Tiesto
Originally, DJ Tiesto (born Tijs Michiel Verwest) was making music for himself only. According to him, at first he didn’t seek the approval of more experienced DJs. To say even more, the admiration of the Dutch public in his native town Tiesto was not a priority for him. The most important thing for a beginner musician was self-development and development of its own, unique and original music.
He has successfully remixed acknowledged artists’ singles, and in this respect, he fell in love with Madonna particularly - in her music, the rising star of the house, techno and progressive found the obvious dance element, which as Tiesto seemed, the work of other musicians lacked. Having spent some time in a small club called «Spock» Tiesto moved to other, more popular and crowded places, and it coincided with the beginning of his work on the determination of his own musical style.
He could be DJing for hours – 7-8-hour set was hardly enough for the musician to fully present himself and his abilities to the public. Tiesto was not satisfied with short sets, he had to push oneself to the limit, to withdraw into himself and fully experience his creative process. It was not long before his hard work and original approach to music were truly appreciated - he literally blew up the Innercity’s thematic “party” with one of his most famous tunes, having made significant career breakthrough practically overnight.
After his success at the Innercity, DJ Tiesto began receiving rather tempting offers. He was invited to perform at the famous Love Parade and some other festivals. He even traveled to Ibiza a few, rather triumphant times. According to the DJ, he was performing in front of an open-minded, grateful and responsive audience.
In 1999, he launched a vigorous activity in the UK, performing at the famous «Gatecrasher», which gathered thousands or even tens of thousands of people under one roof. He became the number one DJ in the Scandinavian countries. It was then that Tiesto decided it was time for his native Holland to really appreciate the trance music. Having come back to his native city of Breda, he founded his own label, and despite the fact that he was generally recognized outside of his country, nevertheless, he spent two years of his life “reaching out” to his fellow citizens.
Regardless of his stellar career and European recognition, Tiesto released his debut record just in 2001. Although the work under the name «In My Memory», has not moved beyond the 25th position in the chart of the Netherlands, it was later certified "gold" and brought Tiesto the universal love of the audience. On the whole, the DJ’s albums have been far less successful than his live performances. That's probably why the fans of quality electronic music get so excited every time they hear about the possibility of live-set where they would be able to see their icon in real life.
