No matter what genre you’re a fan of , you’ve heard of Tiesto. The Dutch DJ and producer, who’s been the leading face of dance music for the last 20 years or so, recently sat down with Philly to discuss money, the rise of EDM and what he does while playing a gig. The recently ranked 3rd on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest DJ’s, here’s what he had to say.

 

I think my perspective on money is everything above $10 million, you’re so rich it doesn’t really matter. What are you going to buy? A golden car? I don’t care if I’m number one or number 10 on that list. I’d rather have a Grammy instead.

 

Further on talking about the rise of EDM from its humble, underground beginnings to such a vastly popular genre, here’s what he had to say.

[Electronic dance music] was never built to be mainstreamed, I don’t think. It’s meant to be underground. It’s basically just beats and melodies. In the last couple of years, it’s become more and more mainstream because vocals were added to the tracks and pop producers got involved. Those are the guys responsible for it. The basic EDM is still not radio-friendly.

 

Playing approximately 150 gigs a year, fans have always wondered what he does to prepare for a gig. He also lays down the preconceived notions that some of the biggest DJ’s out there play pre-recorded sets and reveals what he actually does while DJing.

I prepare my sets a lot in advance with mashups and vocals and a cappella and just mix it together on the spot. So every two or three minutes, I make a couple of transitions, put some sound effects on it, and yeah, just mix it up in a nice way. And then look at how the crowd reacts, and from that, change the course of the set. Because if you have a prerecorded set and you push one button, you can’t change anything.

 

Anyone can make a playlist by throwing in a couple of songs and make a set. But it takes the talent from a legend like Tiesto to take a set and create it into a highly wonderful experience overall.

Source: Philly