I translated this for the non-dutch readers The interview is taken from last months ID&T magazine.

Last month Tiësto again received an important award in Miami, USA: the Dance Star Award. By this time he's back in Holland where he's working on the preparations for the big Tiësto In Concert party, held May 10th in the Gelredome, Arnhem. In short: again it's Tiësto's month.

March 19
Miami, the Winter Music Conference. Tiësto wins the Dance Star Award. "I'm very happy with this award, a new proof of recognition. The evening of the presentation was very special too. Then you're standing there next to Missy Elliot, on the other side Puff Daddy and other big stars. By this time you see dance in America is finally happening. It's a very healthy scene, the clubs are full and the underground is moving. For a long time it seemed America would always stay behind with the dance scene".
Except when it's about organizing a music conference, because the Miami Winter Conference is one of the most important moments for the dance industry. Every year again. Tiësto: "It all sounds fun. Being in Miami, partying every night. But at these parties you always get to meet important people so that you're lobbying all the time. In a very relaxed atmosphere that's true. You talk to someone but before you know it you're talking business. You try to make deals, promote your own label and artists. I had some very great offers to work with very big artists".
He can't say much more about it, but one thing is for sure; the conference has been very good for Cor Fijneman, one of the Blackhole DJ's. "We have promoted Cor very well. He just released a new 12", Venus. This year that record was a real buzz in Miami. Judge Jules spun it, Paul van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold".
Tiësto may be the best DJ of the world, but he also likes to put others in the spotlight: "But I can only do that when I'm feel I'm doing the right thing. On the one side Cor is a very different DJ than me. But he has the power to tear the whole place up. The ability to let people go home with a very nice feeling. Satisfied".

March 29
It's a madhouse in Tiësto's headquarters. Ofcourse it's always a madhouse, but this month it's really busy. Still feeling the jetlag from his trip to Miami, Tijs Verwest is already back in the studio to prepare Tiësto In Concert. And not everything is going the way he planned it: "We have some bad luck with various things. Right now I'm busy compiling the orchestra that is going to perform live on stage. But it's a very difficult story I can tell you. All those musicians got to have their music on paper. Everything must be written down on paper. And classical musicians don't know anything about dance music. I don't exactly know how we are going to do this. My arranger, Geert Huinink (who had a classical education) is writing down everything right now".
Bad luck is also involved in the execution of another nice idea. The last couple of weeks Tiësto made instrumental versions of wellknown hits for the concert in the Gelredome: "I wanted the original singers to perform these songs live on stage. But I don't know if we can get them all to come here. I'm very stressed right now. Not many names have been confirmed while we're six weeks before the concert".
It's very exciting, such a big event (a football stadium packed with 25.000 people) which he has to carry with his own music: "It hasn't been done before that a DJ fills an entire night this way. It's very obvious you totally want to give yourself".
The coming weeks he's going to take a lot of time to practise. Also with a famous English singer: "But I'm not gonna tell you her name. It has to be a surprise".
The Gelredome already being sold out gives Tiësto some peace. "But also some tension, it has to be as good as how I want to be". That's why he's been busy for weeks looking through his immense record collection for tracks best for his DJ-set: "I want to spin both new and old records. But I have to make sure all the records match together with sound and sphere. The whole night has got to be one big musical experience or story".

April 16
During his busy schedule luckily there is some relaxing too: his 'Invited by Tiësto' night in the Amsterdam club Panama. "I find it very nice to do something in Amsterdam again, eventhough it's only once every two months. The first night, with Benny Rodriguez, was superb. There was a beautiful mix of real fans and the Amsterdam people who won't come to a big event very often. On such a night I can spin what I want, it doesn't necessarily have to be very hard or something. Usually I'm DJ'ing at big events. That's kind of hectic and the people are far away. That's why DJ'ing in a small club once in a while is very nice to do. Some intimacy again. Down to earth. Just the way I started".

April 20
First the Miami Winter Conference and now the preparations for the Gelredome. Does Tijs find anytime for the talent scout, which he at the beginning of this year, after winning the Popprijs, started? "Not really", confesses Tiësto, "we did receive a lot of reactions, but the mailbox is still open. So people if you still want to send something... Till May 10th I don't have time to listen to it. Right after that I'll start with it".
So monday May 12 Tiësto will be in the studio with lots of music to listen to? "Uhmm, I think it'll be tuesday May 13, hahaha".

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Current addictions: Reboot // Radio Slave // Matthias Tanzmann // Mathias Kaden // Audion // Martin Buttrich

Last edited by Djeebie on Apr-26-2003 at 21:28