When DJ Magazine announced its annual list of the top 100 DJs in the world in October last year, Dutch DJ Tiësto topped the list, which is compiled from dance fans’ votes.
He obviously knows how to work a dance floor, as South Africans will witness at Splash in Gauteng on February 1 and at Silverstroom in Cape Town on February 8. However, his new album, In My Memory (Sheer), is not the kind of trance-house stomper one might expect.
The nine tracks, all produced and written or co-written by Tiësto, kick off with Magik Journey, which starts with a soaring, movie-theme-like intro before the bass swings into action under the light instrumentation. The mood stays laidback for the downtempo Close to You with its slightly-too-sweet female vocals, and only by track three, the techno-tinged Dallas 4pm, do things really liven up a bit.
In My Memory lingers on the livelier side of ambient with more female vocals and Battleship Grey is a pleasant trip-hop journey with vocals by the track’s co-writer, Kirsty Hawkshaw.
Only two tracks really hit hard: the minimalist prog-house of Obsession and the driving Lethal Industry. The last track, Suburban Train, will make a dance floor move, but purists would call the melody too cheesy.
My guess would be that anyone who walks off the dance floor after Tiësto has played and buys this CD would expect more. But don’t underestimate it. The dreamy quality that runs through the album works well, even though the switching between upbeat and downtempo makes it in places uneven. Tiësto’s sound is less experimental than the latest offerings by people like Paul Oakenfold. He sticks to a proven recipe, but it’s still a smooth ride that makes one sit back and tune out the world.
Win Splash tickets
One lucky reader can win two tickets to Splash in Gauteng on February 1, as well as a copy of DJ Tiësto’s In My Memory. Call Tel: (011) 727 7039 on Monday January 27 between 10am and 10.30am and name one other DJ playing at Splash. Entrants must be older than 18.