The illusive Black Tiger Sex Machine’s exclusive interview came about on a night that was quintessentially in BTSM style. It was Friday the 13th on a dim and dark day in Colorado, a state known for its sunshine, at the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Well before they announced their fall 2018 tour, which there are whispers could be announced in the next few weeks, BTSM was busy spreading their dark-electro bass on their Ceremony tour. This past April, as the tour was winding down, they made their way from Texas to Colorado, for the last leg.
Half the state was hunkered down for a powerful prairie snow storm, and authorities had shut down the interstate to protect people from driving into a white out without any warning. Where I was, there was cold rain, and heavy storm clouds hovering over the Rocky Mountains. I had to drive north, parallel to the snowstorm, to Fort Collins. I have been at one of their shows every time they have descended from Montreal to tour the states, and on that dark and chilly ride up north, I got the word that I was going to be able to meet them.
I was seeing members of The Church sermonizing to newcomers, bringing them into the fold, telling tales of Lost Lands, and prophecies of EDC Las Vegas.
I arrived at the Aggie Theatre just as Lektrique went on. As I was waiting in line, I overheard some conversations. People were saying which festivals they had seen BTSM at, and how they had discovered them at that last Fort Collins show in 2016. No longer was I hearing jokes about their name, or playful jabs at what kinds of music to expect. I was seeing members of The Church sermonizing to newcomers, bringing them into the fold, telling tales of Lost Lands, and prophecies of EDC Las Vegas. It made me realize just how big BTSM has become, and it is a direct result of their passion for music and their dedication to their fans through performances, and their interactions with them. As always, after their set, the three of them, Marc Chagnon, Patrick Barry, and Julien Miranda, were greeting fans, signing autographs, and telling jokes while taking pictures.
Here’s what we had to ask them about that Friday the 13th performance, what it took to get there, their inspiration and vision for Kannibalen, and what we can expect from Black Tiger Sex Machine in the near future.
How has your Ceremony tour been different than your other North American tours?
It was probably the tour we felt the most in control on. We spend hours and hours refining our tour production from a programming standpoint to get the full show just right. We also expanded the production with the additional of 7x “light sabers” on each side of stage. It really gave a different depth and vibe to the stage. that was more fitting to our vision than past tours.
What has been your favorite performance during Ceremony?
Every show was incredible. It’s awesome to see the fans in each city and see just how much they like to get down. Salt Lake was truly special though, it was the first time we sold out a show before doors for 2500 people. The crowd was so rowdy. It was a perfect way to end the tour!
Tell us about what it took to make it to your Friday the 13th show in Fort Collins.
A 4 hour night of sleep, 12 hours of driving, 3 rest stops, going against the recommendations of east Colorado locals, 40 miles on a dirt road and a whole lot of faith!
The Facebook group, BTSM Church, is super active and allows each of us to connect first hand with fans on a personal basis
You are great with your fans. How would you describe your relationship with your fan base and The Church?
Magical. We feel very connected to them. The Facebook group, BTSM Church, is super active and allows each of us to connect first hand with fans on a personal basis. It’s great to see fans from all countries and states get together and form this giant family.
It’s amazing how you draw inspiration from films like the Terminator series. What are you all time favorite movies?
Marc: Lord of the Rings, Shawshank Redemption and Fifth Element.
Patrick: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Citizen Kane and Gladiator.
Julien: Blade Runner, El Topo and Once Upon A Time In The West.
On your latest album, New Worlds, you have the track ‘Madness’ which has heavy metal, scream-o-like influences. How do you keep the balance when hybridizing rock and electronic music?
We are huge fans of Sullivan King. He’s a such a hard working and driven dude. We really wanted to do something with him when working on the album. None of us were heavy scream-o or metal fans growing up so the final result was heavily influenced by Sullivan with a good mix of our own style.
We love artists who don’t care about blending genres and are willing to step outside of the dancefloor formula.
You have signed a lot of very talented artists to Kannibalen. What sound are you looking for when searching for artists?
We’re open to anything. We love artists who don’t care about blending genres and are willing to step outside of the dancefloor formula. Each of our artists now have their own overall style that they apply to different genres which has been key for us.
What is your vision for Kannibalen records?
We are electronics fans and we can’t get enough it. We hope our taste in music is reflected in Kannibalen. As of now, a first goal is to continue the growth its had over the years. As a stand alone business, it has really come together well. The music is also getting used more and more in television, movies and advertising. A second goal is further establishing the Kannibalen family of artists that have progressed so much together. We can only wish that we continue to help them sustain great careers and live the artist life.
Did you always want to be in music?
No! Coming out of high school, it would have a been a big surprise to all of us that this would be our job today. Our studies all focused on law & business. Patrick was the most musically inclined when we were young. He practiced violin for over 20 years. However, things changed in our late teen years and early 20s as we started going to more shows. Electronic music became a magnet that attracted us from our more “typical” training and jobs.
We are bringing our own lighting technician to a select few festivals for our own twist on their production.
A lot of people are excited to see you return to the festival stage since you announced your performance at Lost Lands. Are you ready for festival season?
Yes we are. We kicked it off with EDC and it was epic. We are bringing our own lighting technician to a select few festivals for our own twist on their production. You can expect even tighter visuals and lighting effects during our performances!
BTSM seems to like coming to Colorado. Will we ever see you at Red Rocks?
Waiting for the right time. We will one day. We must!
