Black Tiger Sex Machine as a trio are very passionate about the music they make and the music they play. With their Futuristic Thriller mix series, BTSM not only showcase the music they love, but they present it in such a way where you feel like you’re listening to a story and not just a series of songs. I have yet to find a mix or podcast that presents music in such a way. The way BTSM uses the vocal samples from various films to complement the tracks in the mix creates real emotion and feeling often times not found by other mixes.
With this latest entry in the series, we see them focus on the film Akira. Akira is regarded as one of the greatest animated films of all time and was known for its dark supernatural themes. So, it’s with no surprise that BTSM are able to transfer these themes from the film into this mix given their history with the darker side of dance music.
This is something you truly get lost in; the way the movie is sampled, the mix becomes a summary of the film, using the important parts of the plot as samples. Breaks in between songs add details and clarity to the overall plot of the story. At one point, as the mix is transitioning into “Dabin & Black Tiger Sex Machine – Jack Dat Body,” you can hear the panicked voice of one character quickly get cut off in an abrupt manner, showing the intensity of that situation in the film.
Music in films is immensely important and can make or break the mood of a scene. Just imagine a horror movie with a soundtrack by The Proclaimers. I don’t know about you, but “500 Miles” doesn’t exactly sound terrifying. I’m sure BTSM understand this idea and have applied the concept very well to this mix. The songs used control the mood and make you feel things like suspense, nervousness, worry and curiosity in the best way possible.
Black Tiger Sex Machine are one of my favorite artists and if anyone needs reason why, they need not look further after this mix, which can be streamed and downloaded below.