A NEW YORK
STATE OF TRANCE ARMIN VAN BUUREN AND THE NEW WO TAKE OVER MSG FOR ASOT 600
“The bigger you get, the more humble you get,” says Armin van Buuren, arguably the most worshipped DJ/producer in dance music. Does it get any bigger for the #1 DJ in the world to perform at the world’s most famous arena? For God’s sake, even if you don’t know the difference between Zedd and Zed’s Dead, you know who Armin is. The 36-year-old Dutch demigod goes on, “You begin to really appreciate every little thing people do for you.”
It’s nice to hear such gracious words coming from the man who was newly re-crowned the people’s DJ. And rightfully so. He co-owns the extremely successful music label, Armada Records, has an endless touring schedule, playing just about every single electronic dance music festival across the globe, was named DJ of the year five out of the last six years, is the founder of the most popular dance radio show on the planet, and still finds the time to play the rolls of father and husband.
Sir van Buuren is a walking paradigm of his aural discography, exuding intensity, euphoria and good vibes amidst a smooth exterior. AvB sits high above the narrow cobblestoned streets of the Meatpacking District on the roof of the posh Dream Hotel Downtown in New York City. He wears plain jeans and a T-shirt, and listening to the musical legend talk about his craft as he prepares to play a show most only dream of, is incredibly surreal. After all, he is a father figure to trance.
Somewhere in between Bob Dylan and Ray Charles status, van Buuren has made a profound statement for trance through- out his career. Now, he sees it his responsibility to foster and promote the genre. “I’m in a position now where I can actually showcase new talent to people,” he says. “Tomas Heredia, Andrew Rayel, Orjan Nilsen and all the new guys - I can give them a stage. I can introduce these people to new fans and they can really grow and help the sound further. This is my mission and what I want to do.“
Every DJ in the business has a radio show at the moment. As millions can attest, ASOT is not just another weekly radio show. ASOT takes you out of your head and introduces you to a state of timeless perfection that is all about the present moment. For the 25 million listeners that tune in on the regular, ASOT is as customary to Thursday afternoon as shower- ing, putting on deodorant and getting oneself out the front door in the morning.
It would appear that there was a brilliant marketing plan behind ASOT from the start. But there really wasn’t. In 2001 when Armin was invited by ID&T to come to the studio to discuss a possible radio show, he actually debuted his first broadcast. “I thought I’d have to play some records to show them what my idea behind the show was. But that was actually episode 1. I was literally thrown in the deep having no experience in making a radio show at all,” he laughs.
Behind the show’s content and expertise set construction, van Buuren is fascinated by the power of radio. The contin- ued success and real beauty of ASOT is that harvesting and showcasing talents has always been an important part of the show. “I try to challenge myself and I try to do something that I find interesting musically. I try to put on DJs that I think deserve to really grow.”
It is a well-known fact that every 50th episode of the radio show has been celebrated through a live show. So when the famed DJ sat down to decide which cities would make the cut for the 600th episode, van Buuren announced that he wanted to go on “an expedition,” venturing to new cities, spreading his understanding of music as it relates to us, almost in a biblical sense. “Why? Because I believe in this sound,” he said. Thus, ASOT 600: “The Expedition” was born. Van
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Buuren and his small army (Armin’s army) spent storm passed all around the world - Madrid, Mex Guatemala, New York, finishing the tour in his ho
“It’s quite unbelievable to think who performed Madonna, but tonight the trance family is taking formance happening at the iconic Madison Squar conversation.
While much of the East Coast was still recovering lucky enough to be graced with van Buuren’s thir party at Lavo and New Year’s Eve at Pier 36 - but says, feels like “holy ground” in the U.S.
Van Buuren is only the second DJ to play MSG, af 2011, packing the indoor arena usually reserved talents like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Tickets to the affair sold out within one hour of g hour slot for each artist as MSG has a strict curfe the floor) after music lovers emptied their wallet for the five-hour event. It may have been short in
Come nightfall, it was one of the warmest nights of the show, I arrived at the Garden and was plea trance arena, brimming with an undeniable ener rience. Armin tees, a subdued amount of neon an displayed the basketball score flashed the Armad
As Armin tells us, ASOT is “bigger than me.” He s genre and the question is how do I see trance mu W and the highly anticipated debut of Ferry Cors “Tonight, I’m putting on artists that are not sign the sound, good for all of us. I think one of the m together; that’s what we’re going to do tonight.”
Alex M.O.R.P.H. is not a familiar name to most da his homeland of Germany, Alexander Mieling loo sporting a trucker hat with the phrase “Who’s Afr For the record, I had imagined the GA pit to be a abundant room to move.
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