This week, the News-Press went on the record with Tiësto, a Dutch D.J. rapidly gaining momentum among fans in the U.S. 
This week, the News-Press went on the record with Tiësto, a Dutch D.J. rapidly gaining momentum among fans in the U.S.
Mike Hume: What attracted you to becoming a D.J.?
Tiësto: I had a love for music from a very young age. In Europe, dance music was as popular, if not more so, than rock. DJs could be stars. I started to buy records and put together mixes, making them the way I thought they should sound.
MH: How do you approach creating a track? What inspires you? What’s the first element you lay down? The last?
Tiësto: When creating a song, I come up with a main idea of how I want it to sound and feel. From there, I build my production around those ideas, usually starting with the main elements, like drums and bass lines. Musically, I have many different inspirations. I have been listening to a lot of indie rock, electro, techno and house. Artists like Sigur Ros, Cut Copy, MGMT, Santigold and Crookers have been making some amazing music recently.
MH: When do you know that a track is finalized?
Tiësto: You can never really predict when a song will be done, but I can tell when I play it out at a show. If the audience goes off, then I know it’s finished.
MH: What qualities do you think the best tracks possess?
Tiësto: I like a track that has strong emotion to it. I also love a great arrangement…how a song builds, then crescendo’s is always important in my favorite songs.
MH: What frontiers would you still like to conquer in your career?
Tiësto: I want my music to reach as many people as possible. Also performing live is very important to me. I always want to create an experience that is unique and people will never forget. From the production to the music that I play, pushing the boundaries is something that I always strive to do.
MH: What’s your proudest achievement so far?
Tiësto: Playing at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 was a once in a lifetime experience. To be a part of an event of that size and importance is very special to me and something I will never forget.
•Tiësto will spin this Saturday, Oct. 11 at FUR Nightclub in Washington, D.C. at 8 p.m. For more on Tiësto, visit www.tiesto.com.
Off Track: Jones’ Moon-Lit Monday
It’s 7 p.m. on a Monday night and Jonathan Jones is riding through Indianapolis, Ind., en route to Winston-Salem, N.C. for a performance with his band, We Shot The Moon, at a college music conference the next day.
“Yeah, we’re driving through the night,” Jones says. “We set apart this time in our lives to really make this band happen and commit to the music we’ve made. There’s so many bands these days, that if you want to stand out you have to do it this way.”
Touring some 300 nights during the year, commitment is one thing Jones and bandmates Trevor Faris, Adam Lovell and Jason De La Torre have in spades. Fortunately for them, talent is another.
The quartet is gearing up to release its latest LP, Silver Lining, due out October 13, a date that has Jones rather excited, as, in his mind, it will signal a big step forward for the band. Considering tracks off their previous release, Fear and Love, received well over 200,000 plays on MySpace, that’s an impressive statement.
“Our sound has evolved a lot,” says Jones, touting a more-guitar driven, robust creation. “Fear and Love was originally a collection of b-sides with my old band. It really wasn’t my best foot forward and a lot of the songs just sounded amateurish. Silver Lining takes like 10 steps forward for me as a song writer and for us as a band. The quality of production is better, the lyrics are all meaningful, the melodies are stronger. There’s a sense of growth on the record, it’s like a band that’s really starting to find its sound.”
• For more on We Shot The Moon, visit www.weshotthemoon.com.
