Dance scene pulsates with Tiesto

Dutch DJ/producer Tiesto and the return of house music were the highlights of the dance scene in 2007.

Tiesto's spectacular tour -- named after his album "Elements of Life" -- featured sky-high video screens, pyrotechnics and trippy appearances by Blue Man Group. With a lighter-hoisting rock scope and a "concert-style" set programmed to match the visual onslaught, the tour blazed a new trail for DJ performance.

And the fans who attended in droves were dedicated, not casual; singing every word of the vocals and recognizing the instrumentals at first bleep. Even before he took the stage, the enthusiastic twenty-somethings on the floor were so pumped that they erupted into spontaneous soccer chants.

"Tiesto had the most heat (in 2007)," says John Parker, VP of A&R/dance promotion at indie dance label Robbins Entertainment. "The big story was his tour and all the people talking about it for weeks after he left their city. That was very encouraging to see and hear."

A world away from paint-peeling Dutch trance was the still-energetic, yet more sophisticated house of French imports like David Guetta and Bob Sinclar and U.S. originals like Kaskade and Roger Sanchez.

"House tracks laced with vocals are making a smashing comeback, getting airplay and creating quite a buzz," says Jessica Risling-Sholl, director of marketing at New York-based Ultra Records, which handles Tiesto and Guetta.
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Already familiar to existing dance fans, yet willing and able to pen songs in pop structure and length, these DJ/producers are spearheading a new movement that is already merging the old dance factions.

Hosh Gureli of new mainstream-leaning download site Masterbeat.com named Sinclar his artist of the year. And Brad Roulier, founding partner of Beatport.com -- the DJ download site where the most cryptic of dance music gets sold -- predicts "a big comeback for house music and fun" in '08.

Guetta's recent stop at tiny New York club Cielo was a shocking spectacle: The well-heeled crowd -- out on Thanksgiving night, no less -- pawed at the lanky DJ like he was Elvis reincarnated, climbing banquettes to snap his photo, gazing at him with the kind of devotion usually reserved for teen idols.

By Kerri Mason
Reuters/Billboard

'Armin Only' coming in 2008

In his manner of dropping bombs on the ITM forums, Future Entertainment managing director Mark James has done it again with the news that the world’s #1 DJ Armin van Buuren will be back again next June for another Australian tour. Only this time he’ll be bringing the whole ‘Armin Only’ show with him.

“Armin Van Buuren remains our priority in 08, as the worlds No 1 DJ,” Mark said in the Melbourne forums HERE. “He will be here in June for ‘Armin Only’ shows, 2 of only 3 in the world filmed live for his new ‘Armin Only’ DVD (massive production). It will be history in the making.”

But it was in the same breath that he shattered the persistent rumours that Tiesto would be touring next year in April when Future Entertainment takes its first Cream tour around the country (check news HERE). “Future will not be touring Tiesto,” he stated frankly. And while this doesn’t answer the question as to who the “really big headliner” will be for the tour, all signs are still pointing to wards Tiesto returning at some stage during 2008, whether it’s Future Entertainment touring him or not.

So what can we expect from an ‘Armin Only’ show? Armin himself hinted in an ITM interview earlier this year that June’s ‘White Party’ tour was the testing grounds for the possibility of bringing the whole elaborate show back at some later stage. Expect over-the-top production, bombastic Euro-style theatrics (dancers, extravagant lighting effects, Armin emerging from behind a silhouetted white sheet) as well as a bunch of guest vocalists and live acts to make sure that it seems like a lot more than just a DJ set.

Behind the velvet rope

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Holly and Molly lean into each other.

"Kiss, kiss, kiss," a man urges on the reality-TV stars of Sunset Tan.

Techno music throbs overhead. Its pulsating rhythm mirrors the exuberant throngs of glossy 20-somethings dancing on stiletto heels. Laser lights paint Mansion nightclub hot pink and purple.

Eyes are on the Olly Girls, otherwise known as Holly and Molly. The E! network stars and aspiring models ponder whether to kiss or not. Mischief wins over, knowing what happens in South Beach stays in South Beach.

During the day, SoBe — as locals know this Miami Beach district — is a three-tier white cake decorated with faded-pastels architecture and Baywatch babes. Rollerbladers and vintage cars glide on Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue, lined with streamlined Art Deco buildings. With the sun beating down, residents stay inside while tourists turn lobster-red.

But when the sun dips in the west and casts an orange glow onto swaying palm trees and pearlescent sand, drowsy SoBe morphs into party central. Dwellers on the southern tip of Florida revel from sunset to sunrise — once they manage to pass the scrutiny of bouncers at SoBe's exclusive clubs.

The velvet rope

The line at Privé twists around the block. With coiffed hair and dressed in their Saturday night-best, many in line could have fallen off the fashion pages. In this image-conscious town, appearance matters. Excess is the norm.

A Lucy Liu look-alike in a slinky red dress raises doe-brown eyes imploringly at the bouncer. The mass of muscles smiles back and removes the velvet rope. Beaming triumphal, the nymph steps onto the red carpet. But then the bouncer replaces the rope, preventing her friends from following. She looks back at her glum companions, smiles apologetically and waves adieu before continuing her catwalk to Privé.

Created with Hollywood stars and trendsetters in mind, Privé is where action star Vin Deisel celebrated his birthday and Pamela Anderson launched her book. More recently, Justin Timberlake sipped rum-and-coke in the VIP section near the DJ booth.

With cozy subdued interiors, Privé is tailored for snuggling on natural-hide sofas, pushed up against oak walls. Zen glass fixtures illuminate the space. And like all the top South Beach clubs, you spend the evening standing unless you've reserved a table for $200 or more.

From Privé, I spy a cluster of leggy blondes in the Opium Garden nightclub next door. Privé and Opium are owned by the Opium Group, mastermind of four of the hippest SoBe nightspots.

Each club boasts a unique theme. The most whimsical is Opium, a lush oasis with an outdoor dance floor swathed in white drapes. At night, the pagodas shimmer beneath threads of voluptuous Chinese red lanterns.

A platinum blonde, a dead-ringer for music pinup Gwen Stefani, perches on a daybed by the bar. I realize that in South Beach, if you're not star-gazing, you're bumping into people who look like stars.

Starry, starry night

People tell Jessika Rogan that she resembles Stefani all the time.

"Miami has a different energy," the New Yorker observes. "The heat makes everybody hotter, wilder. In New York, we're wild, but it's darker, more conservative."

Club-hopping Rogan has abandoned Opium in favor of Mansion, a palatial venue that can pack in about 2,500 clubbers. On this particular Saturday, followers of the world's pre-eminent DJ Tiesto (who performed during opening ceremonies of the 2004 Summer Olympics) are crammed into Mansion.

Outside the line weaves down the block for the "Lord of the Trance."

"Wherever Tiesto go, I go," says 34-year-old Manolo Seitner. "His music is called mix techno-trance because it puts you in a trance."

A VIP table starts at $500. Cocktails cost $20 a piece.

Machine smoke fills the high-ceiling Mansion. A flow of Versace suits and Prada dresses bypasses the crowd for the VIP section in the middle of the room.

"Everyone is young and everyone is on credit, credit, credit," says 33-year-old Ryan Verxagio. "Most people here tonight are locals. People usually go out just on the weekend. On weekdays, they do something else. Here in South Beach, every day is a weekend."

Music pounds the walls. Pulsating lights illuminate the club as the crowd chimes: "Tiesto! Tiesto!"

White knight

While beautiful people decorate Mansion, its sister nightclub, Set, is eye candy on overdrive. Rich with colors and fixtures, the glam-studded venue attracts Miami Beach's crème de la crème.

Enormous fiberglass and ivory-colored tusks frame the DJ booth. Red chandeliers drip with multicolored fiber optics and thousands of multifaceted Swarovski crystals. Shapely go-go dancers sway suggestively to music in clear tubes that go up and down.

The noise is deafening on the dance floor. But calm pervades the VIP Trophy Room upstairs, where jet-setters Spike Lee and Britney Spears party in private.

It is past 2 a.m. when I weave through the blanket of people on the dance floor. Out the door and into the balmy night, I am about to jump into a taxi when a voice from behind yells, "Where are you going? It's early."

I turn around to face a miniature Elvis Presley with bleached blond hair. Wearing a gold-studded white suit, he is dwarfed by a woman with glistening black hair and dark, mysterious eyes.

"Can you believe these people?" asks David Free as the pint-size Elvis points to the people in line.

"The door guy just said doors close, and these guys are still hanging out, hoping to get in. Exclusivity. It doesn't matter if you're first in line or last. If the door guy likes the way you look. Boom! You're in. They pull people out of the crowd like they did at Studio 54. You have to have the right look; the right attitude."

So what is the right attitude?

"You act like you don't care," Free says. "I'll show you how it's done."

A 10-minute taxi ride brings us to the doorsteps of ultra-hip Mynt club.

Free casually strolls up to the front of the line and nods to the door guy, who smiles with recognition and lets Free and his entourage in.

"Living in Miami, it's all about attitude. Act like you're important and you are," he says. "You can look like a bum, but if you have the right attitude, it will open doors. Now come into our world."

Gun-shy tourists

Music blasts from all sides as longhaired Latin beauties gather around a Viking. Sun-kissed spiked hair frames tanned features, icy blue eyes and a squared jaw. The Viking catches my eyes and stretches out his hand.

"Let's dance," he says, flashing a toothpaste-commercial smile.

"Can't," replies the idiot, pointing to Free who is doing the boogie-woogie with a redhead.

"You should have danced with him," Free admonishes later. "He was cute. You can always tell a tourist from a local. Tourists are so gun-shy. You're in Miami. We're free spirits here; loosen up or lose out."

By 3 o'clock in the morning, I am ready to lose out. Exhausted, I leave Free.

"Tourists," he starts, "they don't know how to pace themselves. They start too early and give up by midnight. We locals start at 10:30 and pace ourselves. We don't guzzle our drinks. We sip our cocktails — one every half-hour. We do this every night. Our body is used to it. I dance until 4 a.m. Go to bed and wake up at 6 a.m. to walk my dog."

Free kisses my forehead and wishes me good luck as he hands over a list of nightclubs and lounges to visit tomorrow.

"South Beach has a routine," he says. "On Tuesday, you go to the Delano. On Wednesday, Glass at the Forge. On Thursday, you go to Vue at Hotel Victor.

"By the way, you haven't experience life until you experience the Rooftop Lounge at Townhouse Hotel on Friday. Instead of chairs, they have king-size waterbeds."

By DAI HUYNH
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

DJ Tiesto to perform in Istanbul

DJ Tiesto to perform in Istanbul

World renowned DJ Tiesto who is on world tour of his album "Elements of Life" will perform at CNR Fair Center in Istanbul on November 16th.

Elements of Life is the fifth solo CD produced by trance artist Tiesto, released on April 16, 2007. The album contains collaborations with Jes of Gabriel & Dresden's project Motorcycle, Julie Thompson of Holden & Thompson, Charlotte Martin, Christian Burns, BT, and Maxi Jazz of Faithless. BT collaborates with Tiesto for the first time since Love Comes Again, and Faithless' rapper/singer Maxi Jazz is featuring on Dance4Life. The album has more tracks featuring vocals than previous albums

Tiesto's career is punctuated by landmark achievements, the first DJ in the world to sell out a solo stadium event for over 25,000 people 2 nights in a row, he scored a number one hit with his single Traffic, the first instrumental track to reach the top spot in his homeland of Holland in 23 years.

He played live in front of billions of people during the Parade of the Athletes at the official opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Athens. But despite his meteoric success, Tiesto remains grounded about his achievements and clearly loves making and playing music above the accolades it brings.

Tiesto became a DJ because he 'liked to share music with other people.' 10 years down the line his productions consistently bother the charts and frequently reach number one around Europe.

Though known primarily for his pioneering contributions to the trance scene, Tiesto's style is now a mix of everything: 'trance, house, techno - it's the best of all that the dance world has to offer.' Indeed, his brand of trance was always pushing at the constraints of the genre anyway, featuring soaring vocals from the likes of Sarah McLachlan and Jes, spine-tingling breakdowns, and euphoric melodies at every end of the spectrum.

The concept behind his latest album also forms the basis for his current 'Elements of Life World Tour' which takes the DJ all over the globe. At the same time, the tour is of a size not before known in the dance scene. Since the four elements earth, water, air and fire are the unmistakeable necessities to build and maintain life on Earth, they had to be presented in all their greatness, which results in a stunning production that features state of the art special effects, moving water systems in sync with the music and high definition video screens. It requires three semi trucks to transport the equipment. The mere knowledge that Tiesto, as one DJ with two turntables, is entertaining audiences up to 25,000 people or more has silenced even the worst critic. But that his performances can compete with even the largest stadium concerts of the known world artists is something that the industry never held possible.

The future for Tiesto promises yet further success, both as the solo artist he's become and the DJ we know him to be. 'My new 'Elements of Life' album is doing well, 'In Search of Sunrise 6' has just been released and there will be more remixes, definitely,' he agrees, 'but it's hard to look too far into the future. Every couple of months it seems that something new, unexpected and exciting is happening!'

Dj Tiesto İstanbul'u Salladı

"Elements Of Life" turnesi kapsamında CNR Expo Center'da Türk hayranları ile buluşan Hollandalı ünlü DJ Tiesto, hayranlarına unutulmaz bir gece yaşattı ancak, geceye organizasyondaki eksiklikler damgasını vurdu. Biletler 80 bin YTL'ye satıldı, 2 bin YTL'den satılmak istenen sahte biletler ise yetkililerin müdahalesiyle toplatıldı. Pınar Altuğ, Yağmur Atacan, Irmak Atuk, Ömer Karacan gibi isimlerin izlediği konserde, 10 bin kişi çılgın bir gece yaşadı. Tarkan beğendiği DJ ile kuliste tanışıp sohbet etti ancak işi olduğu için konseri izlemeden ayrıldı. Üçüncü kez ülkemize gelmekten çok mutlu olduğunu belirten Tiesto, "Çok para kazanıyorum ama harcamaya vaktim yok. Sadece Aston Martin bir araba alabildim" dedi.