to experiment a little bit. As for my tunes, I think someone said Dreampop, and that’s quite good for me I like that.
I describe it as glorious lush dreamwave music.
(laughter),“I think that’s pretty good”
Album: Loveless by Bloody Valentine
Song: Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence by Ryuichi Sakamoto
And what song is currently playing on your iPod at the highest frequency?
I love the VanBot album, she’s incredible. Give it a listen:
Please finish the following sentences:
Vacay means…happy holidays
An ideal Vacay for you is…Samos, a Greek island in the Aegean
When not making music, you’re likely to find Fear of Tigers…cooking.
Your second forthcoming album will be…out soon?
Fear of Tigers believes in…peace and love
Fear of Tigers will come to America…at some point in the future, I hope.
Favorite vitamins are…herbal tea, red wine and Czech beer.
After attending a Fear of Tigers set, you will…ask for your money back.
Fear Of Tigers Cossus Snufsigalonica Album (Download)
Fear Of Tigers Vitamins
Check out more Fear of Tigers gold
Fear of Tigers Supplemental Vitamins
- Ellie Goulding - Lights (Fear of Tigers Remix)
- Fear Of Tigers - The Adventures of Pippi Longstrump (Diamond Cut Remix)
- Fear of Tigers - La Roux Bulletproof
- PNAU - With You Forever (Fear of Tigers remix)
- Killabite - Follow Me Home (Fear of Tigers Remix)
- Rosanna - Waterfall (Fear Of Tigers Remix)
- Visage - Fade to Grey (Fear of Tigers Remix)
- Visitor - Los Feeling (Fear of Tigers Remix)
The Guestlist, is a must listen, a bit dreamier version of Pete Tong’s essential mix… You can find all the Guestlists (featuring the likes of Justin Faust and Rex the Dog, along with others) on Fear of Tigers’ iTunes page or his Soundcloud. Here are some tasty vitamins to whet your pallet with, one from each podcast:
Guestlist delves into his record box and discovers.
- 1. Collapse – My Love (Atmosphera Mix)
- 2. Shinichi Osawa – Love Will Guide You (Edwin Van Cleef mix)
- 3. Cinnamon Chasers – ‘I Like Watching You’ (Diamond Cut remix)
- 4. Le Matos – Comme Des Enfants (Coeur De Pirate mix)
- 5. Ellie Goulding – Heartbeats (Cosmonaut Grechko mix)
- 6. Young Digerati – The Dauphin (Ride the Universe Acapella)
- 7. Wolfgang – The King and All of His Men (Fred Falke remix)
- 8. Aretha Franklin – Think (Kraak & Smaak remix)
- 9. Pate No. 1 – Shining Star (Lifelike remix)
- 10. Dragonette – Pick Up The Phone (Richard X remix)
- 11. Lifelike – Love Emulator
- 12. Florrie – Give Me Your Love (Justin Faust Remix)
- 13. Panther – Clancy
By: Challah
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