Tiësto’s emotional remix of Paul Oakenfold’s ‘Southern Sun’ turns 17 years old

Are you ready to walk back in time with us? Back when it was common for a song to last for 10 minutes, with an extended build-up leading to the climax, with uplifting beats that put your mind into a daydreaming state? Then let’s go back to 2002 when Tiësto remixed ‘Southern Sun’ – originally produced by English trance producer/DJ, Paul Oakenfold featuring the emotional vocals of Carla Werner. This remix celebrates its 17th anniversary. If you were listening to electronic music at that time, you would have experienced the blooming of trance and electronic music. While you are listening to the nostalgic sounds of this remix, let’ s look into how Tijs Michiel Verwest, better known as Tiësto, grew himself to one of the biggest names in the music industry.

Back in the days, it was quite unusual for DJs to produce records and for producers to perform live. But Tiësto was one of the first artists who nailed both. He made history in 2004 as the first DJ to open the Olympic Games and was the proud winner of a Grammy Award. Although his trance releases earned plenty of recognition, his musical evolution didn’t stop at one genre. He continued to make progressive house tracks and soon levitated in the direction of radio and festival-ready hits.

One thing that didn’t change throughout the years, is his ability to create a connection with his audience. He can feel how the crowd reacts to what he is playing and lead them with his music. Nothing proves this better than his latest performance at EDC Las Vegas two weeks ago.

Relive the iconic remix below.