140 BPM, bass kicking, melody perpetuating the energy in the atmosphere, this is what I feel whenever I listen to Trance. As I currently listen to the song “Flight 643”, I think about the artist behind that song who took the world by storm in the EDM scene and is today one of the most recognizable artists in the DJ world. I’m speaking of the man who inspired me to take up DJing as one of my hobbies, I speak of the legend himself: Tiësto. Most of my sets that I play for others are comprised of a lot of his music and style and every time I jam his music, that euphoric energy surges and brings forth the happiest of emotions. In this article, I shall go into detail about the man behind the decks from his beginnings to his current status and career. Born under the name Tijs Michiel Verwest, Tiësto soon began his music career in 1994 by releasing hardcore techno and gabber tracks under Noculan Records’ sub labels Chemo and Coolman. During this time, he would work under the aliases “Da Joker” and “DJ Limited”. Later that year, he would sign to Basic Beat where he would release 4 EPs (extended plays) during the years 1995-96. In 1997, Tiësto and fellow label mate Arny Bink left Basic Beat and formed their own label Black Hole Recordings. Through this label, he released many albums and compilations such as the Magik and In Search Of Sunrise series. In the early 2000s, Tiësto’s popularity began to rise with the release of his first studio album In My Memory which featured singles such as “Lethal Industry”, “Flight 643”, and “Obsession”. He would also tour with in the U.S. that year with artists Moby, David Bowie, and Busta Rhymes as a part of Moby’s Area 2 tour. In 2004, Tiësto would release his 2^nd album Just Be which would provide the world his work of a Samuel Barber classic ”Adagio For Strings”, a track that would be considered the 2^nd greatest dance track of all time according to Mixmag magazine. That same year would also allow Tiësto to make history as he became the 1^st DJ to ever perform at the Olympics when he performed in Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games opening ceremony. Aside from releasing more compilations, he also performed his philanthropy contributions by working with the Dance4Life Movement which helped to raise awareness for teens regarding HIV/AIDS. In 2007, he would begin his weekly radio series Tiësto’s Club Life which is still ongoing today, featuring new releases from various artists in the EDM scene. Definitely worth checking it out in my personal opinion. During that year, he would go on to release his 3^rd studio album Elements of Life which would grab my attention which singles such as “Elements of Life”, “Ten Seconds Before Sunrise”, and “In the Dark”. In 2009, Tiësto would release his Kaleidoscope album which would take a different direction from his Trance genre into other electronic genres. It would be considered his most experimental album. Around this era, he would also make contributions into the video game world by submitting tracks to the popular DJ Hero series and would be a playable avatar in DJ Hero 2. In 2009, he would part ways with Black Hole Recordings and begin his own music label known as Musical Freedom, releasing tracks from himself and other artists. In 2011, he would begin his Club Life series, compilation albums that would be themed from cities that provided him the biggest inspirations. Beginning with Club Life Volume One: Las Vegas venturing on to Club Life Volume Two: Miami, Club Life Volume Three: Stockholm, and his latest Club Life Volume Four: New York City. In 2014, he would release his fifth studio album A Town Called Paradise which included the singles “Red Lights” and “Wasted”. The following year, he would receive a Grammy at the 57^th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Remixed Recording, Non Classical for his remix of John Legend’s “All of Me”. Going on the subject of his remixes, I can say without a doubt that he’s released some interesting takes on not only some of the lesser known hits, but also the more popular tracks such as Coldplay’s “Paradise”, Major Lazer’s “Lean On”, and even Beyonce’s “Drunk in Love”. Probably my personal favorite among his remixes would be his remix of Kanye West’s “Lost in the World”. All in all, Tiësto continues to provide to the masses with his music and continues to be a musical sensation within the DJ world, one that I continue to be inspired by. He’s an artist that should definitely be checked out and will remain to be one of my heroes.