See you on the dance floor...

Born in Holland, Tiësto became a DJ because he 'liked to share music with other people. When I was younger, I'd listen to a radio show called the Soul Show, and to Ben Liebrand's mix radio program, where he would remix and cut up different tracks, and I just thought - I want to do this!' The productions came later, in 1995. 'I really wanted to produce music that I could play in my sets, because it brings much more fulfilment to the process. I bought some samplers, some computer programs, and just started working on it.' He makes it sound easy – indeed; he makes it look easy as 10 years down the line his productions consistently bother the charts and frequently reach number one around Europe.

In 1997 Tiësto, along with Arny Bink, formed Black Hole Recordings, the label that launched the hugely acclaimed Magik, In Search Of Sunrise, and Nyana mix compilations. The label grew to such proportions that in 2001 Tiësto started a sub-label, Magik Muzik. 'It's the home of records of mine, or of people whose work I really believe in,' he enthuses. 'Everything on Magik Muzik is what you'll find in my sets, which makes it more of my own little project.' Some of the gems from Magik Muzik include 2001 anthem Flight 643 and his artist albums In My Memory, Just Be and Elements of Life.

Though known primarily for his pioneering contributions to the trance scene, Tiësto's style is now a mix of everything: 'trance, house, techno - it's the best of all that the dance world has to offer. In 1998, I was really a trance DJ, but now I've travelled round the world so much, different influences have seeped in and I play a bit of everything. I think the only way forward for DJs now is to play a diverse mix of sounds.' 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 many high profile gigs and shows have now taken Tiësto away from exclusively playing clubs, and propelled him to become a mainstream artist. 'Often at my shows now, half of the people are die-hard clubbers, but the other half are people who know me from the radio, or from more mainstream gigs,' he says. 'It's more like they're going to a concert, so now I get a great mix of both worlds.'

Describing the last few years as 'a journey of defining moments,' (as well as the usual club successes, his shelves are groaning under the weight of numerous awards – TMF-Awards, MTV, Dutch DJ - and gold discs...) his favourites include the second night of the Tiësto In Concert show in Holland in 2004: 'I was really aware of what was going on, the music was just right – a mix of all my big tunes and new track, everything just felt perfect that night. I played for nine hours straight, and it was my favourite gig ever.' And, of course, he was chosen by the readers as the number one DJ in the world. 'The first time it happened it was so amazing, I was overjoyed. The second and the third time were also fantastic, but the first time you're on the cover of that magazine that is so respected by other DJs – it's like winning an Oscar!'

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