Armin van Buuren: I just decided the day before the show I was going to record it. I went out brought some really expensive microphones, soundcards, and equipment then I went to Amnesia in Ibiza and started setting up everything myself, I was sick and tired of waiting for the engineers in Ibiza to do it, so I just did it myself, it was real hardcore (he says laughing), I was there doing all this wiring. Earlier in the year I did a live set on the ASOT radio show, the response was huge, and everybody was so excited! People wanted more live sets, so I recorded this set, licensed the tracks, and went in the studio the next week and worked on mixing the songs, the crowd levels, and turned up the volume real loud! Not every track was a perfect mix, but it was a live show so I left it like that, the buildup was great, and the crowd was fantastic, so we decided to put it out as Universal Religion 3. Many people said how much they liked Universal Religion Chapter 2 and they wanted another one, this was a real good recording, so we did it. I hope it gives the guy sitting in his office in New York the feeling of being at Amnesia, this great club in Ibiza, and it just brings that person into that time, like a photograph of the moment. The CD is all about this Balearic sound and experience.

9. You have played New York City many times what is it like, why do you enjoy it so much ?

Armin van Buuren: (Laughing) Frank Sinatra said it right, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. I owe NYC big thanks, they voted for me in the DJ Mag poll, the most votes come from America and New York is obviously the biggest market. The New York crowds are critical, they know their music, they?re educated, so it?s a challenge, you have to try and surprise them every time. They know what they to want to hear and they know what to expect because they read the boards so it is a really big challenge to bring them something new and different, but I Love them. They are like a country within a country because they are so unique and they do know there music, it?s always special to play there.

Universal Religion 2008 compilation mixed by Armin van Buuren is out on Ultra Records - December 4th, 2007.

Universal Religion 2008: Live from Armada @ Ibiza Tracklisting:


1. Sunlounger - Another Day at the Terrace
2. Dash Berlin - Till the Sky Falls Down (dub)
3. Jose Amnesia feat. Jennifer Rene - Invincible (Sied van Riel remix)
4. Dubfire - Roadkill (EDX?s Acapulco At night remix)
5. David West - Welsh Morphology (Anjunabeats)
6. Markus Schulz vs Andy Moor ? Daydream
7. Terk Dawn - Barent Blue (Marninx pres. Monogato remix) (well mixed recordings)
8. Aly & Fila vs FKN feat. Jahala - How Long?
9. Mungo - Summer Blush
10. Forerunners - Life Cycle (Deep Blue)
11. The Doppler Effect - Beauty Hides in the deep (John O Callaghan remix)
12. John O Callaghan feat. Audrey Gallagher - Big Sky (Agnelli & Nelson remix)
13. Thomas Bronzwaer - Resound (United)
14. Armin van Buuren feat. Susana - If you Should Go