Ever since he moved away from trance, Tiësto has been a polarizing figure in the EDM community. He has long defended the move, citing a desire to connect with younger producers and stay relevant in the modern EDM world. There have been slight indications of a return to the genre, with his promise to release an all-trance album if he was voted to be the number one DJ on DJ Mag and his trance collaboration with Disco Fries, “iTrance”. Despite these anomalies, Tiesto has been gradually distancing himself from the genre ever since he left it back in 2007-2008. Since then he has gone on to grow his ‘Club Life’ brand, release three albums and cement his status as the Godfather of EDM.
At the International Consumer Electronics Show, Tiësto once again found himself discussing trance. He discussed the cyclical nature of EDM’s genres and how they fluctuate.
“EDM used to be a term for all of electronic dance music, but now it just means all the music that you’re not supposed to play. It became the new trance. It got popular, so now we’re all into deep house. And soon we’ll be over that. You can’t win.”
Here, Tiesto subtly explains his move away from trance back in 2007-2008. He explains that EDM is the new trance, as it became popular and subsequently uncool. Just as he jumped from the trance bandwagon once that process started, here he seems to be indicating a shift from EDM towards deep house. This was evident in his previous Deep House Special Club Life episodes, as well as the work he has been doing with Oliver Heldens that he mentions later in the interview.
Tiësto also discussed the evolution of his live sets, and how he looks for inspiration from the younger generation. He named Oliver Heldens, MOTi and Lucky Charmes as young producers he has been working with. He emphasized his track with Lucky Charmes as something that “will be big” and will “be one of those songs that sparks it’s own new subgenre.”
Tiësto’s interview indicated his desire to stay relevant in the EDM scene. He outlined his responsibility as an entertainer to show everyone a good time and tailor his sets to the crowd. He also frequently mentioned that he aspires to stay connected to young producers and new genres. His brand, ‘Club Life’, helps him accomplish this, as he recently signed seven new DJ’s through an endorsement deal with 7UP. Tiësto’s brand is clearly expanding, as it recently designed headphones for sale between $35 and $150. Between the expansion of his brand and the evolution of his music, it is obvious that Tiesto is doing all he can to stay fresh and modern in the constantly shifting EDM landscape.
To read his full interview with Billboard, click here.
