Every week Tiesto will be sending us his blog from his latest tour nights. Here's the first update from Sheffield and Ingliston including his top 3 tracks from the weekend...

"Friday night's crowd in Sheffield was amazing. So much energy for my first show back in the UK. Sheffield was the first city I played when I came to the UK all those years ago, so it was fitting that we kicked off the tour here. I've been waiting a while to bring my new show and new album to the UK and to be honest was a little nervous as to how people would respond. It was great to feel such a warn welcome and to see everyone enjoying the show. On to the next one !

Saturday night I played Ingliston, Scotland, and as usual the Scots didn't let me down. The people here are so insane! My tour manager texted me at 6pm and said that they were already chanting outside – and the doors weren’t opening for another TWO hours!

By the time I hit the stage at 11:30, the place was going off. Within the first 10 minutes I saw at least 5 people pulled out of the crowd. I don’t remember the last time I saw a crowd this wild. During my set, a flag landed in my DJ booth as well a few articles of clothing, hopefully no one wanted the flag back because I kept it up on stage and held it up for the crowd at the end. I also found a paintball mask next to my booth (what was that doing there?)!

Before I left, I climbed off the front of the stage and high fived as many people as I could in the first couple of rows...I think someone tried to give me another flag! What an incredible night ! Can’t wait for next weekend...

My good friends Dada Life opened both shows and as usual they got the crowd good and ready. Those boys always deliver the goods. It’s so great to be on the road with good friends. Both cities really welcomed them like they were hometown favorites.

Thanks Sheffield and Ingliston!"

Top 3 Songs Of The Weekend:

Escape Me
Love Comes Again
Century

Dates still to come:
11th - O2 Academy Brixton
12th - Cardiff International Arena
13th - Liverpool Echo Arena
20th - Birmingham LG Arena

This weekend was Asia's biggest outdoor dance music festival, ZoukOut, and so I popped over to see what all the fuss was about.

Now in its ninth year, ZoukOut started as an offshoot from the Singapore superclub Zouk. Zouk's been running for 19 years and is arguably Asia's most respected club by DJs and clubbers alike.

This year's festival featured sets from Armin van Buuren, Ritchie Hawtin, Miss Kitten, Aeroplane and Tiga.

A crowd of 30,000 clubbers hit the beach on Sentosa Island in the south of Singapore. The contingent were mainly locals but I bumped into clubbers from England, Germany and Australia not to mention lots of people from India and neighbouring Malaysia.

The party started at 8pm and was due to finish at 8am, although Armin van Buuren played for an extra 25minutes, much to the annoyance of the 5 star hotel right next door to the beach (earplugs were given out to residents)

Four open-air stages meant there were all kinds of music to choose from. One of the funniest was hosted by one of Zouk's club nights - Mambo Jambo - the Singapore equivalent of Guilty Pleasures. Clubbers like to act out the lyrics in a sort of 12-year-old at the school disco kind of way. Sort of 80s skanking if you like.

Elsewhere Simon Dunmore and his Defected label took over one stage. The English house label love ZoukOut so much they've named their latest compilation after it.

Zoukout isnt just all music. At one end of the 400m long beach were two artificial wave making machines, which meant you could try out surfing or waterboarding (the snowboarding like sport, not the form of torture) without having to wade out into the sea.

The world most powerful lazer was moored just off the island and provided a green ceiling to the beach from around 1am. There was also fireworks, women on stilts, very popular micro-torches that clubbers wore as rings, oh and no drugs - the law in Singapore is very strict about drugs. Get caught with something you shouldn't and you will be hanged!

I had a fantastic time at ZoukOut and in Singapore in general. The friendly people, scorching weather (I'm very red today) and breadth of acts made this one of the world's best beach parties. In fact it makes the Full Moon Parties of Thailand's Ko Phang Ynag look like a BBQ in Skegness.

For more information on ZoukOut check www.zoukout.com. Hopefully we'll see you there next year for their tenth anniversary party.

Last night Zero 7, with their all new line-up, took to the stage for a sell out performance at Camden's Roundhouse.

It was a strange feeling for both the audience and the band as long time vocalist Sia was not here, replaced instead by Zero 7's latest signing, Eska Mtungwazi.

Eska did a great job too, knocking out foot tappers like 'Medicine Man' and 'MrMcGee' and taking on Sia's hits like 'Destiny' - with a little help from the crowd.

The band were tight, the lighting exciting and the night an enjoyable juxtaposition of acoustic guitar purity and electronic strobing madness. But although their latest album 'Yeah Ghost' doesn't seem to miss their ex-Antipodean singer - their live show really does. The band have worked hard reinterpreting her tunes in all kinds of new styles but like a football manager who's sold his star striker it has affected the team's performance.

Last night Speech Debelle started her UK tour at Scala in Kings Cross and no sooner had she taken to the stage she'd won over the skeptics.

Into her first song she suddenly asked the band to stop. "I'm singing the wrong verse and none of you lot even noticed" she smiled to the crowd, knowing that the not-quite-capacity congregation was made up of just as many bandwagon jumpers as actual fans.

While Speeches jazz-form hip hop, accompanied by a double bass, guitar and drummer is unique, like fellow Mercury winner Dizzee Rascal, her true talent lies in her lyrics. A lot of hip hop gigs get lost in a sea of loud backing DJs or hurried out-of-breath diction but Speeches flow was clear, warm and concise.

Highlights came in the form of 'Go, Then, Bye', helped along with some audience participation as well as all of Speech's mid-set banter including one anecdote on how her Nan would rub rum on her neck for 'medicinal purposes'.

You can catch Speech warming up for Basement Jaxx on their xmas arena tour. For more on that see the Mixmag home page.

How does it feel to be the winner of our DJ competition and being flown out to Ibiza to play the combined We Love and Space closing party?

Absolutely amazing, didn't believe it when I got the call. I thought it was a joke at first; it took a while to sink in. When I got in from work I checked the space closing line up and was proper made up, speechless with a massive smile. Thinking back to the first time I went to, We Love Sundays at Space in 2000 legendary, 22-hour parties dancing on the old terrace and how Space blew me away! The music and the people were so into it like I have never seen it before, such a cool international crowd. And now I get to play at Space one of the Best Clubs in the world. So so happy.

Why did you sign up to G-Shock’s Burlington Project and how do you feel the site is useful to up and coming producers and DJs?

Well basically a very good friend of mine told me about the comp (who's gonna be carrying my record bags!) And I just finished my latest mix and was quite happy with it so that was it; I didn't even have to think too much and uploaded it. I really like the track and mix charts, which is, are good promotional tools to get tracks and mixes heard. I've recently been listening to quite a few tracks on the producers chart, there's some really good unsigned music on there and even better exposure for producers when they get featured on the Burlington Sonica Podcast.

You had a lot of votes for your winning mix, do you have hundreds of friends or did you just pimp your mix online?

Of course hundreds of friends thanks to the world of Facebook and constant promoting and bugging people to vote. But it’s like having a house party, invite fifty people and only twenty come. So I got over one hundred votes so roughly 1 out 6 of my friends voted for me so big big thank you to all of them they helped massively. And to my mates who said they voted and never did it's OK, no worries.

What inspired the compilation of your mix?

Basically just tunes I was diggin in June, I wanted to start of deep but quite chunky and then get the groove going early and build up the mix from there.
Two days after I finished the mix I went to Cocoon in the Park and Steve Bug played 2 tunes off my mix then Luciano came on and played La Mezcla first time I heard it out everyone went mental. I was proper buzzing!

What can we expect from you musically on the closing party?

Uplifting Electro Bassline House …no only Joking!
Pretty much similar sounds to my mix "Prima Materia" and artists I'm diggin at the mo like Lauhaus, Alex Niggemann & Julien Chaptal. I've always loved the tribal sound so loving the Latin and percussive stuff of late with abit of soul n funk in it.

Which other DJ’s will you be checking out?

Steve Lawler, Tiefschwarz, Smokin Jo, 2manydjs, Paul Woolford, James Zabiela, Martin Buttrich, Jason Bye and Clive Henry and the list goes on its gonna be crazy! Oh and I nearly forgot Ryan O Gorman!

We are always looking for new ways to help DJs and producers promote their music online here at Burlington Project. What else would you like to see on our site that could help do this?

I think on the homepage on the left where you've got 3 charts top five mixes, tracks, networks maybe below that 2 more charts but for recently uploaded tracks and mixes to give them some exposure and a kick start.

You live in Leeds “The Ibiza of the North” in your words. There is indeed a very large contingency of Leeds ravers in Ibiza. Can we expect a big support crew in the Red Box for the closing party?

Leeds has a great scene and good clubbing community so I will b promoting like hell to get as many there as I can. So lets hope so!

What is your current top 10

1. Fiest - Fiesty 01
2. Marcin Czubala - Don't Need The Sun To Shine
3. Christian Mollini - Agua Ardiente
4. Anil Chawla - 209 (Julien Chaptal Remix)
5. Cascandy - One Flip
6. The Mingers - Emancipation Asad's Silverlining
7. Shonky - Carnage
8. Andre Lodemann - Where Are You Now?
9. Pablo Cahn - Tribute
10. Turntablerocker - Anyone (tiefschwarz remix)

INTERVIEW BY: Ryan O Gorman

Heddon Street, off Regent Street, has fitted out-side speakers throughout its pedestrianised back street turning the restaurant and bar district into a mini outdoor carnival every Tuesday and Wednesday.

Each week, weather permitting, DJ Rob Starbuck, who cut his teeth playing alongside Tongy and Norman Jay back in the day, plays a mix of jazz, laid back house and latiny vibes to the pre-club drinkers and diners.

When I popped down for a bite at Piccolino last night, Rob told me that since setting up the mini carnival, the restaurants and bars have seen a four fold increase in drinkers and diners. "The music can be heard from Regent Street so it beckons people in" he told me.

Although a noise restriction kicks in at 9pm, this archaic bi-law is set to be changed when the Heddon Street outdoor DJ set-up will continue next summer, hopefully late into the night.

There are eight restaurants and bars located in this London destination including the famous Absolut Ice Bar. The street was originally made famous by the David Bowie album cover “The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”.

For the time being you can catch Rob every Tuesday and Wednesday down Heddon Street til the end of September. I thoroughly recommend it if you're visiting London and fancy an al fresco pre-club drink.

There's a new club in town everybody. BoHo in Ibiza is the new club in San Antonio and last night I popped in for a little look-see.
The venue, by the Egg roundabout, used to be Extasis - a forgotten about venue a stones throw from Eden and Es Paradis. Now after a one million pound makeover from eight investors, the club is back in good shape and with notorious 'undewear and models' party, Swankys, opening there last night, I spotted plenty of 'good shapes' on the dancefloor. Everywhere I looked were body painted boobs, nipple tassles and, unfortunately, an equal amount of spray-on mens jeans.
But what of the club. The venue is a lot bigger than I preconceived. It's White curved walls give it the feel of a giant melting igloo - but in a good way. There are loads of nooks and crannies plus one of the investors (Dean Gaffmey no less) took pride in telling me it gets repainted everyday to keep it whiter than white "We've got two handymen doing 12 hour shifts" he told me "Im pouring money away" he laughed. Well Dean, if you've got it to pour I can think of worse things to blow it on that amazing looking clubs full of writhing half-naked beautiful people.

12.43: We've just stuck our workie, Jack Heidler, here, onto the Jubilee Line to get down to The O2 to follow the madness of Jacko-mania currently unfolding in Greenwich.

Reports say that over 5,000 fans have flown in from around the world to try and catch a glimpse of the most famous musician on the planet.

The rumours so far are that he'll announce an open ended stint at the venue starting with 10 dates from mid July. We'll confirm more as it gets relayed to us from our man in the field.

13.20: "It's strangely quiet outside The O2 itself. There's lots of press here though, including press vans. A massive screen has been erected outside. I'm heading into the dome itself now"

13.35: "Inside now, there about 1,000 fans gathered here already. A stage is set up in the lobby of The O2. There are about 10 film crews down the front facing the stage. Banners everywhere read Michael Jackson - King of Pop. Quite."

13.42:"We hear William Hill are offering 5/1 odds that Jacko doesn't make the first show. Worth a punt? Let's see how well he looks when he comes out at 16.00"

13.49:"Fans are pleasantly surprised at how cheap the tickets are gonna be; People at the O2 are saying they'll be £40/£75"

13.51:"I've been talking to some fans. They're hoping it'll be better than Prince here. the O2 has started playing music to the fans - just backing stuff. No moonwalking spotted just yet"

13.54:"Fans have started chanting 'Bring Michael on' - he's not known for arriving two hours early though"

13.59:"Just over heard a girl ringing her work pretending she was sick as her excuse to be here. Nicely done."

14.06:"Less than two hours to go and there are about 1,500 people here now. A few have optimistically brought records hoping for autographs. They've got more chance of being spat on."

14.13:"The bars in The O2 are all playing Jacko tunes now. Saw one guy dancing. Will go and find him for a word!"

14.33:"The dancing guy has danced off, so I'm still trying to find him. There's an impersonator here now too- he's being mobbed by about 60 fans. One person has brought an air horn and a banner saying 'You are not alone'. With 3,000 people here now, it is safe to say we are definitely not alone."

14.44:"They've opened a 'Golden Circle' at the front of the stage. 90 tickets for that got given out to the people that turned up at 5pm yesterday and another 300 for the first that arrived this morning"

14.55:"People who work for The O2 are giving forms out to the crowd to fill in. If you get picked they text you and you're allowed to join the Golden Circle"

15.01:"Less than an hour to go now. I've spotted a another banner -"We will love you for all time".

15.04:"There's a lot of people in Jacko T-shirts here. It's actually the X-Factor Live show here tonight but no-one seems interested in anything other than the one glove wonder!"

15.23:"More press and film crew have arrived. Lots of people are showing off their moon walking skills, but I haven't had a go- too many cameras about. I don't want to show up Mixmag!"

15.34:"We've been chatting to crowd members again. Jake Fielding, 20, wearing a Thriller style jacket said, 'I'm thrilled to see Michael Jackson again.' Good one. Less than half an hour to go!"

15.45:"It's all gone quiet - maybe through exhaustion, it's been a long day on their feet for some of these fans. There's a guy not doing very well trying to sell X-Factor programs to the Jacko legion. He may go hungry tonight. 15 mins to go - if he gets here on time"

15.59:"The singing and chanting of 'Jacko, Jacko' has stopped and there is anticipation in the air. It's gonna go off when he hits the stage"

16.02:"There's lots of airhorns and whistles going off but still no sign of MJ"

16.07:"The press are all poised so it's looking like it could happen any minute"

16.11:"There is the smell of urine in the air as many fans may have begun wetting themselves - only joking. Still no Jacko."

16.20:"The rumour in the crowds are that he hasn't even left his hotel room yet - or so Sky News are saying according to the Chinese whispers"

16.40:"I'm beginning to hate Michael Jackson with a passion. It's getting packed in here. Hopefully he'll turn up soon!"

16.45:"BBC News say Jacko is stuck in traffic. Hey, we're in London, it's not unlikely"

16.58:"He's now an hour late. Still nothing. Crowd have really lost their voice"

17.18:"Everyone is getting a bit tired now. I haven't made any friends in the crowd. Am just waiting...still"

17.31:"Dermot O'Leary is on stage to present Jacko"

17.33:"Video being shown of Jackos - music videos"

17.36:"Jacko struts out of people carrier in a black shirt and sunnies"

17.39:Jacko: "Thank you all. This is it. I just wanna say that these ...these will be my final show performances in London - this will be it. When I say this is it I really mean this is it."

17.39:"I'll be performing the songs my fans wanna hear. This is it. This is really it. This is the final curtain call OK and I'll see you in July and...I love you. I really do. You have to know that I love you so much, from the bottom of my heart. This is it and see you in July"

17.42:"And like that, he's gone. He held his fist out, pulled a few poses then disappeared back behind the red curtain. No news on dates. All eyes turn to www.theo2.co.uk for ticket details"

With that, we've sent our own man in the field, Jack Heidler, home for a much needed sit down. We hope you've enjoyed our live blog. We'll bring you more news on tickets etc on the Mixmag.net homepage.

I saw a new look in my friends' eyes this week when I told them I was selling my decks:

It starts with shock, like I just told them my house burnt down.

Then it turns to pity and sorrow, like I told them my family were in that smoldering house.

Then there's a slight glimmer of detachment from me, like I told them it was me who started the fire.

Finally there's a look of greed. They realise that my loss could well be their gain as they pick through the fall out of this sad, sad scenario.

The idea of actually selling my decks has been the kind of weight on my mind normally felt towards the end of a long term relationship; What started with long nights in, forgetting about your mates and just spending hours, playing in your room has descended into us growing apart. I spend more time looking at slimmer, younger, more attractive kit and wonder what it would be like to play with that instead.

Well, this week I finally bit the bullet and put my CDJs, vinyl decks and whole set up on sale. Have I made a mistake? Have I rushed into this? Do I really need the money that badly? There's a 'yes' in there somewhere.

I never thought I'd become a superstar DJ but it was never about the ultimate destination, more the fun of the journey. My decks have prepared me for NYE sets that have made mates' nights, they've set me up for appearances at foreign clubs and festivals making me an ambassador for the UK, I've cued up the first songs at friends' weddings and the last tunes at club nights across the UK.

But letting go of my decks isn't like selling an old games console or giving your old clothes to a charity shop. It's an admission to yourself that you will no longer consider DJing as your 'other' career.

It is a sad day for me but it can be a happy one for you. If you have a good home, countless man-hours and a disposable income perhaps the end of my road can be the start of yours. If you wanna buy a complete DJ set up (CDJs, vinyl decks, mixer, speakers, amp, bespoke wooden desk) search on Facebook for "For sale: CDJs, decks, mixer, the lot" or contact me at nick@mixmag.net.

As a final note, when telling Mixmag's old Features Editor I was selling my decks I tried to justify myself by saying they were 'gathering dust in my room'. His reply: 'Mine are also gathering dust but I figure if dust is going to gather somewhere that's a good place to gather'

What am I doing?

This weekend I went to see the world final of the Movida Corona's World DJ contest, staged in Vienna.

Throughout 2008, heats across the world slowly narrowed down 15 finalists from different Corona drinking parts of the world. Of those 15, on Saturday afternoon a semi final narrowed this number down to 3 to play at the finals that evening.

Over 500 DJs entered in different legs across the UK alone. The English representative, James Dyson (right, below), won the UK finals at Ministry of Sound earlier in the year.

Sadly for James, he was knocked out of the contest on Saturday afternoon after a channel mix-up on the mixer meant he accidentally played a couple of seconds of silence mid-mix. A gutted looking James, whose parents had driven from Huddersfield to Austria to the watch him, told me: "One of the judges came up to me after and said that it's a mistake anyone could have made. If it wasn't for that I'd have made the final"

But James' early departure from the contest wasn't the only upset. The German entrant was so angry that he didnt make it through to the evening's final he went straight to the airport and flew home immediately, snubbing the final party that night!

The final was held on Saturday night at Vienna's newest club, Prater Dome. The 3,000 capacity club was decked with more Corona branding that you can shake a lime at. With 45 minute sets each, Norway, The Republic of Ireland and Austria made up the three finalist, playing to a packed out club.

After hearing all three sets, my money was on the Republic of Ireland's Johnny Holmes. At the bar, Johnny told me this was the second time he'd entered the comp. Unfortunately for Johnny the judging panel chose the Norwegian entrant who has now won a five date club tour including Pacha Ibiza, Pacha London and Pacha New York.

An upset Johnny text me on Sunday morning jokingly suggesting 'the game was bent' but has since started working on Pacha remixes. Keep an eye out for his name across the UK and Ireland. Congratulations to Norway's DJ Joseph and thanks to Richard, Lisa and everyone at Corona.

It's the final day of The Red Bull Music Academy and all around me musicians from all over the world are taking advantage of the free bar and letting their hair down after an exhausting 12 days.

Last night we went to hear some of the Academy's student playing at Filini, a club just of Las Ramblas in the centre of Barcelona. Everything from old skool hip-hop to party house was spun into the early hours. We were there til kick out necking questionable green shots being bought by a Sardinian who looked not unlike Michael Douglas.

Today, after a lecture on mastering by John Dent, the students got to showcase the productions they've spent the last 12 days putting together in the Academy's studios. We heard everything from dub-step co-produced by Skream to techno made alongside Zinc.

Names to look our for are London-born singer, Fatima and Irish techno producer Mano le Tough.

Tonight the parting will continue here at the Red Bull Academy until, no doubt, the free bar runs out then its off to Razzmatazz, the nightclub dubbed the Fabric of Barca.

Tomorrow The Academy will be slowly dismantled after two terms teaching its students how to take their productions skills further. We expect to hear big things from a lot of the faces we've met over the weekend. And we' be bigging up our faves in the mag in the next issue. Keep an eye out for it.

We´re taking a few field trips this week at Mixmag.

While the Editor, Nick DC, hits the clubs in LA and our Clubs Ed, Craig, enjoys the delights of the Amsterdam Dance Event I've come to Barcelona to check out the Red Bull Music Academy.

For two weeks, 30 young up-and-coming musicians get put up in Barca to spend each day in a ex-fabrics factory which has been turned into a series of studios to get creative in.

Each day the musicians get two hour long lectures from industry big wigs. This week they´ve seen everyone from Public Enemy's Chuck D to reggae heroes Sly and Robbie.

Today, I joined the lecture hall to hear hip-hop heavy hitter DJ Toomp - the man who bagged Kanye West's Grammy for his production of 'Good Life' not to mention producing for Jay-Z and Nas.

In a Q+A session after the lecture a cheeky Goldielocks (the Uk dub-pop producer you'll find on the cover of the new Mixmag) asked Toomp for an internship! We spotted her slipping him a CD after the lecture too.

Now the days lectures have finished the 30 chosen ones have disappeared to the kitted up production suites to continue working on tracks, before heading into the night to party in Barcas clubs tonight. They've been doing this every day for the past 12 days - tomorrow is their last day here when we'll get to hear all the music they've produced.

I'll let you know how I get on in the clubs tonight and which new artists to keep an ear out for after the listening session tomorrow.

Simian Mobile Disco have been asked by Nike+ to create a track perfect for training to.

To celebrate its launch today, Nike invited me down to a gym in Soho to train to the track.

Despite regularly getting an aerobic heart-rate and sweating while listening to Simian Mobile Disco in clubs, festivals tents and warehouses this would be the first time I'd do it in a gym.

The 30minute track has been produced at varying tempos so at to warm you up, build up 'the burn' then warm you down again.

Having not visited a gym in about eight years I was a little nervous but after being kitted out in Nike trainers and gym gear all that was missing was a Nike branded inhaler.

Thankfully for my unfit body I didn't have to do a full 30minute work out. After a warm up session with the gyms resident trainer/drill sergeant I was put on a treadmill and given the 5 minute edit to listen to.

It's a great track, not just acoustically but the fact that it was built with a purpose. The five minutes went quick and maybe it was the endorphins, but I felt I could have gone on a lot longer.

You can download the full 30 minute track today.

We've also squeezed a sneaky edit of it on to the next Mixmag covermount CD mixed by Riton. Look out for that on the November issue of Mixmag, out October 23.