"It all started with a Fisher Price keyboard," reflects Joe Amaral. Performing under the feline-friendly moniker Style of Tigers, it's hard to predict the next hot spot that Amaral will be gracing on a Friday or Saturday night. That's because he plays at all of them."There's a lot of people trying to do the same thing and everybody's trying to get the same few shows," notes Amaral. "It's important to keep yourself connected." When he's not double dipping as the resident DJ at one of two Toronto dance hubs, Parts and Labour and the Mod Club, chances are he's guest starring at another twenty-something gathering spot, including Weldon Park and Detour Bar."To stay relevant, you have to be producing a bit quicker," adds the 28-year-old, who on average produces a song per day. "People don't necessarily want to wait to consume the music, they want something fresh, they want something all the time. If you're sitting back for months trying to make your masterpiece, people may become disinterested."On his latest track, "Stay," Amaral proves that quantity does not necessarily negate quality. A result of his ambitious attitude and a keenness to remain, well, in style, the track is a burst of funky unusualness with a hint of melodic melancholy. "A chilled, laid back approach to dance music is definitely where I stand," the Vaughan, Ontario native notes. "I've been told it's like a future bass sound, whatever that means."While his future house accents keep him contemporary, his understanding of traditional instruments is what distinguishes him from his peers. On "Stay," the former keyboardist, guitarist, and drummer delicately experiments with soft acoustic sounds, comfortably bundled together by eerie, yet soothing samples of female vocals.With his fast-track production skills, refreshingly ambiguous track, and a desire to climb to the top of the city's dance music scene, here's to hoping Style of Tigers becomes a Toronto staple.Style of Tigers is on Facebook // Twitter // SoundCloudRebecca is on Twitter.
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