Tiago Miranda is a DJ whose music is as intriguing as his name. Hailing from the seaside city of Lisbon, Portugal, Tiago — who goes by his first name only — has spent nearly two decades immersed in the city’s magical music culture. What brings him to Taipei tomorrow night is his craft as an underground dance music DJ, which was born and bred behind the decks of one of Portugal’s most famed nightclub, Lux Fragil.
Tiago’s love affair with the club began 17 years ago and he still holds a residency there. His marathon sets, which sometimes span over seven hours, have come to define the club as one of Europe’s most venerated underground music scenes. While many DJs are out earning bragging rights over who is taking home the biggest paycheck for the shortest set, Tiago prefers the long haul — he gets nervous if he has to play shorter sets.
“I get more hours of fun,” he says. “In longer sets...I won’t have the interference of other DJs building something that might not fit [with] whatever I’ll bring.”
Photo courtesy of Bass Kitchen
The seasoned DJ finds that loud music is enough to maintain his stamina during extended sets. He adds that Lisbon has a strong dance music scene and is one of the lucky places in the world that remains relatively untouched by commercial EDM. As such, it gives him room to explore anything from Detroit techno to 70s funk.
Tiago also brings a positive attitude which helps him commandeer a dance floor, although he acknowledges that sometimes people can fail to communicate with the music — but that’s okay.
“If I lose the crowd, then I lose the crowd,” he says. “Shit happens and there is no shame on failing there. I guess that’s why there is normally more then one DJ on the bill.”
Tiago’s craft works well for him in the studio too. His productions have been released by prolific labels such as James Murphy’s DFA Records and Johnny Jewel’s Italians Do It Better. Furthermore, he has recently rolled out his own label called Interzona13.
Given that he got his start as being part of a band, Tiago’s ability to cross genres and adapt to his surroundings has been remarkable. This adaptability is what allows him to travel. While he says it’s often impossible to translate the experience of his residency at Lux to the road, he does his best, and aims to do it a bit differently each time.
■ Deep Fried House 13 featuring Eddie C, Tiago and Ben + Yoshi Nori is tomorrow night from 11:30pm to 5am at Korner, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Advanced tickets are NT$500 at FamiPort machine (FamilyMart) and NT$700 at the door. Both admissions include a drink.
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