Rose Robinson, better known as Tigerbalm, has spent the last decade crafting a distinctive sound that blends disco, house, Afro rhythms, Brazilian influences, and global dance music traditions.
Photo credit: Tigerbalm – Official
Through releases on labels such as Razor-N-Tape, Wonderwheel Recordings, Music For Dreams, and 2020 Vision, the UK-based producer, DJ, and broadcaster has built a reputation for vibrant, culture-spanning productions rooted in rhythm, collaboration, and celebration.
Now, with the release of her sophomore album ‘Bubblegum Discos’ on Ubiquity Records, Robinson continues to expand that vision. Built through collaborations with vocalists and musicians from across the world, the record draws inspiration from Afro-disco, Brazilian music, tropical grooves, boogie, and Italo influences, reflecting years of travel, musical discovery, and creative growth.
In this conversation, Tigerbalm discusses the making of ‘Bubblegum Discos’, the role of collaboration, her growing connection to Brazil, stepping up as a vocalist, and why community remains at the heart of everything she creates.
EG: Hi Rose, welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here. How have you been, and where are you speaking to us from today?
Tigerbalm: I’m really well, excited for my new LP with Ubiquity Records & I just landed in Oakland, San Francisco, ready to perform at Groovewell Vacation Festival this Saturday, which is my actual album release date.
EG: Congratulations on the release of ‘Bubblegum Discos’. Four years have passed since ‘International Love Affair’. Looking back, what feels most different about the artist and person who made this new album?
Tigerbalm: Gosh, I am totally liberated as an artist; I just know what I love. I am much happier and healthier as well, more evolved in the studio and with the people I work with, and I have some incredible people around me. The first album was my first LP after letting go of my career as Earthboogie, which was initially hard, but now I’m 100% aligned with my Tigerbalm journey.
I’ve also been blessed with so many adventures and trips to countries that have allowed me to learn more culturally. Getting to record and dig in Salvador, Rio, São Paulo, Mexico, and Lagos, I found the music from these cultures is very celebratory.
EG: This record feels bigger, more confident, and more expansive in scope, while still carrying the musical DNA people associate with Tigerbalm. Did you approach this album with a different mindset from the outset? How did the concept come to be?
Tigerbalm: I did, yes. I wanted to sing on some songs, so I made that happen, featuring on ‘Nayar’ and ‘Coco Makako’. There are no samples; everything is recorded live from vocalists and musicians, so the album was very expensive, but the proof is in the sound. Each track took a long time to make as everyone was working across different time zones.
The tracks are less clubby, and that was on purpose. I actually wanted to make a record I could listen to at home or in cocktail bars, more of a daytime vibe. The clubbier sounds are focused on the remixes, and there will be a follow-up LP with all those club reworks coming soon.
EG: One of the most striking aspects of ‘Bubblegum Discos’ is how naturally it moves between Brazilian influences, African rhythms, disco, house, and countless other musical traditions. What is it about these cultures and sounds that continues to inspire you?
Tigerbalm: I always loved African music because my parents listened to lots of Afro-disco when I was younger: Manu Dibango, Eddie Grant, Hugh Masekela, as well as Latin music, disco, and funk. My whole family does salsa dancing. I think it’s just in my skin now, the love for those Latin rhythms.
Along my life journey, I had an amazing trip to Lagos and got some incredible records, and I’ve also been visiting Brazil regularly. Once you go, you’ll understand the addiction. I am obsessed with Brazil.
I decided I wanted to do four Afro tracks on one side and Brazilian and Italo influences on the other side. Also, it was important to me that half the vocalists were female and half male, so the album feels totally balanced.
EG: The album features a wide range of collaborators, vocalists, and musicians. What have you learned about yourself through collaboration over the years? How would you define a successful collaboration?
Tigerbalm: I love collaborating. Music production can be a bit solitary otherwise, and I like that there’s an element of co-creation that’s out of your hands. For me, it’s more fun now to work with musicians, and it’s important to support the industry.
Often when I meet someone, and there’s a synergy, then we know we can make things work. Joy Tyson is on tonnes of my records. Waahli was recommended to me by Bruno from Voilaaa, aka Patchworks, and that was a pleasant surprise. Andre from Afriquoi is a total star on ‘Pura Vida’ and ‘Conga’. Melodie, I met in Lisbon when I started recording the album, totally random and organic. She’s not even on socials. I had already worked with him, and his voice was perfect for Afro-disco. Giorgio and I co-produced ‘Nayar’, both on vocals together, so that was a first.
“I feel 100% authentic with myself and what I love and want to express”
EG: On ‘Coco Makako’, you step into the spotlight with your own lead vocal for the first time. Was that something you had wanted to do for a long time, or did it happen naturally during the creative process?
Tigerbalm: Yes, I just wanted to challenge myself. I wrote the lyrics for ‘Coco Makako’ on a Brazilian road trip and was super happy with the recording. I’m also singing on ‘Nayar’ and plan to sing more as I build my confidence.
The next challenge is a disco record, and I’m learning Italian to make an Italo-disco EP with my partner, who’s Sicilian.
EG: Throughout the record, there’s a strong sense of joy and movement, but also a feeling of curiosity and exploration. When you’re creating music, are you primarily thinking about the dancefloor, or are you chasing something more personal?
Tigerbalm: I’m often thinking about a feeling I want to project. When I make a club remix, I am literally dancing in a club in my head, but for this LP, I wanted people to enjoy it off the dancefloor, a bit like a compilation.
I’m quite an energetic person and an optimist, so I think that joy comes out in the music and resembles my mood. I also love dancing in different ways, so that’s expressed in the album. Mainly, I just love tropical music.
EG: Many of the musical traditions referenced on ‘Bubblegum Discos’ are deeply rooted in community, celebration, and human connection. Do you think dance music has lost some of those qualities in recent years, or are they simply taking new forms?
Tigerbalm: A lot of people are not recording but sampling, so I think that breaks a bit of the community one can build as an artist. In terms of dance music, I feel like London in particular has amazing dance communities. I think some genres and parties bring more community than others.
To bring more community into my life, I set up a new company called Ecstatic Dance Culture, running non-verbal, sober dance spaces, and the core value is community. For me, connection and playful dance are so important. People often don’t have the space to express themselves without judgment, or they don’t have enough space to move on the dancefloor.
EG: The title ‘Bubblegum Discos’ immediately evokes colour, playfulness, and nostalgia. What does that phrase mean to you, and why did it become the album’s defining statement?
Tigerbalm: I named the album after one of my favourite genres, Bubblegum. It’s a synth-heavy music genre that emerged in South Africa during the late 1970s and dominated the 1980s.
‘Afro Disco’ was the first track I developed. I always loved the ‘Doing It In Lagos’ compilations and also Guts’ ‘Straight From The Decks’, a mix of amazing disco and tropical beats.
EG: After spending years refining the Tigerbalm project, what do you feel you’ve become more confident about as an artist?
Tigerbalm: I feel 100% authentic with myself and what I love and want to express. My sound is a niche that I’m totally dedicated to. I am genuinely very proud of this LP; it’s the best work I’ve done to date.
My sound is often more appreciated across borders than in the UK. Latin America seems to be where I receive the most appreciation and support.
“I am totally liberated as an artist; I just know what I love”
EG: Finally, when listeners reach the end of ‘Bubblegum Discos’, what do you hope they take away from the experience?
Tigerbalm: I hope that everyone will feel a little elated and happy because there is a lot of positive energy in the LP, and we all need more of that.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Rose. We wish you all the best with ‘Bubblegum Discos’ and everything that lies ahead. Take care!
Tigerbalm: Thank you for supporting my journey.
Tigerbalm’s ‘Bubblegum Discos’ is out now via Ubiquity Records. Stream and download your copy here.
Follow Tigerbalm: Spotify | SoundCloud | Instagram
