The headphones market seems to be predicated on celebrity endorsements these days, so Australian newcomer Audiofly got a big boost from international DJ sensation Tiesto, who recently signed a deal to design three sets of earbuds for the company.
Those new buds are currently available between $35 and $150, and are named after Tiesto's original music.
"I have to connect with the brand, and I have to stand by it," Tiesto recently told Billboard. "I have to be proud to be associated with it. I also like to work with people who are very passionate about what they do, because I am. I don't really go out looking for a big brand, like Budweiser or something, some big deal, it's not really about that. I like to work with things I use myself, you know, daily. Headphones made sense."
As one of the original EDM pioneers, Tiesto has millions of followers who understand the roots of the genre. But there are plenty more in the younger generation who have taken more of a liking to the newer electronic avenues.
Because of that, Tiesto isn't likely to give any lengthy speeches about respecting elders anytime soon.
"People don't respond to that," he said. "They come to these shows to have a good time. They want to hear new stuff and they want to hear old stuff, so it's a balance. Of course I like to play experimental, deep stuff, you know? And sometimes that goes down really well, and sometimes it doesn't and I'll have to pull back. These are still clubs, we're entertainers, so you have to be able to read your environment."
And don't expect the 45-year-old Dutchman to predict the future of his genre, either.
"I try not to bother," he said. "What can you do? What do those genres even mean? EDM used to be a term for all of electronic dance music, but now it just means all the music that you're not supposed to play. It became the new trance. It got popular, so now we're all into deep house. And soon we'll be over that. You can't win. I wish we could have just stuck with EDM, honestly, because we finally had a term that captured everything in one big family, like jazz. But, no. We had to be hip."
