‘Bubblegum Discos’ is Tigerbalm at her boldest – a technicolour leap from the sun-drenched global grooves of ‘International Love Affair’ into a world painted with sharper edges, deeper rhythms, and a newfound artistic certainty. Built from Brazilian soul, African disco, and a constellation of collaborators spanning five countries, the album captures an artist who has stepped fully into her power. This is Tigerbalm expanding her universe – brighter, braver, and unmistakably her own.
WWD: ‘Bubblegum Discos’ marks a big evolution from ‘International Love Affair’ — what shift in your mindset or creative process sparked this new, more confident sound?
The years have allowed me to grow my understanding of the music-making process. I’ve met so many incredible musicians, and the more people I work with, the more inspired I am. I’ve been exploring Brazilian sounds with my Profunda Alma LP on Razor-N-Tape, but this was a much deeper dive into Brazilian and African disco.
WWD: You’ve described this album as “painted in more vivid colours” — what does that mean to you in practical, musical terms?
Live vocalists and session musicians create a totally different painting — their personalities are in the work.
WWD:How did working with such a wide range of musicians shape the album’s identity?
The album feels a bit like a compilation, which I love. There’s a 50/50 split of women and men on vocals, so it has a balance to it and gives an international feel.
WWD: Brazilian musical culture is a huge influence on the first half of the record — what draws you to those rhythms and harmonies?
After four long trips to Brazil and some expensive record shopping, I’ve gained a lot more knowledge about the history and styles of Brazilian music. Honestly, it’s the most beautiful music in the world for me, so I wanted to create my own imprint of it.
WWD: You also lean heavily into African disco and dance traditions — how did you approach interpreting those sounds respectfully and creatively?
The African tracks were inspired by the Bubblegum music genre and my love for Jasper Van’t Hof. I chose very specific vocalists to express a broad range of African dialects.
WWD: How do you balance global influences with maintaining a distinct Tigerbalm signature?
My sound has always been global, even when I was producing as Earthboogie. Including as many cultures as possible in my musical archive is a goal of mine. Italo and French disco incoming…
WWD: Nayar opens the album with a reggaeton-infused nu-disco feel — what was the spark behind that track?
This was co-produced with Neapolitan producer and singer Giorgio Lopez. He’s very talented. He actually wrote the lyrics for this, and I sang them with him doing the chorus. We met when I played in Naples and did a little unplugged video — he released a great album last year.
WWD: ‘Diga Me’ features Joy Tyson singing in Portuguese — how did that collaboration come together?
Joy used to be part of a band called Farafi, singing in African dialects. I asked her if she could sing in Portuguese for a Brazilian disco track, so she hired someone to work with her to create the recording and get everything perfect.
WWD: Coco Makoko is your first ever lead vocal — what pushed you to step behind the mic this time?
Whatever scares me, I need to do — and singing was daunting. So I set myself a challenge and will continue to expand in this area.
WWD: ‘AfroDisco’ with Idd Aziz reimagines early NYC electro and Hugh Masekela energy — how did you approach blending those eras and aesthetics?
Yes, you got it — but Jasper Van’t Hof inspired my bassline on this! Honestly, Idd’s vocals were just so perfect. Originally it was going to be instrumental, but then I had an old recording from another session and put it on top. I was like, “Ah, it’s a winner.”
WWD: ‘Do Da Soca’ brings Haitian and soca influences into your palette — what was it like working with Waahli?
Waahli is amazing — so passionate and expressive, one of the most professional people I’ve worked with. We still haven’t met; we worked remotely.
WWD: You worked with musicians from Italy, Haiti, Congo, Brazil, and the UK — what did you learn from bringing so many cultures into one project?
It feels great to be sharing music from different cultures and supporting vocalists in an industry where sampling is second nature. Some of the songs have five musicians on them, and you really have to be clear about what you want. So far, no arguments.
WWD: Andre Espeut appears twice on the album — what makes him such a strong fit for your sound?
We met playing together at Hootananny, as he’s the lead singer of Afriquoi. He said we must work together, so we stayed in touch. A few years later, when I was working on this, I knew he would be perfect. His voice is so diverse, and he fitted both songs perfectly.
WWD: How do you choose collaborators who can inhabit your “tropical disco universe?”
Honestly, through travelling all over and festivals. You see someone play and you’re like, “Ooo, I want that voice or those keys,” and I just reach out.
WWD: ‘Bubblegum Discos’ feels like a statement of confidence — what changed for you personally between albums?
I’m living a more authentic life. I don’t eat meat or drink alcohol. I play gong regularly and feel I’m on a different vibration from before — I used to party a lot. I dance a lot, running ecstatic dance events, and I love the sun; the heat guides me. I’m quite a bright person, and that’s coming through in the music, although I will make some deeper, darker dancefloor tunes at some point.
WWD: What do you hope listeners feel when they hear this record from start to finish?
Uplifted.
WWD: Where do you see the Tigerbalm sound heading next?
I have a cool remix coming out with Universal Music, an Afro-house remix for Papa Wemba, and another EP — but I’ll be taking a little break for the rest of this year. My remixes LP will be out next year too. Lately I’ve been loving really high-energy music, so I might take a disco angle. Stay tuned… got to keep everyone on their toes.
WWD: We can’t wait to listen! Thanks for the chat 🙂
The ‘Bubblegum Discos’ album is available here