As Catherine from Studio Distribution in NY puts me on hold, I silently wish that I had a PR person to connect my calls. The thumping in my chest marks each passing second until a voice with a Dutch accent crackles over the line. Catherine, her work finished, gives us a cheery farewell, and I am left connected with UK DJ Magazine's 6th ranked DJ in the world, DJ Tiesto. Begin transmission…

Although satisfied with that #6 ranking, Tiesto hopes to someday be #1. Very simply, "That would be awesome." However, this DJ's down-to-earth demeanor belies his standing in the Electronica community. "I'm very happy with my status at the moment in the world. I'm really thrilled that people enjoy my music so much." So says the disarmingly humble international star that has amazed countless people worldwide.

There can be no denying Tiesto's amazing abilities behind the decks. But which amazing superhero would he most like to be? "Spider-Man. I like the way he moves between buildings… Or maybe Superman would be better, because he can fly. He's got more superpowers. Ok, I prefer Superman." A fitting answer, as one might imagine he needs super-strength to spin one of his infamous 6 hour sets. "I'm not really tired, but after 6 hours, I play what I want to play. DJ'ing is like having sex. Sometimes you want it short, sometimes you want to spend the whole night enjoying it. That's what I'm like with a 6 or a 1 or a 2 hour set. I have to know before I start how long I'm going to play, so I can build it up and keep it interesting the whole night." Perhaps after the set is over, he'll leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Where does Clark Kent go to mingle with the little people after a long night's work? "I always love to go to after-parties, if I'm not too tired. The club I play at Ibiza is one of the best in the world. The people that come there are very international, and they all want to party as hard as they can. There are a lot of ingredients to have a good party." On whether he is a good dancer, Tiesto laughs: "Reasonable." Guess they don't teach dancing on planet Krypton.

Of course, every hero can recall his villains from the past. "There's one guy from the States: Dave from the Shadow Lounge in Miami. They booked me for the Winter Music Conference a few years ago, so I went there on a Sunday. On Tuesday, he said to me, 'Sorry, we don't have any room for you tonight to play. I guess you didn't have to come because we don't need you. Bye Bye.' I came all the way to Miami for this gig, you know? And the second one was at Exit. Actually it was in the same weekend. A Friday gig at Exit was supposed to go from 2-4. It was already 12, and I was jetlagged. Five minutes before I was supposed to go on, the manager comes up to me and says, 'Sorry, you can't play now, because DJ Flex is coming down, so you can play later.' Not like, 'I'll give you a few hours'. Just 'LATER'". But here in Metropolis, justice is always served. "Well, I played afterwards at Exit a few times. They have a new manager now. And in Miami I play only in Space. It's really funny to see how in 2 years time, the things in the States that have changed for me."

Our hero will often reside in his Fortress of Solitude. "DJ'ing is a very selfish thing. You can't share it with other DJ's. The DJ before you or after you plays his own set, so everyone is on their own island, I think. It doesn't really matter with who you play, people know you for your own style." Superman never needed a sidekick anyway.

If you don't know Tiesto, the man has a message for you. "For people who don't know who I am or what I play, I consider it a big challenge. I would love to invite those people to listen for at least an hour to one of my sets. Be open-minded. Look around you to see how other people react. Just enjoy it." Tiesto can currently be found touring with Moby, David Bowie and other talents on the stateside Area 2 Tour. If you're lucky, you might even spot him at his favorite Asian restaurant, the Asia de Cuba on Sunset Blvd. But if all else fails, just look up at the sky. If it's not a bird or a plane…