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This is a man driven by an unbridled and relentless
passion for music. Armin van Buuren is a born perfectionist, striving to stay
on top of the scene he’s helped build. As the flag-bearer of the trance
movement, he’s one of the most influential figures in EDM
worldwide. Even though he lives an extraordinary life as one of the world’s most popular DJs, he has always remained a down-to-earth guy. Armin
van Buuren is constantly on the move, whether creating music in his studio or
en route to his next high-end club or festival show around the globe.Armin: “It’s not just love for music, it’s my passion. It goes beyond liking, and beyond a
hobby. It’s about a way of living. Music is essential to my
life.”For more than 20 years, the Grammy-nominated Dutchman
has been living to the rhythm of his own international success. His 5-time
number one position in the critically acclaimed DJ Mag Top 100 poll has been
the result of his loyalty to fans, his creativity in the studio, the
perseverance with which he hosts his weekly radio show ‘A State of Trance’, and the energy he brings to the crowds in front of
him. Despite the heavy pressure that comes along with being one of the world’s most popular DJs, Armin has always kept his focus on the music. And
that’s exactly what keeps him going.How it all began Born in Leiden, The Netherlands (December 25, 1976),
to a musical family, Armin indulged his passion for music from a young age. He
spent all the money he earned from his paper route on records. His mom won a
computer when he was 10, piquing Armin’s interest in technology. “So as a little nerdy kid I was writing my own basic programs and learnt
about the technology from there.” Armin progressed from making low-profile mix tapes for
friends to higher profile mixes when he discovered experimenting with different
sequences on his computer through his uncle. “I was so stunned by what I saw him doing on the computer, that I got
addicted to creating music right there and then!”“I loved dance music immediately – this great rebellious sound that was so different to
the ‘beautiful’ songs of the years before.” Armin cites electronic pioneer Jean Michel Jarre as a
major influence, as well as Dutch producer Ben Liebrand, who later mentored him
in his mixing and producing.In the early days, Armin thought it was wise to have a
back-up plan, and so he studied for a law degree. The final year of his course
was inevitably stretched out as he juggled his studies with his increasingly
hectic schedule; his rise to fame included lots of productions and remixes, as
well as playing in front of packed clubs every weekend. It took him three years
to graduate, but his determination made him succeed.Despite having a Master’s degree in Law, the main ingredient in Armin’s life was always be music. Armin: “I see it as my responsibility to promote trance as a genre, and I want
to support it in every way I can. Music should connect us. As long as the music
keeps evolving like it is, I will continue and I don’t see any reason to slow it down.”THE DJNo matter how many hours Armin van Buuren has
travelled to get there, as soon as he enters the DJ booth, the Dutchman puts
his full focus on the music, the crowd, and how those two will combine. Once
the beats of his first record have kicked in, the room lights up and chanting
starts to fill the air. To witness a set by Armin van Buuren is to be blown
away — to lose yourself completely in the music and become
one with the people around you. Mixing seamlessly, he has created his own sound
and style, making his DJ sets a truly unique experience. He unites millions,
not only through the gigs in his challenging schedule, but also through his ‘Armin Only’ and ‘A State of Trance’ world tours.His busy life as a DJ has inspired countless people
both personally and professionally. In 2009, Dutch author Coen Bom presented
his on-the-road biography of Armin, called ‘Eén op één’ / ‘Armin Only’, in which he reported on the hectic life of Armin and
tried to find the secret behind the grand success of the humble Dutchman. In
October 2012, the official documentary ‘A Year With Armin van Buuren’ was released,
in which Armin was followed during an important year in his life, offering a
unique look behind the scenes and inside his personality. Again and again, his
life as a superstar DJ continues to inspire others.Armin has had the privilege of performing at some of
the world’s biggest and best festivals, clubs, events, and
shows. One of the highlights of his career was Armin’s performance for the newly crowned King and Queen of The Netherlands in
2013, Willem-Alexander and Máxima. Together with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,
in front of the monarchs and 15,000 fans, he performed both ‘The Bolero’ as well as an
orchestral version of the title track from his ‘Intense’ album. During
the ‘Koningsvaart’ (a special, cultural boat-trip through the city of Amsterdam), the King
and Queen surprised both the crowd as well as Armin by getting on stage and
dancing along with him.Without question another memorable highlight of Armin’s career was his DJ set at the
Museumplein in Amsterdam in July of 2010, during the ceremonial honoring of the
Dutch national soccer team. Even though the national team lost in the FIFA
World Cup final, they partied like they were the absolute winners with a crowd
of 200,000 strong.In 2013 Armin’s career hit another milestone when he was the first solo dance artist to play in
Madison Square Garden. The event was completely sold out, representing another
crowning achievement for the DJ.After the 2013 summer season ended (along with his
residency at the world’s biggest club, Privilege in Ibiza), Armin kicked off
a new ‘Armin Only’ world tour
based on his ‘Intense’ album, in
collaboration with theatre director Jos Thie. More than 33 dates were set, with
shows landing in cities such as Kiev, Mumbai, Saint-Petersburg, Helsinki, New
York, Toronto, Mexico City, Sydney, Johannesburg, and more. With the ‘Armin Only’ tour, Armin
brought out a unique and exclusive show format, which unfolded like the many
layers of his ‘Intense’ album. In
total, more than 500,000 visitors attended, spanning 5 continents. A ‘Road Movie’ series was also created, documenting behind-the-scenes
footage of the entire tour as it took place. In 2014 Armin began a highly successful weekly
residency at the famous Ushuaïa Beach Hotel in Ibiza, playing every Thursday night
from June 26th to September 11th alongside top DJs from the Armada Music
roster. After the residency, he released a compilation entitled ‘A State of Trance at Ushuaïa Ibiza’ to commemorate the season. THE Radio hostWhat started as an obsession for radio has turned into
a weekly highlight for more than 33 million listeners, broadcasting to over 100 FM stations and fans from over 84 countries. In June 2001, Armin van Buuren
aired the first episode of ‘A State of Trance’. Fourteen years later, he still hosts the weekly 2-hour show, where he
presents the biggest tunes of the moment and provides an interactive way for
fans to discover new music. Regular features of the show are the ‘Tune of the Week’, ‘A State of Trance Radio Classic’, and the ‘Future Favorite’, which is based on an online voting poll.Celebrating each milestone, Armin did an extensive
world tour based around the 650th episode of ASOT in early 2014. The ‘New Horizons’ world tour
landed in the cities of Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Almaty, Utrecht, Santiago,
Buenos Aires, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Miami. The 8-week tour took place in
January, February, and March of 2014 and included 9 shows in countries all
around the globe, with events broadcast live on the A State of Trance website. In continuation of the success of
ASOT, Armin recently kicked off his A State of Trance 700 Festival tour. ASOT Festival was a new concept developed for 2015 in
conjunction with ASOT Episode #700. Armin van Buuren became the first DJ to
have his own festival, the biggest trance festival tour in history. The tour currently spins, reaching Utrecht, Buenos Aires, Ultra Music Festival in Miami,
Sydney and Melbourne, and other destinations worldwide. Episode #700 is the
first time that an entirely fan-created show was used, with fans being given
the chance to present their favorite tracks on-air. Fans were asked to submit
voice recordings of themselves introducing their favorite trance tracks of all
time, and the resultant songs and recordings will be used to create an entirely
fan-made episode — it marks the first time in the world a major dance
radio show has ever done this. Reflecting upon the ‘A State of Trance’ world tours,
Armin says: “I’m deeply honored by all the positive things that are
happening for the show and for the sound in general. I’ve always said ASOT is not only a show for, but also a show by the fans.
The show wouldn’t be where it is without the fans, so it feels amazing
to see so many people celebrating along. It’s crazy to see groups of fans going crazy to the same music that we’re playing on the other side of the world. People wearing banners,
flags, and making their own private party. This is what I meant with ‘turning the world into a dance floor’.”Each year, the listeners of the show are asked to vote for their
favorite records of the year, with the ‘A State of Trance Top 20’ as the official result. Each track on this list ends
up in the ‘A State of Trance
Year Mix’, released at the
end of December. Weeks of editing and mixing come together in a 2 hour mega-mix
showcasing over 100 tracks and countless memories. Several hundred thousand
copies of the series have been sold to date, and the series has been going
strong for over 10 years. Another series that Armin has linked to the radio
show is the ‘A State of Trance
Classics’ compilation.
After years of providing some of the most essential classics and all-time
favorites in EDM, the series continues to commemorate the early days of dance
music. More recently, Armin was awarded 4x Platinum for his Year Mix ASOT
series in late 2014. In addition to the radio show, Armin
started the weekly ‘A State of Trance Podcast’ with a selection from the
previous episode of the radio show, ensuring that listeners never miss out on any
highlights. Every Sunday, Armin also hosts a 24-hour radio day called ‘A State
of Sundays’, broadcast on one of the biggest radio stations in the United
States: Sirius XM Satellite Radio. In addition to the A State of Trance shows,
A State of Sundays also introduces its listeners to the sets and radio shows of
other popular DJs and talented artists. Furthermore, Armin’s ‘A State of Trance
– Radio‘ Spotify Playlist surpassed the legendary milestone of 1 million
followers, premiering him as the first ever DJ to do so, only trumped by One
Direction. THE ProducerArmin van Buuren can now look back on the success of
his ‘76’ (2003), ‘Shivers’ (2005), ‘Imagine’ (2008), ‘Mirage’ (2010), and ‘Intense’ (2013) albums. ‘Intense’ was nominated for the Dutch Edison Pop Award for ‘Best Dance Album’. The follow-up to his ‘Mirage’ album featured
collaborations with Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari, Australian duo NERVO, and
singers like Trevor Guthrie, Emma Hewitt, Laura Jansen, Fiora, and more. ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ ft. Trevor
Guthrie (the first single off the album) was nominated for the Grammy award for
‘Best Dance Recording’ and also received a nomination for a Canadian Juno Award. It became a
worldwide hit, reaching A-List rotation on radio stations all across the globe
and receiving silver, gold, platinum, and double platinum certifications in
countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, Australia, and Italy. The
video has reached over 55 million views and counting.Through the 16-piece musical mosaic of ‘Intense’, Armin introduced his fans to a wide range of
exciting fusions, intricate soundscapes, and surprising new shades of his
sound. ‘Intense’ is the biggest
project he has ever worked on, uniting 3 years of studio work. In many ways, it’s also the most intuitive album he’s ever done. Armin: “These songs came to life just by being in the studio, being who I am,
and following my gut. I feel closer to myself than I ever have. The album sort
of happened to me, it just all came together and the story wrote itself. I didn’t try to force anything, I just did what I found interesting and tried
to have as much fun in the studio as possible.”Whenever he’s not on tour or having a daddy-day with his daughter
Fenna and son Remy, Armin locks himself up in the studio. Giving meaning to his
famous quote “Don’t be a prisoner of your own style”, he explores the boundaries of EDM through his originals and remixes.
Some of his most beloved works, such as ‘Communication’, ‘Burned With Desire’, ‘Blue Fear’, ‘Shivers’, and ‘Yet Another Day’, have grown into highly revered classics, withstanding the test of
time.With remix offers flooding in, Armin has the luxury of
taking on only the tracks that he really loves. His remix discography includes
the cult TV series ‘24’, the Danish TV series ‘The Killing’, the Dutch film ‘
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This is a man …