The Definitive Tiesto Interview

By: Dj Wolfie

In Search of Sunrise 5 is the latest double cd from Tiesto. Disc One feels like you're on top of a swank hotel, kicking it with the beautiful people at the rooftop pool. The mix blends together like a well made margarita, with world class tracks instead of gold label tequila. The beats and melodies hearken to sunsets and the coming of night. By the end of the disc, It starts to get the blood pumping. It's more of a house music mix, with the heavier beats only coming in at the end.

Disc Two starts off where disc one leaves off- Progressive, deep beats flow like waves at the beach. This is a slight departure from some of Tiesto's more trance-like tracks. With Disc Two's compulsive beats, you'll get speeding tickets if you listen to it while driving.

While gearing up for this summer's gigs, Tiesto took some time to answer questions about life, the universe, and "in Search Of Summer 5."

And yes, we actually asked the world's best DJ if he plays weddings.

Wolfie: You’re very personable in your website. There used to be a level of separation from famous people and their fans that added mystique. It seems that nowadays, people want to be intimate with their rock stars. Can you comment on your relationship with your fan base, and how you approach them?

Tiesto: My fans are really important to me. I try to do as much as possible for them, such as special parties where only the members from my website can attend. During my sets, I’m sometimes more busy with giving autograph than DJ-ing.

Wolfe: What do you love about your life--something that has nothing to do with the music scene?

Tiesto: The thing I love about my life is that I get to see a lot of the beautiful places all around the world. It’s a gift that everywhere I come, people put me in fancy hotels and take me to the most special places of a country.

Wolfe: I love how upfront you are when a show works, or doesn’t work. You don’t hype things out of proportion, and it adds so much value to your blog. Can you tell me a short bit about tanking in Japan? Was there anything amusing in it? Any spinal tap moments?

Tiesto: This year in March 20th was the first time I had a great gig in Japan. I’ve been there the year before and I played somewhere upstairs for like 20 people. They didn’t promote the show at all and the production was wack too. It wasn’t that amusing, flying all the way to Japan noticing that the promoter didn’t care. But this year finally I had an excellent Japan gig.

Wolfe: How do you stay sane, and not let things get to your head? Could you share how you handle fame, and still come off as the cool guy next door? Do you have a public persona that is different from your private persona?

Tiesto: I don’t feel famous. I’ve always been a popular guy at school because people like me as a person. And that’s how I still feel. People love me for my music not for anything else. Tiësto and me are one. I am very very grateful to everything that is happening to me. I just don’t understand why it has to go to your head when you achieve something.

Wolfe: You come across as completely humble in the press. I have heard you praise fellow DJs for their mixing, and it's common for you to refer to other DJs as better than you in certain areas. Could you comment on your view of yourself, and your fellow DJs? Who do you think has the best mixing skills in the world?

Tiesto: I am a great mixer, super tight but when I am in the sound field of a club or venue I can’t mix that well because I have to put the monitors too loud. I refuse to do that because my ears are sacred to me. I rather mix less good and save my ears then bang the monitors so loud that I am deaf after one hour. Best mixing skill has James Zabiela without a doubt. This guy is amazing technically.

Wolfe: You are invited to a secret laboratory. A well funded company has decided to invent the next best piece of DJ gear, and have the technology and power to make it happen. All they need to know from you is, what should this piece of gear do?

Tiesto: Great in ears so DJ’s can mix without monitors but still hear the crowd going off so they feel the crowd's reaction.

Wolfe: Love Parade is back. What are your feelings about the event as a whole? Do feel it stays true to its roots as a parade about love, or has it gotten lost in the "let's party" atmosphere?

Tiesto: I am very proud to be part of the Love Parade in Berlin this year and that it’s back. It’s still about love.

Wolfe: what do you think the next logical evolution of DJs will be? More and more genres are switching to cd. It started with psy trance, now I go to gigs where the mixer is in the middle, then there are 2 cd decks on either side, and the turntables are shoved out to the edge of the table. It's only a matter of time before cds take over completely. After cds, what do you envision DJs using? Are we all going to be doing live laptop performances?

Tiesto: Mixing with a laptop takes away a lot of the soul of DJing. Cds are fine, since you still touch the track and put it on. With a laptop mix you could check your e-mail while you are spinning, boring to watch from the crowd unless you do something completely different with it like live remixing tracks and stuff.

Wolfe: Your closest friend in the world has a child who just turned 18. The kid is absolutely set on becoming a DJ. You're at dinner, and have no choice but to give this young person advice on how to proceed. What do you tell them?

Tiesto: I don’t think you can actually teach somebody how to become a DJ. You are born a DJ or it's just ok. Passion, crowd reading, charisma are things you can’t learn. Everybody can mix records or produce a decent track. So only when you really believe in yourself you can make it.

Wolfe: To storm the world stage as thoroughly as you have, you must have an excellent team behind you. Could you briefly acknowledge them? Who are the people behind the throne, and what is special about them?

Tiesto: I have a team in every city I go. I work with promoters who are all great friends. We all have the same goal: give the crowd the best time!

Wolfe: If you could invent one new music genre in the world, what would it be? What would you call this new genre, and could you briefly describe it?

Tiesto: House music, because that’s how it all started. Our scene got too divided with all this substyles. We should call the whole electronica scene just house music!

Wolfe: How do you like to create your schedule? Days touring, and days in the studio? Or do you prefer months touring, months back in the studio? Do you work on tracks on the road? If so, how do you make this happen? Can you share briefly about the gear you use to create with in the studio?

Tiesto: I make tracks on the road, work with Ableton for that and Nuendo. It’s just rough ideas though, nothing I could play out right away. I love touring, be away for a month and live the dream, then come home and take time off in my hometown Amsterdam.

Wolfe: What is the coolest thing a promoter has ever done for you at a gig?

Tiesto: So many different things. A special one was a promoter who brought me to the gig in a helicopter, dropped me off on a boat and then cruised me to the DJ booth.

Wolfe: Is there someone in the world for whom you would DJ their wedding? If so, who?

Tiesto: Haha weddings are boring to play at. The people on the wedding are so divided that it’s hard to please them all. Your audience is from 5 to 85!

Wolfe: You're inspired by Dance 4 life. It seems a very good program, I'm curious what inside you resonates with this cause.

Tiesto: For me personally I feel it gives my life more depth to be involved in this good cause. I am really excited about it and I will give myself completely to make it a success!

Wolfe: Random one. How many languages do you speak?

Tiesto: Dutch, German, English, a bit of France and nonsense.

Wolfe: what could the American electronic music scene do to make itself better? Are there movements or things other parts of the world do that make for a better scene?

Tiesto: You need radio and television support, then it will blow up big time!

Wolfe: Spirituality and music. Is there a part of your spiritual being that is fired up by music? What is your overall feeling about spirituality and religion?

Tiesto: I am spiritual but not religious. Religion is the basic of a lot of wars in the world. I wish everybody could be just spiritual instead of religious and the world would be so much better.

Wolfe: Do you listen to any bands? If so, what live acts do you put on the iPod?

Tiesto: I listen to lots of stuff, from Radiohead to Daft Punk and everything in between.

Wolfe: How many times do you listen to a mix after recording it, until you release it to the public? For instance, you put the headphones down after recording ISOS 5. how many times will you "check the mix" before you release it to the world?

Tiesto: I am not checking it, I just know when the feeling is good. The feel of the mix and the timing of the tunes is very important to me.

Wolfe: Were there any special tracks you absolutely wanted but couldn’t get licensed for ISOS 5?

Tiesto: Haha, back in the days yes! Now, with a compilation selling over 500.000 copies everybody wants to be on it!

Wolfe: When you were mixing ISOS 5, what did you imagine? Were you seeing a sunrise on a beach, or were you simply thinking " , four, five, six, seven, eight DROP new track, two, three four five six...."

Tiesto: I think about beaches, pool parties, beautiful nights in exotic places and partying hard until the sun rises…

Wolfe: ISOS 5. So, what, you didn’t get it right the first four times, had to do a fifth one? Or are you just tired of thinking up new album names?

Tiesto: I like the concept behind the series and the fifth one for me is the best one. It’s representing Tiësto 2006 and proving I am still up there.

Wolfe: what’s the next big project brewing right now for you? Obviously the tours for ISOS 5, and all, but what’s in the planning stage after all that?

Tiesto: I am working on lots of new stuff, exciting! Wait and see, Tiësto’s best has yet to come.

In Search of Sunrise 5 is currently in stores.

Dj Wolfie


Article from Club Planet