Tiësto interviews. Tiësto interview for GQ - september 2020

Tiësto interview for GQ

september 2020

I saw you're going to be a father soon, congratulations, that's huge. I imagine this is a crazy time to be dealing with all that. How's that affecting your day-to-day ?
It's actually been a very welcome break for me. In general, I've been DJing for so long and suddenly the whole world stops. To have time for family and to prepare for the baby. Altogether, I had a great break. I'm very excited to go back to work, but so far it's been a great summer to just relax, Hopefully, next summer I have a hundred gigs or something.

Tell me about the making of your new song, “The Business.” Specifically, who is the voice on that sample, “Let's get down to business, baby, yeah!” 
Well, it's not a sample, it's a group of people who wrote the song and it’s a very special vocalist. It pumps you up when you hear the vocals. I think everybody wants to get down to business in the current times, not just with COVID, but in general. I think everybody always wants to go back to work or get ready for their event or for something special to happen that day.

How has your creative process changed in the last six months? Do you approach music differently ?
Well, absolutely. It's a huge difference because as Tiësto, I'm known for making festival bangers. That's all I play as well. You go to a live show or a big festival and you hear very uplifting, high energy tracks. I feel with the situation the last couple of months, that kind of sound—I can't play it live and so then it just has a little bit less impact. It's like you can't express yourself in the same way. But I had a great solution for that because I started a side project and it's called the VER:WEST, like my last name. It's more relaxing, melodic house. It's great to listen to at home or walking around on the street or driving your car. I feel like that is way better for this whole COVID period. So Tiësto took a break and VER:WEST took over for a while. The track's called “5 Seconds Before Sunrise.” It's a really pretty song and people really responded to it.

I know you designed a house too...what does your down time look like these days ?
I designed the house and the house looks exactly like the Ableton program [Ableton is software that many DJs use for their live sets].

What does that mean ?
All the blocks, little blocks you use. The windows and the stones are like that. It's a little bit of an Ableton art studio or whatever program you use.

Can House music survive clubs shutting down forever? What have you seen the last six months from the community ?
The funny thing is that I think it grew bigger. People are at home more, have more time to listen to music. They have more time to like dance music as well. You see it on Spotify or on the radio, more dance sets get played. Kazakhstan had the biggest dance hit in the world, not too long ago, the Imanbek song. Tik Tok helps a lot too. I think dance is on a revival right now and it's getting bigger and bigger again. Hip-hop took over for a while. Of course hip-hop will always be big, but dance music is definitely bigger now than it was two years ago. You see new styles developing. Melodic House, its getting bigger. Guys like Fisher, they put uplifting House on the map.

House music is built for that short, condensed TikTok video format.
Yeah, but it's also the energy. Tik Tok is a very young crowd and they have so much energy. They want to express that energy, so they need that.

Do you run all your social accounts? It seems like a very personal voice
Absolutely. I mean, I ask people to help me with editing the content sometimes, but yeah, I put it together myself and most of it, I post myself.

Your meme taste is great, I have to say.
Yeah. Everybody loves the one with Pablo Escobar from Narcos.

Your former manager, Dimitri de Wit, passed away recently. You guys worked together for a long time.
We grew up together in my hometown in Holland, so I've known him even before he became my manager. We grew up together and we've seen it all. He was always so happy and optimistic and together we had a great journey. We traveled around the world, playing music and stole old vinyl records and stuff. He lived his life to the max. He was like, how do you say it? The figure of live fast, die young. Unfortunately, he died too young, but he had a lifestyle that was very big, party guy. I spoke to him a lot in the end, looking back at his life, and he had at least 50 really good years. Some people are jealous of that. Then at the funeral, it was a big party, actually. He wanted to throw a party for everybody.

Do you have that same perspective of living life to the max? Does that come with the territory as a DJ ?
Yeah, that comes with the territory. I've been so fortunate and lucky enough that there's always parties around. People tell me, they should make a documentary about your life or write a book, but it's so boring to read for other people. It's like seeing Michael Schumacher doing great on Formula 1 or Lewis Hamilton, he wins Formula 1 every year. Great for him, lots of respect, but it's also boring for the viewers to watch.

I think you could probably wrangle a few good stories that people would really like to hear. You've played for tens of thousands of people at a time. What's it like to play on those massive stages ?
I mean, one of the best stages in the world I think is EDC, Electric Daisy Carnival. You literally play on the main stage. It's like 60,000 people. You don't see their faces, but you can see and hear the energy of 60,000 people going up on a drop and that feeling is insane. It's the best feeling in the world. It gives you so much adrenaline that you can't sleep after that.

What’s the difference between playing Las Vegas and Ibiza ?
People go to Ibiza for their holidays. They go out one night and party, maybe two. Vegas is definitely more intense. It's basic pure partying and also every person that goes to Vegas—Vegas gives you what you want out of Vegas. Within five minutes, whatever you want.

I know you're a big Inter fan; that was a brutal loss in the Europa League, earlier this week. But now they're making a lot of moves -- they signed Arturo Vidal, Achraf Hakimi. How are you feeling about the team as the season starts to rev up again ?
I love the team. They have a really good relationship together. As soon as this is over, I'm going to go visit them there for a match. They have a lot of potential. They have been badly managed the last couple years. They should be competing with Juventus, right? I feel like they're getting there, but it takes a little bit more time. In general, I'm a huge sports fan. I love soccer and I love the NHL and the NFL.

Do you play yourself ?
I used to play a lot until I was about 15. I started off as defender and then later on became striker. Then the combination of DJ’ing until five in the morning then soccer at eight o'clock in the morning, didn't really go well anymore.

Were you into the NHL as a kid? I wouldn't expect that to be big in the Netherlands.
No, hockey was never big in the Netherlands, but when I moved to the US in 2002, 2003, I had a lot of friends here and so I got more exposed to US sports. A lot of hockey players are dance music fans and Tiesto fans. Two years ago in Las Vegas, when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup—you can find this on YouTube, it went viral. Ovechkin came with the Stanley Cup in the DJ booth.

Have you ever been starstruck by anyone that you've met ?
I was a little starstruck when I met Kanye West. One time he had just done an award show in Vegas and after we went to his dressing room. He sat down and he played some new tracks. He played me the whole [Life of] Pablo album, from start to finish. It was extremely loud. We didn't have a conversation. P. Diddy was there and some other people, The Weeknd. We were all dancing on that album and I was just like, wow, this is surreal.

That album specifically had a lot of dance music influence, with songs like “Fade.”
He wanted me to do something on “Fade.” I was like, ‘Well, I think it's good the way it is. I don't think I could add anything. I think you should just leave it like that.’

Is there anything else we should talk about ?
Have you seen my new car?

Is that the one that's in “The Business” promo video ?
The matte black Lamborghini Urus. It's amazing. It's the best car I've ever had. Every day I drive it and it's the best thing. I enjoy every moment in that car. It's so solid. It's so smooth to drive and so fast.

Where are you driving? Is Denver pretty empty ?
I get up sometimes at night at like two in the morning. I get on the highway, with no one else there and I step on it. You can go really fast, but I haven't been above 140 yet

BY GRAHAM CORRIGAN September 24, 2020
source: https://www.gq.com/ource: https://www.gq.com/