Tiesto Talks Retirement: "When I'm Like, 'This Is No Fun,' That'd Push Me Out of the DJ Booth"

Photo by Stephanie Pistel

​When you're Tiësto, a 43-year-old superproducer who's accomplished, like, everything ... How do you even drag your ass outta bed in the beat-freaking morning and then uhntz-uhntz off to work?

Honestly, if we here at Crossfade had won DJ Mag's Top 100 Popularity Poll three times and then gotten named the Greatest DJ of All Time before finally scoring much-deserved, career-affirming recognition as the Led Zepplin of EDM, we'd probably just retire to a life of sleeping in our kazillion-dollar SoBe condo and partying with Swedish House Mafia aboard the Tiësto jet.

But just try to ask this legendary Dutch disc jockey about quitting the EDM game. And all he'll say is "I love performing at Ultra and all those big parties. So why would I quit?"



Crossfade: Last year, you were officially named the Greatest DJ of All Time by a poll of dance music fans. Is there even anything left for Tiësto to accomplish?
Tiësto: Yes, there is plenty of work for Tiësto to do. [Laughs] There are always new challenges in life. At the moment, my newest challenge is to make a new artist album and to find the right focus to create great songs.

So you don't have a retirement plan yet?
No. [Laughs] Not really.



Can you imagine a day when you'd leave the electronic dance music game?
No. I think I'll always stay involved with electronic music. Maybe not as a DJ. But for now, I really enjoy it. I love performing at Ultra and all those big parties. So why would I quit?

What could push you out of the DJ booth? Would it be age?
It wouldn't even be getting older. It'd just be when I don't enjoy it anymore. I could never perform or play when I don't enjoy it. As soon as I have a stretch where I'm like, "This is no fun." That'd push me out of the DJ booth.



If you ever got to the point of full DJ retirement, what would do instead?
Well, I have so much experience in dance music and DJing. I know so much about it. And I think I'd set something up to help other DJs break through.

Ultra Music Festival 2012. Friday, March 23, to Sunday, March 25. Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Tickets are sold out. Visit ultramusicfestival.com.

Musical Freedom Miami 2012 with secret lineup and special guest. Friday, March 23. Arkadia, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. The party starts at 11 p.m. and tickets cost $60 plus fees via wantickets.com. Ages 21 and up. Call 305-674-4680 or visit arkadiamiami.com.

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