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Talking to a Legend - Interview with the world's Number 1 DJ - Tiësto
Reported by Sharon B
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Submitted 20-05-04 12:11
Ever since the club scene first emerged in the late 1980’s from underground to a more credible and recognised genre around the world there have always been heroes who represent the time and style as the scene evolves. Since the turn of the millennia there has been one DJ that has stood head and shoulders above the rest. Voted Number One DJ in the world by readers of DJ Mag for two consecutive years and with a string of hit singles and albums under his belt it would be fair to say that Tiësto is most definitely one of those heroes. Born in Breda, Holland in 1969, Tiësto (real name Tijs Verwest) was always influenced by music and his passion developed at a very early age. He started playing out in Breda at 15 years old and soon developed his own definitive style that was to serve him very well indeed in later years as he moved from DJing into production, creating his very own unique sound that has captivated legions of fans all around the world.
Having developed and honed his mixing skills in his home town it wasn’t long before Tiësto started playing out at clubs around Scandinavia. It soon became very obvious to all those who saw him play that Tiësto possessed a talent not just for mixing, but for developing a set and taking those who listened on a magical journey of music. It wasn’t long before Tiësto moved into production and along with his close friend Arny Bink he started the record company Black Hole Recordings. The releases of his Magik series and first album “In My Memory” sealed his reputation and status as one of the most innovative and best trance producers of our time and his remix of Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan - The Silence was the first house tune ever played on national radio in America, thus ensuring that he managed to achieve what many artists only dream of –total global recognition.
With a new album “Just Be” released this week and with an upcoming set at Gatecrasher at Heaven in London to showcase his new work, Sharon B was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to put a few questions forward to Tiësto to find out his thoughts on the club scene, life at the top and hopes for the future.
Sharon B: Firstly I would like to thank you for your time and for agreeing to answer a few questions for us. You have an incredibly busy schedule and have only just returned from a tour of South America and Asia, you must be exhausted! Do you ever get time to relax during your busy schedule? When was the last time you had a holiday?
Tiësto: Yes you are right, those 2 tours were pretty intense, and the time for recovering simply isn’t there. This month is all about the release of the album. I have 2 big shows in Germany and Sweden, 2 very big shows in The Netherlands and a release weekend with Gatecrasher in London and Manchester, so very much to do! I took 4 days off while I was touring in Asia, but 4 days in 3 months is not really much!
SB: I read in one of your interviews that you are booked as much as 5 months in advance for your sets – do you ever find this type of demand on you and your time too draining? Have you ever been really excited about a booking but, when the time comes to play, lost your enthusiasm, or do you still get as excited about a great set as you did at the start of your career?
T: I work mostly with a flexible agenda , indeed 4-5 months , no longer than that, as my Career always has been on the move the last 3 years, and I always want to be on top of new developments. I’m still excited about the gigs, because dj-ing is besides my work also my hobby.
SB: You have been voted Number One DJ all around the globe for two consecutive years now and are an icon and inspiration to many artists, both established and up-and-coming - who are your icons and role models (if any)? Do you find innovation in other artists or does something else inspire you to keep pushing boundaries and moving forward?
T: To be honest , most of my inspiration I get out of my travels around the globe, not that much of role models. I’m trying to take my own musical direction, and indeed try to keep on pushing musical boundaries. I always think that music is always in development, either it is trance , or progressive or whatever. That’s what I’m trying to do with my own productions as well, try to be original and creative
SB: It has been reported that your first ever set playing out was on a holiday in Spain when you were young – did you ever dream back then that you would eventually end up playing Times Square in New York for New Years Eve? Do you still get as excited and nervous about your sets as you did at the beginning?
T: I never could have imagined that I would make it so far in the music industry and DJ-ing, but I have always believed in my capabilities, and my own music, even at the time that trance was completely unknown. I think in a way that helped me in my motivation to try to achieve the highest possible. I still can get a bit nervous about gigs , not all, but last year’s Tiësto in Concert was a good example, facing 25.000 people who came to see me, that still gives me goosebumps
SB: Having had the honour of playing all around the world, and recently returning from a South America and Asia, you have been lucky enough to witness different crowds and scenes across the globe – where is your favourite place to play and how do the crowds differ, if at all, in different countries?
T: South America was a complete new experience for me, I never expected such a passionate and enthusiastic crowd. I was overwhelmed by the gigs in Colombia and Chile and Argentina. Every continent has its own charms and crowds I must say, so yes they all differ. South America is certainly a continent where I want to return this year, it has become one of my favourites at the moment.
SB: On your website you talk about having recently returned from Asia and mentioned the strict restrictions in China on the people and the availability of music to them. Having arrived you “had to fill in a form with all the titles of (your) records (you) were bringing in to the country. After (you) arrived (you) had to play for members of the government and only if they approved (were you) allowed to play that night for the crowd.” That must have been a daunting experience! With not having the usual access to your music that we in the West are lucky to have how did the crowds react to your sound and performance?
T: In such countries you have the advantage of internet. Although the music is hard to get in those countries , the crowd knows your music through the internet, and in such cases internet is great. They can’t sing the songs as most of the people don’t know English, but they are totally into the melodies, and that’s great!
SB: You have an upcoming set with Gatecrasher at Heaven in London. Are you looking forward to returning to London? How would you describe the London scene in your own words?
T: I’m really looking forward to play again in Heaven, as the last 2 gigs I did there were really great, a mixed audience and very good atmosphere. The London scene in general is more international and always upfront.
SB: Your set at Gatecrasher will be an exclusive London show launching the UK release of your latest album “Just Be” (released 20 May in Europe, early June for the USA) – can you tell us more about this? Reviews by music magazines have raved about it and it seems certain for sure-fire success - How would you describe the album in your own words? How would you compare ‘Just Be’ to ‘In My Memory’ and what would you consider to be your best work to date having released a number of albums and releases since that interview?
T: I would say that “Just Be” is next level compared to “In my memory”. I think this album is the best I’ve made so far, more mature than “In my memory”. There’s more connection between the music. All tracks, even the down tempo tracks, have the Tiësto touch. I’m really happy with the result, and indeed if I can read the reviews so far, it’s well received. I hope to achieve both ways for people, on one hand taking them on a musical journey and on the other hand open up their musical worlds, and leading them to a new musical direction
SB: Being Number One DJ has brought you a lot of benefits in terms of being able to play out at the most amazing events and festivals to literally tens of thousands of people, in fact you are the only DJ to ever sell out a 25,000 person stadium! Do you miss playing smaller, more intimate events? How does the experience differ for you, or is the crowd size unimportant when playing gigs?
T: I still play small clubs as well (800-1500 people), as I want to be in touch with my audience, it’s not that I only do big festivals or major gigs with huge crowds. The crowd size doesn’t matter, the bigger it gets doesn’t always mean the better. Small intimate clubs still have that underground feeling, which is nice as well.
SB: You had great success from an early start of your career, but you were the number one DJ for two years in Scandinavia before becoming famous in your own home country – do you feel now in hindsight that this was a good thing for your career? Did having the anonymity in your own country give you better opportunity to experiment or was it a frustrating period to be recognised by others before becoming established in your country?
T: Funny how things go right? Being very famous abroad and unknown in your native country. It was not something I planned, but it just happened to me. I wasn’t frustrated at all about that, it was just the way it was. But luckily, The Netherlands were quick to follow
SB: Towards the end of last year you won your first (of many) Dutch award at the Dutch DJ Awards (DDA) first event. You were also given a special award for putting the Netherlands on the map of global dance music – having won awards all around the world for a number of years this must have been a very special moment indeed – can you tell us more about it and what it meant to you?
T: I was really honoured for getting this award, being recognized by a large jury of prominent people of the music industry and news papers for my achievements so far.
SB: You once claimed in an interview with www.menda.com that your time DJ’ing at “The Spock” in Breda, a night you describe as “a bit like Breda’s own ‘Gatecrasher’” was responsible for your unique individuality as a DJ, claiming “I think I’ve developed my own sound in that period, because I never got to listen to other DJ’s while playing every night myself. I’ve never been influenced by other DJ’s”. How important is it for a DJ to have their own sound?
T: Very important. This is the only way you can make yourself heard in the huge amount of DJ’s we have nowadays. A lot of DJ’s copy each other, and I don’t think people want to listen to that anymore. They want fresh new sounds.
SB: Your sets are well known for encompassing a variety of styles from progressive/tribal through breakbeats, techno and more uplifting trance -how important is set structure to you and do you always try to take the dancefloor on a journey?
T: It very much depends where I’m playing , and what kind of crowd it is. I always try to use the best records out of all streams , progressive, tribal , trance , trancy and techno trance. If I can build a set the way I want it to be, then I can take people on a journey, start with some melodic progressive tunes and sometimes end with banging techno trance. But there are also crowds who want to hear just commercial trance, that’s the journey for them.
SB: How do you think your DJing style has evolved over the years and has your production work influenced any change? Do you see your style maturing in years to come?
T: Definitely , I’m always trying to give my music a push forward, so yes my style will develop itself in the years to come for sure.
SB: You have worked on a number of collaborations over the past few years. How does your approach differ, if at all, when doing a collaboration? You have your own unique style as Tiesto, do you feel that when approaching a collaboration that you bring this sound with you or do you try to create a different style/sound when working directly with another artist?
T: From a collaboration I always try to combine the best of the styles with my co-producer in order to get a good product. And if you combine 2 styles it always has a remarkable result. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always different as when you produce on your own.
SB: You have recently been doing remixes with more rock/pop based artists including Moby and Skin (formerly in Skunk Anansie), how do you approach a remix on tracks that are from a less club based culture? Is this a new direction for you? Will we be witnessing a move more into rock and pop for your sound of the future?
T: I was asked by Moby to remix his tracks which is a great honour I must say, as he’s an authority. Skin I did especially for the TMF awards in The Netherlands. It wasn’t supposed to be released, but EMI liked it very much so they gave it a full release… I’m not specifically moving into this direction, but it was fun to remix different tracks than usual…who knows what the future will bring me….
SB: The Netherlands have produced a number of outstanding artists in the dance music field with yourself, Armin Van Buuren and Ferry Corsten leading the way – how do you feel the dance scene in Holland compares to that of the rest of the world and what is it about The Netherlands that inspires artists to be so creative in what is usually seen as an underground market globally?
T: Good question. I think they have put something in our drinking water 
SB: You have said in a previous interview that you love playing Amnesia because it is a club where people from all over the world will travel to just to hear the DJ’s and the music. This year will be your third year as a Cream resident at Amnesia – how did you first get involved with the residency and what has been your most lasting memory of playing an event there?
T: 3 years ago I was asked by Cream for the residency , and when I agreed the Area 2 tour with Moby in the USA came through, but I felt that both opportunities were so important that I flew every week back from the US to Ibiza to play. The most lasting memory I think is the closing parties.
SB: You have stated on your website that your answer to all the DJ’s who ask you “what makes a great DJ?” is “Rock the crowd in your own original way, try to surprise them with good records and mixing and start producing your own music. Without your own productions it will be impossible to become a global DJ”. Some would argue that the recent rise in PC based production has affected the overall quality of music being produced these days as it has brought technology previously only once available to pro studios into the realm of the bedroom DJ/producer – do you think that the ease with which people can make their own productions has been a blessing or a curse to the quality of music produced and released in recent times?
T: I think both. A curse because there is a lot of bad music still on the market, and a blessing, because really talented (young) people are producing great tunes, and are able to do this at low costs.
SB: You set up your own record company Black Hole Recordings with Arny Bink and in 2002 Black Hole Recordings UK was born to cater to your huge fan base here in the UK. Did you ever dream that you would manage to achieve such success in so many differing areas of the music industry, and at such a relatively young age?
T: No, I could never have imagined that, but I guess in a way this links to my career in general.
SB: You have managed to do what many European musical artists, whether they be dance related or not, have never achieved and that is to “break the States”. Your remix of Delirium – The Silence “was the first house track ever broadcasted on daytime radio in North America” and you have sold out hugely successful tours across the USA. Having conquered the world what ambitions have you yet to achieve? When you reach the peak of the mountain, what is there left to climb? Where would you like to go from here?
T: There are still a lot of goals to reach for me I think. I just move on with what I’m doing and take it from there. I always want to be creative in what I’m doing and therefore I’m still haven’t reached the peak of the mountain I think.
SB: You have worked with some of the most amazing female vocalists of our age on your tracks including Sarah McLachlin and Jan Johnston. You obviously have a love of vocals in your productions – what do you feel they add to your music that would be lacking if they weren’t included? Do you feel that the human quality of such amazing voices adds extra emotion to the journey of your music?
T: Exactly right, you already gave the answer yourself. A voice should add more warmth and emotion to a track otherwise you shouldn’t be using it. I think that’s the whole idea when you work with vocals
SB: Out of everything that you have produced, collaborated on or remixed to date, which is your favourite track and why does it hold such a special place in your heart?
T: I think that’s Delirium – Silence as this remix has turned into an anthem worldwide
SB: Harderfaster.net is now officially the UK’s largest dance music website with over 10,000 members and growing daily. A majority of the site are fans of your music and as it is such an honour for us to be able to interview you we decided to let a few members put forward some questions as well:
Tom Foy: Trance has been accused of being stale in recent times, with many saying that producers and DJs have simply run out of ideas to push the genre forward. Do you agree - and where do you see the trance sound going in the next year or two?
T: Indeed you are right, many productions sound the same. I guess in a way producers try to copy each other which automatically leads to no inspiration. I think trance in the coming years will be more influenced by other musical directions such as progressive and techno. This development is already starting.
Shaun Rowland: The Dutch dance music scene is responsible for many of the genres that now make up Hard Dance. Were you ever into the harder scene in Holland? Ferry Corsten recently said that he was into Gabba - did you ever flirt with this as well? What do you think of the harder end of dance music that is so popular in the UK now?
T: I think that there’s always been a group of people who always have loved the harder styles , like Gabba and Terror. The last few years this group has grown because new people get acquainted with dance music and have no history of 10/15 years in house music so they just picked the hardest variant possible. I have no clue why it is so popular, maybe 140 BPM isn’t enough?
BottleofWater: Last year at Turnmills you were voted the worlds number one DJ by DJ Magazine and the award was presented by Sir Jimmy Saville. Are you aware that he is praised for being the first ever DJ to put two decks together for mixing? If / when you eventually hang up your headphones what would you most like to be remembered for?
T: Good one. At the time I hang up my headphones I hope I have achieved a couple of rememberous goals in dance music, but it would be too early now to say what exactly, as I’m still going strong
SB: Any last comments?
T: Thanks for the interview!
Photo's courtesy of Prime Time Management
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Other Features By Sharon B:
What's it all about? Alfie! - Getting Technikal with Alf Bamford
Heat UK presents....SW4!!! - Interview with Damian Gelle
Interview with TWIST promoter Steve Darragh
Interview with Innovate Resident Nick Sentience
Interview with Ferry Corsten
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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