Elements of Life
Graham Gartside
At first glance, it might seem like international superstar DJ Tiesto travels with a 35-person entourage. Not so -- it's the full stage show for Tiesto's latest tour for Elements of Life – with visuals, staging, lighting, and live performers all based on Tiesto's new CD.
Delving into the realms of rock and experimental electronica, Tiesto's third artist album Elements of Life will offer fans a glimpse of where he is at musically and combine performance art and music into a brand new kind of Tiesto performance.
GLOSS: Tell me a little bit about the album and why it's called Elements of Life.
Tiesto: It's called Elements of Life mainly because of the world tour I'm going to do. The whole show is incorporating water, fire, earth, and air and how the elements interplay.
GLOSS: With your new show for Elements of Life, is it going to be more live performance or DJing?
Tiesto: The big difference is that I'm going to travel with thirty-five people.
It's crazy and everything is new. We travel with the stage, the sound, the lights, live performers, and special effects. It's almost like a Tiesto experience, not just a DJ show.
GLOSS: There are several vocalists on the album, do you write a track with a vocalist in mind or do you write with the vocalist?
Tiesto: Well it depends. Sometimes I just send them a demo with the music and they come back with lyrics and vocals and other times they just send me a whole track but in demo style, and then I just rework everything.
GLOSS: I’m curious to know how the collaboration with the singer from BB Mak on the single ‘In the Dark’ came about?
Tiesto: I met him on MySpace. I really liked his voice and we really clicked together, so I think we're going to work more in the future.
GLOSS: Karl B and Dirty South both remix on this single. How involved are you in this process or do execs just pick the remixes for you?
Tiesto: It's both. I was not familiar with the Dirty South remixers, but having heard a track from them, I really liked it - it sounded kind of rocky, so I thought maybe they are good to do. I'm a big fan of Karl B, he's one of my favorite trance producers and he's just an amazing producer and I was like, “Well he couldn't do a better job than me I think, never could.” (misquoted?)
GLOSS: With your third artist album we find you taking a very different path. What was the thought process of combining rock, trance and the very experimental music that you have on this one?
Tiesto: Yes, it's very different and I think it says exactly where Tiesto is at the moment. You still hear influences from the old Tiesto, the trancy guy, and the new stuff is in there as well. So it's for me an in-between stop for where I want to go, like it's a time mark in my career.
GLOSS: The first single "Dance for Life" was dedicated to AIDS research. How has it impacted the AIDS mission?
Tiesto: We don't know the result yet how it impacted, but it did really well around the world. Everybody played the track and it's been very successful. In Holland alone, it’s sold more than forty-five thousand copies. There has beenradio play everywhere and a lot of digital downloads.
GLOSS: Can you tell us about Break My Fall and working with BT? Did you make any other tracks when you were together in LA?
Tiesto: Yes, we made a couple of tracks. He's actually involved in three tracks on the album, "Bright Morning Start," "Sweet Things," and "Break My Fall." We clicked really well together and made a couple more tracks actually, which didn't make the album. I think this summer we're going to work more together to get more tracks done.
GLOSS: Are there any artists or DJs in particular that you're looking to work with in the future or looking forward to seeing at this conference?
Tiesto: BT is still by far my favorite producer and I'm basically open to work with all kinds of people. I would love to work with The Cure.
GLOSS: With your last album you did some crazy stuff to promote it, like jumping out of airplanes and playing at terminals, do you have anything like that up your sleeve for this album?
Tiesto: No, not that much actually (laughing).
GLOSS: There's so many great Dutch DJs and producers coming out right now, why do think there's so much great talent coming from Amsterdam right now?
Tiesto: I think it's because the crowds in Holland are very hard to entertain so you have to be on top of your game. They've seen and done everything. I feel like when I play abroad it's much easier to perform because the crowd is so happy to see you. In Holland, they're also happy but they don't scream that loud.
GLOSS: I just saw a video of you hanging out with Diddy in the DJ booth. Is there any chance of collaboration?
Tiesto: Actually I played his track with Christina Aguilera "Tell Me" that night just for fun. He's a big fan and loves my music so maybe in the future a collaboration, who knows.
GLOSS: Is it true that the Vancouver leg of your Tour has sold out?
Tiesto: I think so.
GLOSS: That’s about 10,000 people isn’t it? Isn’t that a record for a DJ Tour in Canada?
Tiesto: I’m not sure. I would have to check. I did break the record in North America though when I played to over 15, 000 people in LA.
GLOSS: Your relationship with fans is quite influential. You told your fans not to vote for you in the DJ pools and to give new artists a chance - how did that work out?
Tiesto: Well I think it's worked out well because a lot of people voted for other DJs and yes, I think it's about time that new talent gets a chance. There are so many good young fresh DJs out there and a lot of other DJs just don't deliver the good anymore so it's time to get some new ones in. There are plenty of good examples like Eddie Halliwell and Sander Van Doorn.
GLOSS: Great. Do you have a message for all of your fans in Canada and around the world?
Tiesto: Well I can say thanks for your support, I think that's the most important thing, and without them I wouldn't be where I am today. |
