Black Tiger Sex Machine - Funeral March

Black Tiger Sex Machine is shockingly not the name of a stud starring in a cheesy 80s pornographic film. No, instead it is the title that a trio of Canadians that have given themselves whilst donning their LED lighted tiger masks as they romp around a stage performing a half DJ set, and half live set. EDM is the name of the game when it comes to these frisky felines, jumping from odes to past classics, drum'n'bass, house, electro; if it can be suited under the EDM banner, you bet your ass that they've probably covered the genre at least once in their life.

And, kicking into the new year, BTSM has released their latest EP Funeral March via Kannibalen Records. And, yes, the title of the EP, as well as the title track refers to Polish Romantic era pianist Frederic Chopin's classic piece of the same name. This is the track that also opens the EP, and it isn't bad in any one sense or the next. A very well produced composition flashes between the olden piano melody and sometimes bass driven, other times electronic key driven sets, and at times incorporating very slight influences from dub step.

Haezer, the South African producer, came in for a collaborative effort on the next track The Future. The synth lines that played out certainly made it sound futuristic at points, but it was otherwise standard house fare that was catchy. I wasn't too sure if the almost talking like sounds really hit a nice mark, but the rest of the beat was well played.

The last song, Hardcore, wasn't all too hardcore; rather, it focused on drum'n'bass elements, serving out the smoothest and best piece on the EP. The bass drops weren't too hard, so anyone looking to really go dance crazy over a song will be disappointed, but this is definitely an amazing song to chill out to on an average and ordinary day. I loved it.

But, that's where the EP ended. I know that there's a lot of hate out there for the EDM scene, but, then again, there's a lot of hate out there for each and every single musical genre in the world. Regardless, BTSM are doing what they love best, and they aren't letting the opinions of others really get to them, as seen with this release. I'm more or less looking forward to a full length release by them; while Funeral March did show me what they can do on a short scale, I'm interested in whether or not they can be diverse enough to keep my attention for ten tracks or more. Only time will tell, but, for now, I'll say that they did a good job with this, and it's catchy. If you find yourself digging electronic dance music, be sure to look these guys up; they won't disappoint. Jan 15 2015