DJ Tiesto Engages In Cross-Cultural Communication

In some circles, DJ Tiesto's name is akin to Apollo or Zeus. His Greek God-like mystique grew after performing in front of millions at the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Athens last year. He then promptly released Parade Of The Athletes, the soundtrack to his performance, which was then closely followed by the Tiesto In Concert DVD. He's been named the World's Number One DJ for the third consecutive year by readers of DJ Magazine, and if that wasn't enough to make you quiver by his greatness, he also recently won America's Number One Favorite DJ, as voted by readers of BPM Magazine. His latest mix, In Search Of Sunrise 4, the fourth in the In Search Of Sunrise series, drops June 21, and he took time out from shoving lightning bolts down people's ears to answer some of our questions on touring, culture and Kama Sutra.

ChartAttack: How are you feeling in these weeks before the release of In Search of Sunrise 4? Any expectations for the album?
DJ Tiesto: My expectations are high. It has already been released here in Europe and the reviews are very positive.

DJ Tiesto Do you feel ISOS 4 is a continuation of the three previous ISOS albums, or is it completely different? How did you approach the creation of this album?

It's a little bit different but it definitely has the ISOS feel in it. When compiling the CD I was influenced by my Latin America tour which I did in that period.

How do you think people perceive you? Do you ever sit back and laugh at the mystery or mystique that surrounds you?
I really don't have the time to sit back and to think about how people look at me. It's not of great importance to me because I just want people to enjoy my music during my performances or while listening to my CDs.

With so many hungry fans and so many people's lives affected by what you do, does that weight ever crush in on you?
When you perform so much it's sometimes hard to focus yourself on a new performance, but as soon as I'm in the DJ booth I receive so much energy from the crowd that everything fades away and the rest goes by itself.

At what point do all of the awards you receive become validation, and the rest lip service?
As long as the people think it's important to vote, it's important for me to win these awards in my opinion.

What do you think trance culture has to offer that makes it so appealing? Does it have lasting potential, or is this music so adaptive to the times that it will simply erase itself as time progresses?
I think dance music is continuously evolving and so does the audience. The dance music crowd is becoming bigger and bigger with the result that the demand for big parties becomes bigger. Where people used to go to rock shows because there were a lot of rock music fans, nowadays people go to DJ shows because the scene is becoming bigger and bigger and still more people are becoming familiar with this style of music.

What is your opinion on the acceptance of DJs as artists or musicians? It wasn't until about the '70s that DJs began to gain acceptance as an authentic profession.
I think nowadays a DJ needs to do more than just play records from somebody else to be a good and accepted DJ. They have to produce their own tracks and do special and innovating things.

You travel extensively around the world, playing huge, sold out shows. Do you see music as a means of cross-cultural communication, or a means of balancing communication flows?
Each different culture interprets dance music differently, but they all experience the same feeling. They forget everything for a while and just experience the music so I think it's definitely cross-cultural communication.

Do you ever think to yourself, "if I see another overhead compartment, I'm going to scream?" Do you ever get used to the touring lifestyle?
Yes, sometimes I really don't like all the touring, but usually it's fun. Normally when I step into the airplane it's time for relaxation for me and to listen to new records.

There are so many new DJs breaking new ground... James Lavell, DJ Montana... Do you see yourself in competition with these DJs or has the situation fostered a greater sense of community?
There is a healthy competition between all the DJs. This competition is a good one because it makes the DJs more sharp on what they do and this is good for the overall quality.

When are you going to give Canada its Tiesto fix for the year?
I'll be back in The Docks in Toronto on July 30, so no worries!!

Many ladies I know are dying to know one thing about you. Are you a Kama Sutra man, or more of a Tantric man?
Don't ask me... ask my girlfriend!!