By Dennis Sebayan
Tiësto paves a new path in his career with a well-rounded album, live show and his work with an AIDS charity. What other feats does he have up his sleeve?
clubZone: The response to your album Elements of Life, upon its release, has been astounding. Is it what you expected?
Tiësto: Yes. It’s exactly how I expected it to be. Almost everybody likes the album, but everybody likes different tracks on the album. There’s not one person who likes all 12 tracks. Most people like seven or eight tracks out of 12.
clubZone: Did you anticipate that kind of reaction in advance? Did you format the album so it would work that way?
Tiësto: Not really. I’m just caught-up in two sounds at the moment. One is more my mainstream sound and then my roots from the underground are still in me. On the album, I’m just all over the place with vocal tracks and a couple of epic trance tracks. I’m just all over the place.
"What you thought was already happening in 2000 with the Internet is actually happening now and getting more and more important."
clubZone: Who were some of the key collaborators that made the album come to life?
Tiësto: The reason why the album sounds like this was I worked with different producers. I worked with BT, a guy from Holland named Dennis [Waakop-Reyers], Christian Burns – they all had an influence on the sound on the album. That’s why it’s so diverse.
clubZone: How is the campaign for Dance4Life turning out?
Tiësto: Pretty good. This year is a little bit slow for the organization in general. Every two years they have the big celebration on World AIDS Day. At the moment, when I come back from Coachella, I’m going to do school visiting and speak to the students about AIDS. In September, I’m going to Africa to check it out and see how the money gets spent. We’re working on some new projects as well.
clubZone: Can you talk about these projects?
Tiësto: We’re looking for big collaborations. We’ll try to enlist one of the mainstream artists to do something with me, and then all the money would go to the organization. We’re going for a big name who can help us raise more money. Hopefully, somebody bites. We’ve approached a lot of people, from David Bowie to Madonna to anybody you can name.
clubZone: How far do you think we are from a cure for AIDS?
Tiësto: I think we’re pretty much there, it’s just the big companies are trying to cash-in on it. There are currently medicines that can’t cure it, but at least slow the process down. I know a lot of people use those medicines already and it really helps keep the process from developing. I think we’re really close or even already there, but because there’s so much money involved, companies really want to cash in first before they release the medicine.
clubZone: As you took this kind of campaign on, did your life take on a different meaning – from being the superstar producer and DJ to being with a cause?
Tiësto: Yeah. It came during a period in my life when I was thinking about giving my career some more depth, to get more involved in this kind of center. I definitely feel that I help out even more now; I get more involved as we speak. I started slowly with it, but now I get more involved in the project and how things are going. You really see the results of the energy you’re putting in. That makes it even better for me – it gives me fulfillment.
clubZone: How is the Coachella live show shaping-up?
Tiësto: Pretty good. I think we’re all set for this Saturday. I arrived [in LA] today and tomorrow we’re rehearsing, performing sound check and building the stage. By Saturday, hopefully everything will be fluid. The good thing is, we’ve done a couple of – not dry runs, but – shows like Coachella already. We did one in Poland, the week before in Belfast; everybody knows what to do. If everything goes well – because you never know on the [Empire] Polo Field – and the power doesn’t shut down, I think the show is going to be amazing.
clubZone: Were there any challenges or obstacles in getting the show where it will be Saturday?
Tiësto: So far, everything’s been pretty easy. Well, I’ve been trying to put this show together for two years, so we’ve had plenty of time to get everything ready. Everything is right-on-time ready, including the visuals, which were filmed in HD. To make a one-minute movie, to render the whole process, could take days. I think with Coachella we’re going to really go at it full force.
"As a DJ, I’ve seen everything with what I could have possibly done. But I feel on a production level, I can do a lot more."
clubZone: What acts will you go see at Coachella?
Tiësto: I haven’t seen the program yet, but I know there are a lot of bands I want to see. I want to check out Air – I hear their new album is supposed to be really good. Maybe I’ll check out the Chili Peppers.
clubZone: A campaign on clubZone.com, for which this interview is taking place, includes e-mail blasts, online media and editorial. How vital do you feel the Internet is to an artist’s career? Do you feel like an artist can get along without online marketing and publicity?
Tiësto: I think it’s getting bigger. It was definitely over-hyped at the beginning of 2000. But the Internet is still growing and now, we see more and more people stepping into it. What you thought was already happening in 2000 with the Internet is actually happening now and getting more and more important. It’s getting easier to spread the word faster over the Internet as well. Nowadays, it’s definitely essential to be well presented on the web.
clubZone: How does your WMC experience compare this year to past years you’ve attended? How relevant do you think WMC is to the current global dance music movement?
Tiësto: I think this year was very good. I did two different things: my show at the Mansion, which was much more a club show for the older crowd; and the Ultra Music Festival on Friday night – that was more for the younger crowd. They were two totally different crowds and both nights were really good. I think in general, the Winter Music Conference is becoming more and more just a party week rather then having something to do with a real music conference where people do business and communicate about the future. It’s more that everybody goes there to check out the DJs and hear them play. It’s not really a music conference anymore, I think.
clubZone: What is it about your music that hits such a wide, diverse demographic?
Tiësto: I think it’s a bit of everything. My music is not really drug related. I think that’s the big difference with a lot of other DJs who play certain sounds where the music needs to be very drug related. I think if you’re older and you don’t do drugs anymore, or even if you’re young and you just want to check it out, [my music] is very accessible. It’s very easy to get into. You don’t have to be totally off your head to like it. That’s why I think it appeals to so many different kinds of people. It’s partly the energy and the melodies, I think.
"The Winter Music Conference is becoming more and more just a party week rather then having something to do with a real music conference where people do business and communicate about the future. "
clubZone: What’s next on your plate in terms of supporting the album, your labels, etc…?
Tiësto: I have a lot of challenges on my plate at the moment. The world tour is going really well now, so that’s definitely a release of pressure. After Coachella, there’s less pressure as well because that’s a really important gig that I’ve been working on for a couple of months. After that, I’ll develop my radio station more. I’m opening my own club in Amsterdam, called Cineac – the name of an old cinema. That will be opened the first weekend in June. During the summer, I’ll try to do as many remixes and productions as possible. At the moment, we’re in very good shape in the studio; we try to make at least one track a week. There’s going to be more stuff with BT again this summer – he’s coming to Holland for a month to work in the studio. There’s a lot of focus on the production side this year. Of course the DJ gigs are very important as well, but I am spending more time in the studio this year.
clubZone: With your new album, you’ve really broke sonic ground, working with the right producers and bringing your talents to the table.
Tiësto: That’s what I tried to do. I feel as an artist, I’m still growing. As a DJ, I’ve seen everything with what I could have possibly done. But I feel on a production level, I can do a lot more.
clubZone: Will you be doing more of a live act now?
Tiësto: The one thing I don’t like about a live act is that every night is the same. As a DJ, at least you can have variation. You can throw something different at a crowd, whereas with a live show, there’s a certain amount of songs you can play. It’s definitely a different field. I like to stay as spontaneous as possible.
|
|
|
Shopping Cart
Follow clubZone Vancouver on twitter for free tickets to hot shows!