Artists. Biography of Armin Van Buuren

3 chord selections

Biography

Having appeared in the top 100 most popular DJs back in 2001, he has consistently been in the top five for the past 7 years, and has finally managed to rise from second place to the top.

Armin released his first release at age 18, hit the UK charts for the first time with Blue Fear at age 20, and formed his own label at age 22. At 23, he hit the UK chart again with “Communication.” Now he is releasing a collection of his discs, and, being a producer and DJ at the same time, he is slowly but surely conquering the world.

Armin was born on December 25, 1976 in Leiden, Holland. For as long as he can remember, he has always been fascinated by music. Mainly thanks to my father, who listened to many styles of music. In addition to his love for music, Armin gradually became interested in technology and computers. At age 14, he bought his first Akai S-01 sampler, confiscated his father's synthesizer, and began making music. As a teenager, he went to school almost always with his headphones on, listening to a variety of music, from Jean-Michael Jarre to Ben Liebrand's minimixes. Having great respect for Ben, he sent him his demo tape and received a rave review. The very first demo composition was immediately included in the collection. With the money he received from this deal, Armin bought much better equipment, and this was reflected in his first vinyl disc, released in late 1995. Ben also taught Armin how to produce and mix. His passion for mixing intensified.

It was there that he began his career as a DJ at the local club Nexus, where he learned to play long 6-7 hour sets. In 1995, he entered the university to study law, and after lectures he played in various clubs and composed his own music. At the same time, he moves the studio from his bedroom to an actual studio. And all the first tracks came out of this studio, including such hits as “Touch Me” and “Communication”.

Since 1995, Armin has released many tracks on various labels with increasing success. The first big success was "Blue Fear", released on Cyber ​​Records. The track “Euro Trance Blueprint” even entered the UK chart. On the same label he released "Communication", which created a sensation in Ibiza in the summer of 1999. This track was signed to AM:PM and entered the UK chart at number 18 in 2000!

In early 1999, he founded his Armind label with United Recordings. One's first release under the name Gig was very well received. He released "4 Elements" under the name Gaia and teamed up with DJ Tiësto to create 2 projects: Major League "Wonder Where You Are?" on Blackhole and Alibi "Eternity", which was also released on Armind. "Eternity" was licensed to Paul van Dyk's VANDIT Records. Another collaboration followed: he teamed up with Ferry Corsten to record "Exhale" for the album "The System F". The Armind label gradually grew into a huge trance empire called Armada Music, with many sub-labels such as A State Of Trance, 68 Recordings, Bandung, Captivating Sounds, Club Elite, Coldharbour Recordings, Electronic Elements and Fame Recordings. This empire produces a huge variety of trance (and other) hits, and is currently considered the largest and most successful coalition of trance labels.

After remixing popular tracks such as "King of My Castle" for Wamdue Project, "Don't Call Me Baby" for Madison Avenue and "Walhalla" for Gouryella, Armin has become a highly sought after remixer and he turns down requests for remixes almost daily. Armin doesn't like to limit himself to a certain style of music. An expression he often uses is “Don’t be prisoner of your own style.” Armin likes to describe his musical style as euphoric, uplifting, melodic and energetic. It is a fact that Armin is very ambitious, but he does many things at the same time: he does studio and production work, and is a DJ. He believes that there is only one way to do something - to enjoy what you do. Armin wants his dreams to come true, namely “doing what he loves most and have as much fun as possible doing it.” Lately, Armin has been working on his DJ career, playing an average of two sets a week. As he says, “The fans and the public are the most important thing for a DJ.”

At the very beginning of his musical journey, Armin often published under various pseudonyms, such as Darkstar, Perpetuous Dreamer, Rising Star, Gaia, Gimmick. He also created several tracks with fellow trans-Dutchers Tiësto and Ferry Corsten. Together with Tiësto, he released the tracks “Eternity” under the pseudonym Alibi and “Wonder Where You Are?” in 2000. as Major League. And together with Ferry Corsten, he created the major trance hit "Exhale" for his project System F. However, since 2003, he usually releases under his own name, although he often uses pseudonyms to remix other people's and his own tracks.

In 1999, Armin released his first compilation, “Boundaries of Imagination,” which was followed in 2000 by a series of four compilations, “A State of Trance,” “Basic Instinct,” “In Motion,” and “Transparance,” which seamlessly combined imagine Armin's love for progressive music, techno and trance. Another series of his compilations, launched in 2003, “Universal Religion,” saw its third installment this year.

In March 2001, Armin launched his own radio show on ID&T Radio called "A State of Trance". Every week for two hours he plays the latest popular trance and progressive hits, opening the way to fame for many little-known musicians. This radio show celebrated its 300th anniversary episode in May 2007, and is currently the most popular trance show in the world. Based on this show, Armin created a compilation of the same name, annually since 2004 releasing a pair of discs of the most popular tracks performed during the program.

In 2003, Armin van Buuren released his debut album "76", which contained such mega-hits as: "Yet Another Day", "Burned With Desire", as well as new versions of "Blue Fear" and "Communication". The next album, “Shivers,” was released in 2005, and in addition to the hit of the same name, it also contained the tracks “Serenity”, “Zocalo”, “Who is Watching”, “Sail” and “Control Freak” released as singles. Other musicians who actively participated in the creation of these two albums were Gabriel & Dresden, Airwave, System F and M.I.K.E., as well as vocalists Justine Suissa, Nadia Ali and Ray Wilson.

The third album, released in 2006 under the title “10 Years”, was made up of three discs of Armin’s best work over the past ten years, new versions of old hits, remixes, as well as several completely new tracks: “Love You More”, “Saturday” Night" and "This World Is Watching Me".

Armin, taking advantage of his popularity as one of the best trance DJs, actively travels around the world, performing at the biggest events: Sensation White, Godskitchen and Gatecrasher. Those who were unable to watch him live can watch recordings of his performances on DVD; there are two discs with recordings of his performances: “Armin Only - The Next Level” and “Ahoy”.

Among the latest works of this wonderful musician and DJ are the single “Rush Hour” and a new version of his hit “The Sound Of Goodbye”, which was released back in 2001 under the pseudonym perpetuous dreamers.

In 2008, Armin confirmed his title as the number one DJ in the world, taking first place for the second time in a poll by DJ Mag magazine.

Date of birth: December 25, 1976 in Leiden, the Netherlands (Leiden, Netherlands);
Education: Almost finished studying Law at Leiden University;
Influences: LieBrand, Jean-Michel Jarre;
Likes: Cinema;
Hates: People who don't do what they promise;
First release: Armin - “Push”;
Best remixes: Geoffrey Williams - “Sex Life”, Wamdue Project - “King of My Castle”;
Best releases: Perpetuous Dreamer - “The Sound of Goodbye”;
Own style: Doesn’t like to be assigned to any style;
Favorite album: The Future Sound of London - “Lifeforms”, Jean-Michel Jarre - “Oxygene”;
Favorite house records: L.S.G. - “Netherworld”, Li Kwan - “Point Zero”.

Projects in which AvB participated:
- Alibi (together with DJ Tiеsto)
-Amsterdance
- Armania
- Armin
-Darkstar
- Electrix (together with Floris Klinkert)
- Gaia
- Gig
- Gimmick
- Hyperdrive Inc.
- Major League (together with DJ Tiеsto)
- Perpetual Dreamer
- Problem Boy
- Red & White (with Gert den Heijer)
- Rising Star
- The Shoeshine Factory
- The Technology (with Gert den Heijer)
- Wodka Waters (together with Olav Basoski).

He himself describes his style as euphoric, upbeat, melodic, energetic. Van Buuren's ambitions lead him to do everything at the same time: study, produce and DJ. Armin says: "The only way is to be satisfied with the work you do."

Name: Armin van Buuren

Age: 42 years

Height: 188

Activity: producer, DJ, composer, songwriter

Family status: married

Armin van Buuren: biography

Armin van Buuren – DJ, music producer, composer. Winner of 10 DJ Awards and five DJ Magazine awards, 27 IDMA awards and 2 International Golden Gnome Awards.

Childhood and youth

Armin was born on December 25, 1976 in the Netherlands in the city of Leiden. Dutch by nationality. The boy's father was fond of listening to modern music. In his childhood, Armin already understood different genres of music, fell in love with computer games, and began to show interest in new technologies.

The boy was greatly impressed by the work of the French composer of electronic music. While studying at school, Armin was preparing to enter the law faculty of Leiden University. At the age of 14, he purchased an Akai S-01 sampler and, with the help of his father’s synthesizer, created his first musical compositions, demo versions of which he sent to musician Ben Librand.

He, in turn, immediately included the tracks in the collection, and the young man used the proceeds to exchange the equipment for new ones. In 1995, Armin graduated from school and recorded his first vinyl record, “Blue Fear,” which gained popularity in the UK. After studying at the university for some time, van Buuren left his studies and returned to it only after 2003.

Music

The aspiring DJ's first place of work was the Nexus club. Armin's second successful musical composition, “Communication,” appeared in 1999 on AM PM Records and again entered the British charts. That same year, after a series of hours-long concerts, Armin van Buuren founded his own label, Armind. Gig's debut release "One" cemented the DJ's popularity.

On the wave of success, Armin teams up with DJ Tiësto and releases the Major League projects “Wonder Where You Are?” and Alibi "Eternity". Van Buuren's studio later opened a number of branches - A State of Trance, 68 Recordings, Bandung, Captivating Sounds, Club Elite, Coldharbour Recordings, Electronic Elements and Fame Recordings - and became an international empire for creating trance music.

At the beginning of 2001, Armin launched his own show, A State Of Trance, on the ID&T radio station. Every Thursday there is a two-hour mix of trance music hosted by Van Buuren.

The popularity of the show reaches 30 million simultaneous plays, which forces the creators to expand the show and make a video version of the performance from a studio in Amsterdam. Every year Armin releases two collections of the most popular radio recordings.

Armin van Buuren becomes the most recognizable figure in trance music, his biography arouses the interest of many fans, photos appear in publications dedicated to club music.

Van Buuren released his first solo album, “76,” in 2003. In the collection, the musician includes two world-famous hits - “Blue Fear” and “Burned With Desire”.

Traveling around the world with concerts, the DJ becomes a regular participant in Sensation White, Godskitchen and Gatecrasher events. When recording tracks, Armin collaborates with stars Gabriel & Dresden, Airwave, System F and M.I.K.E., Justine Suissa, Nadia Ali and Ray Wilson.

In 2007, according to DJ Mag magazine, Van Buuren took first place in the ranking of the 100 best DJs in the world. In 2008, Armin received the highest Dutch award, the Buma Cultuur Pop Award. In April of the same year, the musician released his third disc, “Imagine,” which immediately took first place in the Dutch popular music chart.

The video, filmed for the song “In and Out of Love” with the lead singer of the band Within Temptation Sharon den Adel, is becoming incredibly popular, the video has been watched by hundreds of millions of users. In 2008, Armin's first place in the world top list of DJs from DJ Mag was confirmed for the second time. Van Buuren repeats his success three more times: in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

In 2009, three labels Cloud 9 Music, Armada and Foreign Media Games took part in the creation of the music game "Armin van Buuren: In the Mix" for the Wii console. In 2010, the fourth of Armin van Buuren’s albums “Mirage” appeared, which included the songs “Full Focus”, “This Light Between Us”. In Russia, the disc receives platinum status, and takes fifth position in the world Dance/Electronic Albums ranking.

At the same time, he shot a joint video with Christian Burns for the song “This Light Between Us.” An equally successful duet on this album was a collaboration with. They recorded the track "Not Giving Up on Love". Soon, in support of the new record, he went on a world tour, during which he visited 15 countries.

The same year, Sirius XM Radio will launch a new 24-hour DJ show, A State of Sundays. Armin van Buuren repeatedly holds the record for being on stage continuously for a large amount of time. One of the musician’s recorded records is a 12-hour concert of trance music, from the stage of which Armin did not leave for a minute.

Van Buuren celebrates the 10th anniversary of the trance show A State of Trance with concerts in the capital of South Africa, Miami, Buenos Aires, the Dutch province of 's-Hertogenbosch and Sydney. In 2013, the DJ’s fifth disc, “Intense,” was released. It includes 15 tracks, including the song "Waiting for the Night", recorded with the participation of singer Fiora, and "Beautiful Life" with Cindy Alma.

That same year, Armin was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Dance Recording category. According to Forbes for 2013, his earnings amounted to $10 million.

In 2013, during the coronation of Willem-Alexander, the son of Queen Beatrix, Armin is invited to headline a gala concert. During the musician's performance with the Concertgebouw Symphony Orchestra, Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and their three daughters appear on stage. The video of the event is freely available on YouTube.

Armin van Buuren became a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau for his contribution to music.

Armin’s latest album to date, “Embrace,” appears in 2015.

In the same year, the most expensive club in the world, Omnia, opened in Las Vegas. The most popular DJs were invited to the opening, including Armin van Buuren. For his performance at the opening ceremony, the organizers paid him about $80,000.

In 2016, Armin recorded the songs “Sunny days” and “I need you”, for which two videos were released at the beginning of 2017. In the spring of 2017, van Buuren visited Moscow with a large-scale show at the Olimpiysky sports complex.

35 musicians took part in preparations for the concert, entitled Armin Only Embrace, including members of the Danish group Kensington, vocalist Simo Frankel, and rap artist Mr Probz. In March of the same year, the musician visited the USA, where the Live at Ultra Music Festival took place in Miami.

Personal life

In 1999, at a concert performance that took place on the island of Cyprus, Armin met compatriot Erica van Thiel and soon began dating her.

Erica was by his side all this time, she accompanied Armin at all events, while steadfastly withstanding the attacks of the DJ’s numerous fans. And he is truly an enviable groom. Tall (height 196 cm), fit (weight 80 kg), brown-eyed blond.

The couple was in no hurry to formalize their relationship. The reason for this was the incredible popularity of van Buren and, accordingly, his constant employment. They lived for almost 10 years in a civil marriage.

On September 18, 2009, the wedding took place, Erica and Armin became official husband and wife. Two years after the wedding, the musician

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 twenty years, the Grammy-nominated Dutchman has been living to the rhythm of his own international success. His five-time number one position in the critically acclaimed DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 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 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 of 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 learned about the technology from there.” Armin progressed from making low-profile mix tapes for friends to high-end mixes when he started 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 from 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 has always been 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 down.”

No matter how many hours Armin van Buuren has traveled 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 kick 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 units 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 and 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 were surprised both the crowd and 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 a new milestone when he became 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 had 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 theater 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 brandished 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.

As if to underline the success of the residency, Armin returned to the Ushuaïa Beach Hotel a year later for another ‘A State Of Trance at Ushuaïa, Ibiza’ summer. His performances in the center of the Ushuaïa pool were met with widespread passion and enthusiasm among his fans, subsequently leading to the release of the second volume of his Ushuaïa compilation series: ‘A State Of Trance at Ushuaïa, Ibiza 2015’.

On January 26 th , 2016, Armin van Buuren announced the first two dates of his brand-new Armin Only Embrace world tour, to which even more dates were added later on through a live announcement at A State Of Trance Festival Utrecht on February 27 th . 'Armin Only: Embrace' has since seen a spectacular kick-off in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and has brought a spectacular offering to other cities, including Gdansk (Poland), Dubai (UAE), Sofia (Bulgaria), Minsk (Belarus), and Mexico City (Mexico and more.

In 2017, on Friday, May 12th and Saturday, May 13th, Armin van Buuren celebrated his twenty-year anniversary as an artist in one of the most prestigious venues of the Netherlands. Both shows in the Amsterdam ArenA sold out in no time, which allowed Armin van Buuren to celebrate the special occasion with tens of thousands of his most loyal fans and to create a memory able to withstand the test of time.

In the summer of 2017, Armin van Buuren returned to the White Isle for another highly anticipated summer residency. Gracing Hï Ibiza – one of Ibiza's newest and hottest clubs – with sublime Wednesday Night shows alongside fellow-Dutchmen and friends Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Armin van Buuren does what he does best: rousing crowds beyond belief and giving them the time of their lives for the full duration of the show.

THE RADIO HOST

What started as an obsession for radio has turned into a weekly highlight for more than 41 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 two-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’, ‘Progressive Pick’, ‘Service For Dreamers’, 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 nine 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 kicked off his A State of Trance 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 invaded Utrecht, Buenos Aires, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Sydney and Melbourne, Mexico, and other destinations worldwide. Episode #700 was also 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 were used to create an entirely fan-made episode, which marked the first time in the world a major dance radio show has ever done this.

After hitting the world with another series of A State Of Trance events (A State Of Trance 750), the very first edition of A State Of Trance 800 was also announced by Armin van Buuren during one of his radio show’s episodes. In February 2017, A State Of Trance 800 kicked off in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, the Netherlands, likely to be a springboard to other full-blown A State Of Trance 800 events.

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’ 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 two-hour mega mix showcasing over a hundred 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 ten 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. Furthermore, Armin was awarded 4x certified Platinum for his ASOT Year Mix 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.

In 2017, Armin van Buuren opened a brand-new radio studio in the HQ of Armada Music in Amsterdam, from which the A State Of Trance episodes are broadcast live.

THE PRODUCER

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.

Armin van Buuren can now look back on the success of his '76' (2003), 'Shivers' (2005), 'Imagine' (2008), 'Mirage' (2010), 'Intense' (2013) and 'Embrace' (2015) 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 64 million views to date.

After indulging his fans with a fresh Armin van Buuren presents. Rising Star record ('Safe Inside You' feat. Betsie Larkin), an official remix of the 'Game Of Thrones Theme', and a collaboration with Electronic Music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre ('Stardust'), Armin announced the name of his forthcoming artist album during his ASOT radio show on Thursday September 3rd of 2015.

‘Embrace’ emerged as Armin’s sixth full-length artist album on October 29th, filled with remarkable collaborations with the likes of Mr. Probz ('Another You'), Hardwell ('Off The Hook'), Cimo Fränkel ('Strong Ones'), world-famous Dutch Jazz trumpeter Eric Vloeimans ('Embrace') award-winning Dutch band Kensington ('Heading Up High' '), U.K. singer-songwriter BullySongs (‘Freefall’ and ‘Caught In The Slipstream’) and fellow Grammy nominee Gavin DeGraw (‘Looking For Your Name’).

Said Armin of the stylistic diversity of ‘Embrace’, “Each of the instruments you see on the album cover – which was shot by Anton Corbijn – was an instrument actually used on the album! I thought it would be a real challenge to myself to try to create dance music using all of these disparate instruments. I really wanted to push myself past my comfort zone and create something very exciting not just for me, but for all the lovers of music out there. I hope you enjoy it.” Judging by the ecstatic reaction of audiences whenever Armin plays his album cuts onstage, he has, once again, succeeded.

In August 2016, Armin van Buuren put out his ‘Old Skool’ mini album. Inspired by the track 'Old Skool' on the 'Embrace' album, Armin van Buuren went on to revamp timeless classics such as Human Resource – 'Dominator', The Ultimate Seduction – 'The Ultimate Seduction', Speedy J – 'Pull Over' , and more. The result, a seven-piece mini album, takes his fans back to where it all started by brandishing a piece of dance music history.

As far as Armin van Buuren’s past few singles go, he’s following through on the notion that involves going out of his comfort zone to do whatever inspires him the most. He has already turned 2017 into an excellent year by dropping three summer-flavored smashes: 'I Need You' (with Garibay feat. Olaf Blackwood), 'Sunny Days' (feat. Josh Cumbee) and 'You Are' with Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, the anthem for their joint summer residency at Hï Ibiza. It shows just how versatile and open-minded Armin van Buuren is and that’s exactly what makes him remain a top player to this day.

THE LABEL OWNER

In 2003, plans emerged to set up a record label: Armada Music. Together with Maykel Piron and David Lewis (Ar-Ma-Da), Armin built the foundation of one of the most successful record labels worldwide. Armada Music (voted ‘Best Global Record Label’ five years in a row) is home to more than 40 sub labels and releases productions by some of the industry’s biggest names and rising talents. Armin’s very own ‘Armind’, ‘A State of Trance’, and ‘Who’s Afraid Of 138?!’ labels have found a safe haven at Armada Music, as well as his ‘A State of Trance’ compilation series and artist albums.

With imprints such as Armada Trice, Armada Deep, Armada Captivating, and The Bearded Man as the main pillars of the record label, the label has branched out to a whole array of different styles and genres, with Lost Frequencies' hit singles 'Are You With Me' and 'Reality' (feat. Janieck Devy) as sterling examples of ensued success.

Within the fourteen years of its existence, Armada Music has become one of the most diverse record labels in electronic music, with over eighty employees contributing to the enormous growth of Armada. In 2017, Armada Music was voted #7 in Mixmag’s “Label Of The Decade” poll.

Despite his ambitious and hectic schedule, Armin still serves as A&R of the Armind, Who’s Afraid Of 138?! , and A State of Trance labels.

Dutch DJ, producer Armin van Buuren, performs trance music. Hosts his own radio show "A State of Trance". Armin is the founder of the electronic music record label Armada Music.

Armin van Buuren Born into a musical family in Leiden, from the age of 10 he became interested in electronic music on the computer. With his first earnings, the boy bought himself two turntables and began making remixes. At the age of 16, Armin recorded his first remix, with which he went to his idol Ben Lybrand.

After graduation van Buuren worked as a DJ in a local club. At the age of 19, he entered the university to study law, but never graduated.

Creative activity of Armin van Buuren/Armin van Buuren

Armin's first single "Blue Fear" brought him tremendous success. The track entered the UK chart. Next single "Communication" made a splash in Ibiza in 1999.

Same year Armin van Buuren founded his own label “Armind”, where he began releasing singles under various pseudonyms. Business brought him not only success, but also popularity. On his label, Armin also helps aspiring musicians release their tracks.

I love my music and my work so much that even if they stopped paying me for my performances, I would still continue to play and travel for free,” Armin Van Buuren shares in an interview. - I simply cannot live without music, without turntables. I love seeing people on the dance floor, creating something new, combining incongruous things. For me this is more important than any money. After all, this is my whole life. So yes - if I really like the idea of ​​the event or the story behind it, I might do it for free. No problem.

In 2001, the young DJ launched his two-hour show on ID&T radio. "A State Of Trance". Now this program is broadcast in 25 countries around the world. In Russia Armina van Buuren can be heard on Friday nights on Radio NRJ.

The radio show is perhaps the most important part of my career,” said Armin. - A State Of Trance - the most complete and diverse collection of all types of trance music! Everything you want to know about trance and progressive, all the new stuff you want to hear, all the latest tracks and news - it's all on my show every week. I don't play tracks multiple times. If suddenly a track was played on several programs, it means it’s just an absolute hit, and I want everyone to pay attention to it. The first part of the show is always only new items, only fresh tracks that no one has heard before.

In 2010 van Buuren visited 15 countries in support of his new album “Mirage”. Currently, the DJ has released 10 studio albums, the latest of which "Intense: The More Intense Edition" 2013.

Once I played in the final of the European football championship, I was invited to the closing ceremony. And so I played for several hours, the games ended, the stadium was empty, the spectators left. And I liked the acoustics at the stadium so much that I continued to play. The players have already had time to rest after the games. Hearing the music, they ran out to the stadium and started fooling around. They brought sports mats into the stadium and began to tumble, dance, wrestle, and in the end they simply fell on these mats from fatigue.

Armin van Buuren doesn’t like it when his music is categorized into any style. He describes his musical style as euphoric, uplifting, melodic and energetic.

In 2014 Armin van Buuren plans to fly into space as the first tourist DJ.

Personal life of Armin van Buuren/Armin van Buuren

September 17, 2009 Armin van Buuren married Erice van Thiel. The ceremony took place in Holland. They met on the island of Crete. On July 24, 2011, their daughter Fena was born, and two years later their son Remy.

Today we will talk about the legendary musician, whose passion for music has made him one of the most influential figures in the world of the club and dance scene. Four times our today's hero became the first DJ on the planet according to the DJ Mag Top-100 rating. He is the recipient of an astounding number of prestigious awards (including Electronic Dance Music Awards and Beatport Music Awards). He is an Officer of the Orange Order (The Order of Oranje-Nassau), received from the hands of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, at whose jubilee he was a guest of honor. The financial condition of this musician is estimated at 40 million dollars. Ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about the Dutch DJ and producer Armin Van Buuren! Welcome to the world of real feelings! Let's listen and enjoy together with Friday.com!

* before reading, connect headphones to your computer and turn on the player;)

Your browser does not support playing this audio file:(Please update your browser!

When silence reigns around, you are left alone with yourself. The only sound you hear is the beating of your heart, filling every cell of your body. It gives birth to life and the need to move. This feeling cannot be confused with anything. This is the Sense of Rhythm.

I miss you like a flower misses the rain,
The song of love cuts through the ringing silence.
Notes of feeling draw and fly up,
The body and every thought breathes happiness.

Joy gently flickers at dawn,
The doors of the heart are open - you come into my world.
I love this life and I can fly
It needs to be felt, not understood.

Someone thinks in the past, and someone on the way
Behind tomorrow's future, and all as one.
I ask everyone to live here and now,
After all, love rules the world and each of us.

Samir Kuliev

Our today's hero is four times the first DJ on the planet according to the DJ Mag Top-100 rating and the winner of many prestigious awards. Many interesting facts are associated with his name, for example, he released some of his releases under different names. In total, this artist has 23 pseudonyms. This is more than the famous nickname lover Fatboy Slim. However, the main thing for him always remains art. About himself he says: “Even though I am at the center of the club business, I am far from it. Even if I were unknown to anyone, I would still continue to make electronic music, because it is the most important thing for me.” Ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about the Dutch DJ and producer Armin Van Buuren.

Armin Van Buuren feat Nadia Ali “Who’s Watching” (Original)

Armin Van Buuren was born in the picturesque Dutch town of Leiden. Leiden is a cozy place in the south of the Netherlands, standing on the Old Rhine River. The town is famous for being the birthplace of the great Dutch artist Rembrandt. Marina Tsvetaeva and Alexander Blok found relaxation on the streets of Leiden. It was here that inspiration came to them, which prompted the poets to write some of their famous poems.

So, born on December 25, 1976, our hero Armin Van Buuren was surrounded by music from a very young age. Beautiful melodies always sounded at the baby's cradle. The parents of the future dance floor star were musicians. As a child, Armin was fond of football, and later he was captivated by cars and everything connected with them. But subsequently, his passion for music overcame all his hobbies, and the future artist devoted himself entirely, as the poet would say, to “serving music.”

Already in adolescence, young Van Buren spent all his accumulated money on musical records. Since childhood, Armin listened to a variety of music. His player played works by such performers as Tomita, Kitaro, Klaus Schulze and others.

“My parents didn’t like my passion for electronics at all, but for me it was really cool,”- the musician recalls in an interview. When the young talent was 10 years old, his mother won a computer in the lottery. Armin immediately showed interest in the “miracle of technology.” In addition, at the encouragement of his parents, he began to attend piano courses and mastered this instrument quite well. Having become popular, Armin will say in an interview: “I have had a passion for two things since childhood: on the one hand, music, on the other, computers. Computers have always interested me, so electronics and dance music are a great combination.”

Already in his youth, Van Buren gradually began to master programs for creating music. He learned all the possibilities of recording and mixing technology. By the age of fourteen, Armin bought his first sampler and, with the help of his father's AKAI S-01 mono synthesizer, began working hard on creating his own tracks. The young Van Buuren was greatly influenced by such masters of electronic music as Jean-Michel Jarre and Ben Liebrand.

By the way, Ben Lybrand is one of the first European DJs to create mixes for publication and broadcast. Ben is rightfully considered one of the founders of studio DJing in Europe. Back in the 70s, he came up with something like DJ mixes, some compilations that he compiled specifically for disco clubs.

But let's return to Armin Van Buren, who, after a long and intense work, began to send the fruits of his labors to Ben Librand. Ben, having listened to the guy’s works, realized that he was dealing with a capable musician, and invited him to conduct a kind of master class on the music business. Armin was overjoyed. Subsequently, Librand introduced the young musician to the DJ and production craft. It is quite possible that it was this man who had a great influence on the musical tastes of young Van Buren and indirectly contributed to Armin’s dazzling rise to the dance Olympus.

Armin Van Buuren feat. Miri Ben-Ari "Intense"

Van Buren's passion for music and friends with whom he exchanged vinyl records and organized friendly competitions in knowledge of fashionable music became a great support for Van Buren.

“It was exactly that moment when I was growing up and looking for my own individuality, my own style. All my friends listened to dance music and it was crazy popular in the Netherlands. Even back then we were all spending a fortune on vinyl records. I was still young enough to go to clubs, and I received information through radio shows on Dutch radio stations. I went to clubs while listening to the radio. I closed my eyes and mentally found myself on the dance floor of any club.”

After Armin received a lot of useful knowledge and advice from Ben Librand, he became more confident in his abilities and got a job as a DJ at a small local club called Nexus. Van Buren remembers his first DJ experience: “It was very difficult to play in a club for a small audience back then. The audience was capricious and did not always dance, so the main task was to get the female half of the audience to dance. If the girls danced, then the guys also went out onto the dance floor. It seems to me that this picture is very similar to what is happening in many clubs today. It’s a little strange to see how the public puts forward an ultimatum to DJs, saying “if you don’t put on a hit, I won’t dance.” And so DJs, like waiters, strive to fulfill the listeners’ orders and play them mostly hits, often low-grade ones, so that the dance floor does not become empty. It’s scary to think what kind of devaluation of the profession this will lead to.”

As he grew older, Armin Van Buren entered the university to study law. “We made a deal with my father because he didn’t believe that I would succeed in music. To tell the truth, I didn’t believe it either. After all, there is so much competition in this area, there are so many great DJs and musicians. So I didn't expect to make it in the world of DJing, so I went to college as a fallback option. After receiving my diploma, an invitation to work was already waiting for me, but I decided to take a break for DJing for about a year or two. And you know, my thoughts are still somewhere in that “magic year”. I never dreamed or planned to become a DJ. I just became one."- Van Buren recalls.

Armin Van Buuren feat. Fiora "Breathe In Deep"

After graduating from university, Van Buren worked more and more on his music and played in clubs. In 1995, the musician tries to release music, sending out mailings to many labels. The musician's first big success was a release called "Blue Fear", released on Cyber ​​Records. The track “Euro Trance Blueprint” even entered the UK charts. On the same label, he released the action film “Communication”, which created a sensation on the dance floors of Ibiza in the summer of 1999.

Inspired by trance music, Armin increasingly focuses on writing tracks. “I like trance because it is able to convey to the listener all the subtle shades of emotions. It seems to me that of all the musical styles, the diversity of which lives in electronic music, trance is the most intense, rich in mood and at the same time energetic.”

When creating music, and in the music business in general, Armin focused more and more on copyright law. And when I started my own business, I realized what paths I needed to take.

Armin Van Buuren, honing his own style, began to try to release many diverse tracks under different pseudonyms, such as Darkstar, Perpetuous Dreamer, Rising Star, Gaia, Gimmick and others. He also created several tracks with fellow trans-Dutchers Tiesto and Ferry Corsten.

Armin Van Buuren feat. Sharon Den Adel "In And Out Of Love"

In June 2001, Armin first launched his own radio show called "A State Of Trance" - a weekly 2-hour radio show. It all started as a little-known program broadcast only within one city. But then, during his performances, Armin began to notice that the audience recognized certain tracks that he played on air. This inspired him greatly. Now the show “A State Of Trance” has more than 20 million listeners around the world. Ever since Armin started listening to Dutch radio in his youth, he knew for sure that he wanted to have his own radio show. “When I was little, I promised myself that if the opportunity came to do my own radio show, I would not miss it. This was, perhaps, the primary dream.”

“My radio show is the cornerstone of everything I do. When I need to release releases, talk about my personal life, about the tour - I do all this through the releases of “A State Of Trance”. Perhaps a radio show is a kind of frank heart-to-heart conversation, which I personally really like,” says Van Buren.

In 2003, Armin Van Buuren, together with producers Maykel Piron and David Lewis, launched the most popular Dutch record label, Armada Music. For 5 years in a row the company received the award as “Best World Record Label”. The conglomerate has attracted many famous electronic musicians to collaborate, from Markus Schulz. Now, under the wings of the giant Armada Music, there are more than 25 sub-labels releasing a wide variety of music, including “Armind” and “A State Of Trance”, which are led by Van Buuren himself.

In 2003, Armin Van Buuren released his debut album "76", which contained such mega-hits as: "Yet Another Day", "Burned With Desire", as well as new versions of "Blue Fear" and "Communication". He records an insane amount of remixes of such popular tracks as “King of My Castle” by Wamdue Project, “Don’t Call Me Baby” by Madison Avenue and “Walhalla” by Gouryella, thereby establishing himself not only as an excellent musician and DJ, but also as an incredibly gifted remixer.

Armin Van Buuren feat. Adam Young "Youtopia"

A separate niche in the work of Armin Van Buuren is occupied by touring activities and epic shows that the maestro gives all over the world. Armin, taking advantage of his popularity as one of the best trance DJs, travels extensively, performing at major events such as Sensation White, Godskitchen, Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival and many others. In 2006, Armin began to master new technologies in the world of the music industry, which replaced traditional vinyl and CD.

Ranked #1 DJ four years in a row (according to DJ Mag's poll), Armin has opened previously closed doors. On the one hand, he continues to do what he wants - to work with the best promoters, the best clubs. On the other hand, in order to keep the title, which loudly proclaims his uniqueness, he has to keep the bar high, so Armin and his huge team are constantly coming up with something new. As Van Buren himself says: “The fans and the public are the most important things to me.».

He collaborates with many artists such as: Sharon den Adel, Emma Hewitt, Miri Ben-Ari. Having reached incredible heights in music, Armin has created several successful music shows that are popular all over the world. An important moment in the career of Armin Van Buuren is his seven-hour show “Armin Only”. It all started in a small room where Armin simply played his music. Now it is a whole performance, woven from special effects and filled with performances by artists and musicians.

For Van Buren, his show “Armin Only” is an opportunity to show all of himself and demonstrate his love for music. “For short sets you can play only what is popular at the moment, but for many hours you can play the music that DJs save just for such occasions.”

Armin Van Buuren feat. Winter Kills "Take A Moment"

As for the personal moments of Armin Van Buuren’s life, in 2009 he married Erika Van Thiel, whom he dated for nine years. Their daughter Fenna was born in 2011, and their son Remi was born in 2013. Remy's birth happened just as Armin was scheduled to perform at Tomorrowland. He recalls being in the room with his wife and newborn baby and realizing that thousands of listeners were waiting for him “there.” Seeing her husband's confusion, Erica asked if all this was really important to him at such a crucial moment?