The Evolution of EDM: Sets Throughout a Decade (Featured Artist Tiesto)
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Photo Credit: Tiesto’s FB
By Ryan Hayes
With the global entertainment industry coming to a grinding stand still and millions around the world undergoing self quarantine it seemed like the perfect time to reflect on dance music's evolution. More specifically the musical journey of some of the scene's most important icons. From humble beginnings to main stages around the world and legions of fans; each retrospective will fill your ears with hours of live sets spanning decades, continents, and genre changes.
First up—the undisputed king of EDM—Tiesto!
We start on November 10, 2007 at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. Performing one of the stops on his Elements of Life tour to a sold out audience of over 25,000 people. This is Tiesto at the commercial height of his trance phase, generating unheard buzz around the world, especially in North America where he managed to fill stadiums before EDM even remotely broke mainstream consciousness.
Jumping ahead just under three year's and Tiesto has fully entered his 'trouse' stage with the release of his fourth studio album; Kaleidoscope. Cautiously stepping away from trance, Tiesto had his first Canadian radio hit with the Tegan and Sara helm-ed Feel It In My Bones. His sets still rely heavily on trance, but pop is creeping in. This particular set is from April 30, 2010. The Kaleidoscope tour included 150 dates, spanning 5 continents—and Tiesto solidified his spot as the king of dance music.
Four years later at Ultra 2014 a very different Tiesto performed, showcasing just how much had changed. His next single was Wasted featuring Matthew Koma; a sticky hook laden pop track that could not be further away from his trance past. At this point he was referring to tracks like Escape Me and Feel It In My Bones as classics, essentially working to erase his trance past in an effort to focus on garnering future fans with big room tendencies. This was a Tiesto working hard to solidify a musical transition.
Just two years later, October 21 2016, Tiesto performed to a sold out crowd at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam during ADE to celebrate the 500th episode of Club Life. The set was a six hour juggernaut hearkening back to days of old; the average set duration for both the Elements of Life & Kaleidoscope world tours was four hours. This was the first time that Tiesto really delved back to trance classics and performed a set that genuinely represented the entirety of his career. It was a rare one off and he quickly switched back to his big room ways.
The last major festival for the foreseeable future EDC Mexico 2020 took place a few weeks ago now. The modern iteration of Tiesto's persona continues to reign supreme as the king of the main stage. With a mix of pop, thundering bass, remixed classics, & a little hardstyle—Tiesto still holds a commanding presence and draws commendable crowds dueing a time when EDM's popularity continues to wane.
