I am currently on the plane flying back to Amsterdam after almost a whole month in Asia. I had never been on a tour like this so I didn't know what was waiting for me over there. Hereby, a summary of my experiences.

It started with an epic show at the Formula One race in Kuala Lumpur on March 18th. This was the biggest production ever for a dance event in Asia. The stage looked amazing and the party itself was super! Then in Japan I finally had a good show at a venue called Ageha. before this show I played 3 times in Japan but somehow my performances always tanked. This time everything was perfect: an energetic crowd and a great show!

Then, after WMC Miami I went on to Manila, which was great as well. The funniest thing of this show was my entrance to the DJ booth. I was waiting outside the venue on the street and could only hear the beat of the DJ playing before me. Then they opened the door and I walked right into the DJ booth and started playing. It's like going from 0 to 60 miles an hour in 5 seconds!

In Seoul people were completely crazy and 2 guys tried to run through the plasma screens!! That didn't really work well so they had to carry one person off the stage to the medical post. I heard later that the guy confused the plasma screens for a curtain so he thought he could run through it.

After that night I went on to Hong Kong which is a great city. We had a couple days off there so we had time for shopping. The DJ gig was in the smallest place I have played in years but the atmosphere was great: a very nice and intimate party.

We drove to China for a 5 day tour with our suitcases stuffed with sneakers and electronic gadgets. This tour through China was an experience. Every night the clubs where I played were rammed with 85 % Chinese and 15% European crowd. The atmosphere was amazing and my personal highlight was a visit to Beijing where we had a day off to look around the city. Check out the pictures under the gallery on my website. China is huge and it was interesting to see how fast this country is developing and catching up with the rest of the world.

Then I went on to Thailand for a great club gig right in the center of Bangkok. The crowd was amazing and the people in general in Bangkok are super friendly! I was lucky to be there during Thai New Year. The funniest thing is that people run around for three days getting each other soaking wet with baskets and waterguns full of ice water .This all for good luck. I think the whole world should do this ritual once a year, it's great, fun and very positive.

Then I played the opening of new club Ministry of Sound in Singapore. It's a huge and beautiful club, the best one I have seen in Asia so far! Then, I went on to Taiwan to play a 6000 people venue. The set up was kind of strange because I couldn't hear the music or the people in the room... I was that far from the crowd and that definitely influenced my set. The show was ok and the production was very nice but I felt that if I was closer to the crowd there would have been a better connection between me and them and the whole vibe would have been better that night.

Last but not least, I went to Indonesia, a country that used to be high on my wish list to play! So, first we went to Bali. We visited the elephant temple, Sugar Agung (a very famous local percussionist) and did lots of sight seeing, shopping (again) and sunbathing! In every shop, its manager came up to me and told me to take as much as me and my crew wanted...for free! Tourism in Bali got hit hard after the terrorist attacks. It is a shame because it's such a beautiful island and the people are so nice.

The gig at Double Six was great but there were hardly any Indonesians! It was a place packed with Europeans and Australians. Nothing wrong with that of course but I didn't expected that in Bali. Next day my show in Yogjakarta was cancelled due to heavy rain and thunderstorms. I was supposed to play on the beach in the open air and that was just impossible due to this weather. This was definitely the biggest disappointment of the tour.

Next day in the morning we flew to Jakarta for what would be the biggest show of the tour. Save the best for last, that's what my management must have thought! At the press conference there were already more then a hundred journalists and that night 28,000 people showed up for the show. All I can say is: WOUW!! What an amazing crowd that was! The production was great and the sound system was the best one of the Asian tour. This was definitely my personal favorite gig of the Asian tour but as you can read those were all very good experiences.

I haven't told you everything in total detail because then I can write a whole book just about this tour! But I hope you have an idea about what I experienced here in Asia.

I want to thank all the people who came to the shows, all the promoters and everybody else who helped to make this tour so successful. I hope we can do it again soon. I will never forget this tour in my life!!

Love,
Tiësto

I moved to Los Angeles temporarily to get some rest and work on new music in January. In the first 2 weeks it was really strange for me to be in one city for so long but now I am really soaked in this lifestyle. Every day during the week I go to the studio and occasionally I go out on weekends. I sleep 8 hours a night, eat 4 times a day and go to the gym 3 times a week. My body doesn't know what's happening! No crazy late nights or spending hours and hours on planes. So I feel like a champ at the moment!

I am working in several studios in Hollywood and with several producers and singers/songwriters. Hollywood is full of them! So much talent in one town... One of them, Brian Transeau (BT) is one of the best producers in the world. I've been a fan of his music since he produced Mercury & Solace, so for me it's a great honour to work with him and also it is very inspirational. He is a crazy multitasker, working on tracks with me, meanwhile doing 2 movie soundtracks. Circuit bending kids' toys to get the most crazy sounds out of them, directing visuals for his experimental album and taking care of his sweet daughter of 2! It's amazing to work with somebody who is just as crazy about house music as I am. We have real love for it and that shows on the tracks we are making now. We have a lot of fun, and that is essential for creating music. Be happy about what you're doing and really mean it. Brian and I are both extremely enthusiastic people, and so we are able to show that to our crowds, just because we love it so much!

The other day we were talking about some other famous dj's who have the privilege to travel around the world, but when behind the decks they look like some family member has just passed away ;). While spinning your music for a great crowd, how can you look so miserable? The only way you can stand behind the decks and look like that is when you're not happy with yourself or with the music you play.

I had just a few gigs where I was not that happy last year, and of course people saw that reflected on me, but the reasons for that are always technical, and never emotional. If my monitor sucks (which happens quite a lot), or my equipment doesn't work properly then I get pissed off. But never because I don't like the crowd or what I am doing. I found out I still have the same passion for dj-ing as when I started. Of course it feels a little bit different if it is the first time you play for 25.000 people or the 10th time, but that's more about the expectations people have and not about me not loving it. I still love dj-ing more than anything in the world!

Meanwhile, I am also compiling my new 'In Search Of Sunrise 5' mixalbum which will be released in late April. I get sent sooo many great tracks from producers from all over the world, it's crazy. I am gonna mix it here in L.A. in the next 2 weeks, so I am very excited about that as well...

So, love to you all from me in Los Angeles, and if you bump into me on Hollywood Boulevard, don't be a stranger :-)!

Tiësto

p.s.I just said B.T and I love housemusic because back in 1994 there was only one style of dancemusic named housemusic..So when i talk about housemusic i mean all the possible styles you can imagine.