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Ultimate Music Experience Artist Profile: Tiësto

artist tiestoYou’d be hard-pressed to find a dance music fan who hasn’t heard of Ultimate Music Experience talent Tiësto. From the early days of his career, all Tiësto said that he wanted to do was, ‘to share his music with others.’ Now 20 years after his first release, and having won nearly every dance music award there is, it’s clear to see that Tiësto has put in the work and dedication to called one of the greatest DJs to be behind a set of turntables.

Born Tijs Verwest, Tiësto knew he had a strong love of music at an early age, “…since I was 5, I think. At home, I’d always listen to music – music has always been important to me and I always enjoyed playing music for other people and see that they have a good time – that’s what it’s all about.” In 1988, now 19, Tijs bought his first turntable and taught himself how to mix, though doing so, proved to be a little difficult, “I only had one tape recorder and one turntable – I couldn’t afford two turntables. So, I had to record everything from the radio, and I had vinyl – it was very hard, there was no pitch control on the turntable either. It was very difficult in the beginning, to pitch without a pitch control. Then, after a couple of years, I had enough money saved to buy a turntable with pitch control, and then the world opened up for me.”

Though known for his feats in the trance genre, Tiësto’s early releases in 1994 were hardcore/gabber-influenced tracks under the aliases Da Joker and DJ Limited, “I started out as a remixer, not as a producer, because in the beginning, I didn’t have a clue how to make my own tracks,” he admits. “And remixing is much easier to do because you [already] have the melody, so you just have to give your own flavor on it.” After being mentored in the studio from artists like Armin Van Buuren, Paul Oakenfold and Ferry Corsten, Tiësto decided it was time to start working on his own productions.

His debut album In My Memory, released in 2001, had five #1 singles in “Dallas 4PM,” “Flight 643,” “Obsession,” “Lethal Industry,” and “Suburban Train.” Skyrocketing in his success, Tiësto became DJ Mag’s #1 DJ for three years following his debut. In 2004, his second album Just Be featured anthem singles “Traffic” and “Adagio For Strings.” That same year saw Tiësto’s global presence explode to new heights as he became the first DJ to perform live at the Olympic Games for the 2004 Opening Ceremony. In fact, Tiësto has been a lot of “firsts.” His remix of Delerium’s “Silence” was the first dance track to be broadcast on daytime radio in North America, he was the first DJ to hold a solo concert in a stadium, and he set the world record for the largest audience every played to by a DJ. There is just no stopping the Dutch veteran, and why would you want to? He continues to knock out hit singles and evolve his sound year later as seen by his more recent albums Elements of Life and Kaleidoscope.

Back in June, Tiësto released the third volume of his revered Club Life series in “Stockholm.” Reaching #16 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, Tiësto says, “I didn’t just want it to be a mix with tracks my fans could find on every other compilation or were just the hottest tracks of the moment. Rather, I wanted this to be heavy on my own productions, remixes and collaborations.”

Holding it down at his imprint Musical Freedom with recent releases “Move to the Rhythm,” “Red Lights,” and a forthcoming remix with twoloud, Tiësto is starting 2014 off right. Join us this March 13-15th to move to the rhythm with one of the greatest DJs of all time at Ultimate Music Experience. Tickets are on sale now, buy your tickets today!

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Win a Meet & Greet with Ultimate Music Experience Headliner Tiësto

North America’s largest Spring Break dance music event, Ultimate Music Experience, returns to South Padre Island, Texas to take over Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark on March 13-15th and Clayton’s Beach Club for the official pre-party on March 12th. As we begin the countdown, we’re excited to offer an exclusive contest to give one lucky fan the chance to meet our world-renowned headliner Tiësto. If you’ve ever wanted to meet the legend, now’s your chance.

Head on over to Jamplify, where you can sign up with one-click using your Facebook or Twitter account. You’ll get a personalized Ultimate Music Experience promoter link. Share the link to your friends anywhere you have followers! Share it however you want – email it, tweet it, share it on Facebook, text it, snapchat it! We’ll automatically track anyone who buys tickets from your link, and the top Jamplify promoters for Ultimate Music Experience will win:

Top Promoter

  • A Meet and Greet with UME headliner Tiësto for three (3) people.
  • Three (3) VIP Tickets to all three days to Ultimate Music Experience + the Official Pre-Party.
  • Ultimate Music Experience T-Shirt.

Runner Up

  • Two (2) VIP Tickets to all three days to Ultimate Music Experience + the Official Pre-Party.

Third Place

  • Two (2) General Admission Tickets to all three days to Ultimate Music Experience.

Fourth Place

  • Two (2) Tickets to the Official Ultimate Music Experience Pre-Party.

Fifth Place

  • One (1) Ticket to the Official Ultimate Music Experience Pre-Party.

Ready to promote for UME? You’ll wanna get to it fast – the first 10 people to get four friends to purchase tickets will receive a general admission ticket for free!

Get involved and start spreading the word The contest ends March 5th so head on over to Jamplify and start promoting.

Buy Tickets to Sunset Music Festival by February 11th and be Entered in Our Giveaway

Sunset Music Festival is a few months away on May 24-25th and since we’re already feeling antsy, it’s about time for some giveaways.

Everyone who buys a ticket to the anticipated Memorial Day event by Tuesday, February 11th will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win:

  • A VIP upgrade, when you purchase a General Admission ticket
  • An extra VIP ticket, when you purchase a VIP ticket

Five winners will be chosen overall so if you like freebies (and we know you do), be sure to buy your tickets to Sunset Music Festival in the next week. Good luck!

Ultimate Music Experience Artist Profile: Steve Aoki

artist steve aokiWith an artist motto of “Always On Tour,”Steve Aoki is one of the busiest men in the music industry. Producer, DJ, label boss, and entrepreneur, you never know what this Ultimate Music Experience Pre-Party talent is going to do next.

Born in Miami but raised in California, Steve Aoki first started working as a DJ when he was a student at the University of California in Santa Barbara. Performing under the name Kid Millionaire, Steve began hosting concerts anywhere he could – no matter how illegitimate the venue, “… And the legendary house, the 6542 Sabado Tarde house. That’s where the Pickle Patch was founded. It eventually moved around, but we had At The Drive-In, !!!, The Rapture – the Pickle Patch had over 450 bands playing at all the different incarnations. We stayed there for a couple years then we moved into a frat house. We didn’t become a frat but we brought 16 kids in there, we built out a space and did shows there. Then we moved to the Biko House and we did shows there. We made the garage into a place where we could have shows.”

After graduating, and in his early 20s, Steve created the now world-famous label Dim Mak Records in 1996. The first releases of the then burgeoning imprint were far from electronic, “My roots are in hardcore and punk. Before dance music I was writing for punk bands and screaming punk songs.” With Dim Mak still in its starting phase, Steve teamed up with Blake Miller of the band Moving Units to start producing remixes under the alias Weird Science. Weird Science made their debut in 1997 with the Please Wait/Submarine EP released on Think Recordings. Remixing for artists like Bloc Party, Peaches, and Rooney, the outfit continued their efforts and coincidentally landed on Pillowface And His Airplane Chronicles, Steve’s debut mix album.

Released in 2008, Pillowface And His Airplane Chronicles was an underground success, debuting at #15 on the Billboard Electronic Chart and also reaching #8 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. After his “debut,” Steve’s success took on a snowball effect. Tracks like “I’m In The House,” “Warp 1.9,” “Turbulence,” and “No Beef” only fueled to the Aoki fire that was about to ensue. Steve’s output was unlike anything any artists were doing at the time, “10 years ago, I was screaming to kids at hardcore shows and a little after that, I started to DJ. When you DJ and play others’ records, you create a story for your audience and that’s part of your job and the art of being a DJ. When I produced tunes, I brought in that aggressive nature from my earlier punk years along with showmanship. There’s a difference between producing an actual song, and making a club edit. It’s the song that I get more into when it plays live. When I play shows, its second nature to scream in the crowd and let off all that energy.”

As as a remixer, Steve Aoki’s catalogue spans from names like the Jackson 5 and Lenny Kravitz, to Kanye West, Eminem and Snoop Dogg. And with his aptitude for collaborations, Steve has appeared on releases with artists like Kid Cudi, will.i.am, Afrojack, and Armand Van Helden, just to name a few.

Known for his caking, rafting, and crowd surfing skills, 2014 will see something new on Steve’s impending tour, “I’ve been doing the cakes and I’ve been doing the rafts, and I’m still doing that at my shows because that’s what people want and it’s fun and engaging. I’m bringing out this new element to the show called neon future technology, which is kind of going along with the theme that my next album is all about. It involves cryo, it involves LED and stuff that I attach onto like robotic appendages and robots on the stage.”

Robots and LEDs? March 12th can’t get here soon enough! Buy your tickets to the official Ultimate Music Experience Pre-Party at Clayton’s Beach Club in South Padre Island, Texas today to see what Steve has up his sleeve this year.

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Guidelines and Reminders for Ultimate Music Experience

Ultimate Music Experience will be here before you know it, and if you like saving money, make sure you buy your tickets to the official pre-party and three-day experience before prices increase as our countdown continues.

Only buy tickets from approved UME retailers and avoid frauds and scalpers like the plague – we’d hate for you to miss out on an awesome Spring Break because of an invalid ticket. Now that we have that out of the way, we’ve got a few other guidelines and reminders to make sure you have an ultimate experience.

Security and Entry

Everyone will be searched upon entrance to the venue. You will need to empty your pockets and have all items examined. We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone.

Bars for 21+

For patrons who are 21 and older, a selection of mixed drinks and cold beer will be served at the bars located throughout the event grounds.

Food

An assorted menu will be available for purchase in the vendor village and at various stations around the venue.

Guidelines

  • NO Re-entry/Ins & Outs
  • NO Refunds or Exchanges
  • NO Sitting on Designated Dance Floor Areas
  • NO Moshing, Crowd Surfing or Stage Diving
  • NO Unauthorized/Unlicensed Vendors Allowed
  • NO Unauthorized Solicitations, Handbills, Sampling, Give-Aways, etc.

Prohibited Items

  • NO Illegal Substances
  • NO Drugs or Drug Paraphernalia
  • NO Pets
  • NO Massagers
  • NO LED Gloves
  • NO Orbs
  • NO Glowsticks or Batons
  • NO Laser Pointers
  • NO Pacifiers or Dust Masks
  • NO Glass, Cans, Cups or Coolers
  • NO Markers, Pens or Spray Paint
  • NO Large Chains or Spiked Jewelry
  • NO Stickers, Flyers, Banners or Posters
  • NO Balloons, Balls, Inflatable Balls or Frisbees
  • NO Tents, Umbrellas, Chairs or Blankets
  • NO Backpacks Over 10″x10″
  • NO Camelbaks or Bota Bags
  • NO Large Purses or Bags (Anything Over 10″ x 10″)
  • NO Stuffed Animals or Dolls (Including Plush Backpacks)
  • NO Open Packs of Cigarettes or Unsealed Tampons (Upon Entry)
  • NO Outside Food or Beverages (Including Alcohol and Candy)
  • NO Weapons of any Kind (Includes Pocket Knives, Pepper Spray, Fireworks, etc.)
  • NO Professional Recording Equipment — Photo, Video, or Audio (No Detachable Lenses, Tripods, Big Zooms or Commercial Use Rigs)
  • NO Video Cameras, including GoPros
  • NO flags or totems which contain metal pieces, sharpened elements, or are capable of being pounded into the ground or hurting others. Totems without these pieces and deemed safe at entry will be allowed.

Acceptable Items

  • OK Small Bags, Single Compartment Backpacks and Purses (maximum 10″ x 10″)
  • OK Fanny Packs
  • OK Non-Professional Flash/Still Cameras
  • OK Ponchos
  • OK Cell Phones
  • OK Sunglasses
  • OK Hats
  • OK Lighters
  • OK Closed Packs of Cigarettes
  • OK Sealed/Wrapped Tampons
  • OK Earplugs
  • OK Sealed Chapstick and Lipgloss
  • OK Glowing/Illuminated Costumes or Jewelry
  • OK Hula Hoops
  • OK Sealed Packs of Gum

Please Bring

  • Your Ticket
  • Your Photo ID
  • Smiles
  • Comfortable Clothing and Shoes
  • Good Vibes
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