I like 'Elle' magazine. I love things online, like when all the big brands have a fashion show, I like to see the new collections.
TiestoI was only interested in music, but I spent so much time in the clubs and seeing fashions change. So naturally, I developed an interest in it.
TiestoAt the end of the '90s and into 2000, electronic music was still an underground phenomenon, especially in America.
TiestoI like a challenge. I need to feel passionate about something. If I'm not passionate about it, I can't stand it. It has to feel real. DJ'ing, touring, charity work - anything.
TiestoIt [our best show] was this year, the 7th of January in Eilat, Israel; 6,000 people in the desert going absolutely mad!
TiestoYou have to be open-minded, because it's so diverse nowadays. I used to be a deep trance DJ, and now I've transformed into something eclectic. So you can expect any kind of music, from house to electro to indie-rock to techno and trance. I have very wide musical tastes nowadays.
TiestoI love L.A., but I don't live there. I spent some time there when I was recording 'Kaleidoscope,' mainly working with some of the artists I collaborated with. The city and people in L.A. have a great vibe and the weather is always beautiful.
TiestoI think trance music is the only music you can listen to without taking drugs. You can really feel the emotions in it. You can get on another level without the drugs. If you listen to techno, it's so monotone that you really need drugs to enjoy it.
TiestoI've always wanted to be a DJ so I could play the music I love for other people. That feeling hasn't changed, but my sets are always evolving. In terms of tailoring to a specific crowd, certainly I do play differently depending on the situation. It's a different feel, for example, in a small club versus a festival.
TiestoWhen I design the clothes, I have a very good team around me, showing me different pieces and cuts. I'm very involved in the process, I go to L.A. and get onto the design floor, and I help pick out the best pieces.
TiestoI integrate music from all over the world in my sets, harmony is what my music and life are built upon.
TiestoI heard 'Get Lucky'; it's just not my taste. It's great what Daft Punk does and the sound quality is great, but that whole disco vibe is not really my thing.
TiestoVinyl is so outdated nowadays. I can make a track in my hotel room today, and play it for the crowd tomorrow. That never happens with vinyl. I played a lot of acetates at the end of my vinyl period - I used to make tracks and get them pressed in four or five days - but the quality was always so bad and they would skip all the time. The vinyl days for me are over. I still buy vinyl, but only albums, and just to play. For DJing, vinyl is a nightmare.
TiestoI saw a DJ from Germany called Sven Vath. I saw him in the club, he played for six hours and I was just totally intrigued, because everything he played I'd never heard before and everything he did I'd never seen before. I was so blown away by what he did.
TiestoI always like to make people happy, make them have a good time. It's pretty obvious if the room is dead - if no one is cheering or singing or whatever, there's obviously something wrong. I always try to look for euphoric feelings, things people are excited that they're hearing, and then I build from there. It's hard to explain, actually. When I'm in the mood, I just feel it. Now they need something with vocals, now they need something hard, something soft.
TiestoIf you remix, people want to tap into your sound. If you keep that to yourself it makes the sound more special.
TiestoA 'Magik' session is a journey through different stages of emotions and the 'Search for Sunrise' is more chilling music for when you come home after a party or when you are just about to go to one.
TiestoMost people went to dance shows, but it was basically a table and a DJ playing and not really a spectacular thing. I brought the whole production with the effects - the best sound, the best lighting to blow the fans away.
TiestoSince I was a kid, I always felt the need to share the music I love with as many people as possible, and DJing seemed like the perfect outlet.
TiestoI spend a lot of time talking to young and emerging producers on Twitter, feeding back thoughts and encouraging them.
TiestoTrance is a very emotional and uplifting form of dance music. It appeals to many people in this way having such a strong connection with emotions. It makes people happy and ready to party.
Tiesto