четверг, 4 августа 2011 г.
Tiesto Interview
Dutch superstar DJ, Tiësto, on rumours of his death, life on the road and playing to a Spanish crowd straight after Holland’s World Cup defeat
So, apparently you’re dead.
You called me in heaven, right?
What’s it like up there?It’s pretty amazing. I’m not going to lie [laughs]. Yeah, the death rumours come back every two years [reports earlier this month claimed Tiësto died in a car crash].
How did you find out about it?
Through Twitter. Everyone was sending messages like ‘Dude, you’re dead. What happened?’. It was something negative but it gave me something positive because so many people sent me love messages.
You live something of a vampire existence, awake in clubs all night. Do you ever get sick of it?
No, actually I don’t get sick of it at all. It’s a very glamorous life, you meet amazing people, you get to play music and every night is always different.
Do you ever forget which city you’re in?
I always know which city I’m in but sometimes I forget what time it is. I’ll go to bed at six in the e
vening for a power nap and when I wake up I often think it’s the morning and I’m like ‘Oh shit, I missed my gig’.
You’ve got Pendulum playing at your upcoming show in Victoria Park. Why did you choose them?
I wanted to do something different in the line-up and I love Pendulum – their sound is very fresh. They’re already huge but I think they’ll be even bigger next year.
If you weren’t a superstar DJ, what would you be doing?
Either working in the music business, maybe a road manager or tour manager, or I would work in a restaurant. I like to cook, so hopefully I could be a chef.
Clubbing is known for its drug scene. Have you seen much in terms of excess?
I think if you were to say ‘Clubbing is drug related’ five years ago, then yes. Nowadays, I barely see anybody off their head; people get wasted on alcohol, which is maybe the same thing, but I don’t see that many drugs anymore. It’s getting played out and the new generation doesn’t really care about it.
What’s the biggest diva moment you’ve seen from another DJ? 
I hear stories from other promoters. One promoter got a really nice hotel suite but the DJ didn’t like the furniture and wanted to change hotels. [The promoter] had to spend half a day finding a different hotel. I’ve stayed in that room, it was pretty nice.
Who’s the nicest name in dance music?
I really like the boys from the Swedish House Mafia. They are very nice guys – very humble and all very talented.
Commiserations on Holland’s defeat in the World Cup final. What were your thoughts?
I think Holland played really bad and Spain played really bad too. But I’m so bummed. I really thought this was going to be the year of Holland. Then I had to play in Marbella after we lost, to a Spanish crowd with flags everywhere and they’re all partying to my music. It was pure torture [laughs].
Another Tiesto's Interview
Q: Hello Tisto, thank you very much for granting us this interview. I know you are eager to get on stage. How did you get into DJing?
Tiesto Interview
DJ Ron Slomowicz: I just finished talking to Junkie XL, so it seems like the Dutch producers and DJs are doing very well. Why do you think all you great Amsterdam producers and DJs are doing so well right now?
Tiesto: Well it's a good question. I think its because the Dutch people are very stiff in general when they go out, they're not like Latin Americans or Eastern Europe, so we need to put extra energy in the music to make them loosen up. That's the main reason why our music is so successful.
RS: In Search of Sunrise 5 is coming out and the first thing I noticed looking at the lineup is that there isn't a Tiesto track on it.
Tiesto: There is no Tiesto track on it because I haven't had time to produce any new tracks. I've been on the road for the last year and a half, so I haven't made any new music. I've finished a couple of tracks with BT but I thought it was too soon to put them on the album so I wanted to save them for the artist album.
RS: What was it like working with BT?
Tiesto: Working with BT is amazing. He's full of energy and the whole day he's running around. We produce music together and then he goes away to do a movie and an interview and he's just all over the place. It's great to work with a guy like that, very inspirational.
RS: Talking about touring, I hear you've got a big Asia tour coming up?
Tiesto: Yes. The kick-off was actually last week in Malaysia and I played in the Grand Prix party. It was amazing - twenty thousand Malaysians going crazy. After the Winter Music Conference I go back to Manila and then do the rest of Asia.
RS: Very cool. I also heard that you're going to be doing a US tour of smaller cities. Is that in the works?
Tiesto: Well, I wouldn't say smaller cities but I'm going to do a full US tour in the month of May. So from the 2nd to the 29th May I will be playing almost every night and I do a lot of big and small cities.
RS: So in thirty days you're doing thirty gigs. How do you keep yourself up for that, night after night?
Tiesto: It's a different state of mind and I love to do it, especially in the US because it's so nice to travel here. It's so convenient and to play every night it gets me in a different state of mind, I love it.
RS: Do you fly around or take a bus?
Tiesto: I fly around because it's easier. I like the bus idea, but most of the time you're on the highway so I prefer to fly to get there quicker.
RS: I heard you're living in LA now?
Tiesto: Yes, partly. I really live all over the world.
RS: So what inspired the partial move to Los Angeles?
Tiesto: Well I'd been there a couple of months and there's just amazing musicians over there, not only the famous ones but there's a lot of talent bubbling under. I met so many great vocalists and people to work with and inspiring people, LA is full of that. LA has a dark side too, everybody talks about the Hollywood scene but there's also a really creative scene of beautiful people. In LA, you can find whatever you want. It depends on your own personality, what you get out of LA, and that's why I love LA.
RS: Speaking about great vocalists, I heard you worked with Jes on a track and she's performing with you down here. How do you two work together?
Tiesto: I'm a big fan of Jes, her voice is of the greatest voices of all time. Whatever she sings, I love, so to work with her was a big honor. We worked the lyrics together and she's so full of energy. She was with me in Malaysia as well on tour and the crowd loves her because she gives the energy to the people and it's great.
RS: I haven't listened to the new CD yet, but the last four ones start and they really grab you and mix trance and classical. Is the new CD that same kind of journey?
Tiesto: It's definitely a journey, because after I finished it I listened to it a couple of more times. It's a journey of Tiesto 2006. You can't compare it to the first one or the second one, because those are different times, different trance, and difference music. So I think I moved on and I developed my own sound. I'm really proud of this CD, because it's a double CD but it's one journey. It starts off with a really slow housey beat, like you're lying on the beach and it's like being in a club. Yes, it's a whole journey and I'm really proud of it.
RS: Did you record it live or was it in a club or did you record it in a studio?
Tiesto: I recorded it in a studio in LA - in my apartment over there.
RS: Hence the subtitle Los Angeles.
Tiesto: Yes, definitely. The last one I recorded in Latin America and the third one in Panama, etc.
RS: How do you choose songs for a CD like that?
Tiesto: That goes pretty natural, because when I choose songs I just choose songs I like. I don't even have the boundaries that it has to be trance or it has to be like this. There are a couple of house tracks on there, so people are going to be surprised. I choose songs if I like them and they do something to me, and then I play them out for the crowd to see how they react.
RS: The crowds love you and you were number one in the DJ pool for many years. Why do you think trance DJs do so well in the DJ pools and why do you think there's such an affinity for them?
Tiesto: We used to be called trance DJs and I am still a trance DJ but in a different way. I have my own sound - Tiesto trance. Trance lovers are so dedicated and they are really interested in it. They want to know everything about it - the words and the melodies. Part of the dedication is their voting. People who like house music, the ones who go to the VIP parties, they love the music but they're not going to vote. So I think that's why the trance DJs always ends up in the top five because of the passion - the trance people vote because they care.
RS: What kind of advice would you give an upcoming producer/DJ who wants to start touring and get out there?
Tiesto: I don't know, it's hard to give advice. I mean there's so much you have to do before you become big. You have to be willing to sacrifice your life for at least ten years and be dedicated to the music. It's twenty-four hours - you need to breathe music, think about music, play music, produce music, and listen to music. It's everything - that's the only way you can make it, one hundred percent dedication.
RS: What would you like to say to all your fans out there?
Tiesto: I would like to say that I'm really happy that they supported me all these years and that we're still going strong. I became a big DJ but I still feel very connected and close to my fans.
The Biography For Tiësto
Born Tijs Verwest in Holland back in 1969, Tiesto's aim from the start was 'to share his music with others'. By first gaining experience with his residency in Dutch club The Spock all while perfecting his producing skills in the studio at the start of 1995, he was always searching for the next best set to play. By 1997 it all came true when he and close friend Arny Bink founded the now legendary Black Hole Recordings. Spawning numerous hits such as the trance music classics 'Suburban Train', 'Flight 643' and 'Lethal Industry', DJ Tiesto's debut album 'In My Memory' became one of Holland's best selling dance albums in 2002 while also being voted DJ Magazine's World No. 1 DJ beating of former holder John Digweed in the same year.
This was not yet his peak though. In 2003 Tiesto envisioned performing a set, but not in just a club venue - a stadium. For the first time in music history Tiesto became the first DJ to host a concert in a sell-out event in a 25,000 capacity stadium going on to what became the 'Tiesto In Concert' Tour around the world. In doing this, Tiesto broke the boundaries of the superstar DJ and set new records while at the same time being crowned world number one again by the readers of DJ Magazine.
Jump forward just one year. As well as the successful mix compilation series 'In Search Of Sunrise' (Vols 1-4) and Magik Musik (1-7) Tiesto became the first DJ ever to host the Olympic Opening Ceremony for the Athens 2004 Olympics, setting another record for biggest audience ever played to by a DJ - 3.8 billion. As well as performing his set, Tiesto also produced an album exclusively for the event - Parade of The Athletes, with all new material as well as his next studio effort 'Just Be' spawning the hit 'Traffic', the first non-vocal track to make the number one spot in the Dutch national charts for 23 years.
Having won pretty much every dance music award there is, Tiesto's aim is, as he says just to keep on improving and produce more albums. With another mix compilation and solo effort due for 2006, even if he was to retire tomorrow, Tiesto would be looked upon as one of the greatest DJ's to go behind a set of turntables.
Trade Mark
Sphere shaped neon lit DJ box.
Trivia
First ever DJ to give a solo stadium concert.
First ever DJ to perform at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games (2004).
Voted DJ Magazines No.1 DJ in the World in 2002, 2003 & 2004.
He played live in front of over 3 billion people during the Parade Of The Athletes at the official opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens 2004.
His remix of Delerium featuring Sarah McLachlan's 'Silence' was the first house track ever broadcast on daytime radio in North America.
Is the only DJ to be crowned Dj Magazine's World No. 1 DJ three times in a row (2002, 2003, 2004).
Produced the first instrumental track to reach the top spot in his homeland of Holland in 23 years.
The first DJ in the world to sell out a solo stadium event for over 25,000 people.
In 2008 he was nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album at Grammy Awards for the album Elements of Life.