Tiesto: “Genres are Limiting”

When you’re getting paid 70 million a year, traveling the world, and dominating the dance industry, it’s kind of hard to hate on such a superstar. Tiesto has been running dance floors ever since he first stepped foot in the scene with his impeccable Trance music and even now with his heavy prog/electro anthems. There’s no doubt he’s one of the most talented producers on the planet, continually tapping into new genres, and providing thunderous sets diversified with a plethora of different sounds and artists.

In a recent interview with Inthemix.com, Tiesto offered advice to aspiring artists, stating, “I think getting caught in genres is limiting. I’m truly a fan of all sorts of sounds and without a doubt you’ll hear all sorts of styles in my set.” As of late, EDM has been obliterated with redundancy, new artists hitting the scene that sound no different than the next. Even some bigger names seem to have lost the creative spark, falling into a rut of making the music they’ll get paid most for.

When I first heard his statement, I didn’t think much of it. However, as I began to really listen to Tiesto’s tracks, not just the main synth and drums, but each element of the song, made me realize how true this idea stuck to his work. Take big hits like “Chasing Summers” or “Pair of Dice”: they may come off a bit commercial. But as you listen to it more, different elements begin to shine, making me realize that no one besides Tiesto can create or produce such a sound. Sure, there are other great artists in the genre, but there is no one like Tiesto that can bring such a vibrant and progressive feel to music.

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Beyond that, Tiesto has moved into a more electro phase with recent hits like “Shocker” and “Paradise”. Each new original and remix brings out a new side to Tiesto that simply takes time to hear.

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Overall, genres are limiting. Placing yourself into a box to create a specific sound is artistic suicide. When you look at the greats in dance music, Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Tiesto, etc.. it’s their ground breaking, prodigious tracks that brought them fame. All it takes is the drive to be the best, making music that will blow people away, giving them something they have never heard before.