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dom 11-nov-2007 19:40
Armin van Buuren was recently voted the #1 DJ Mag Top 100 DJ, affirming his ever-growing popularity worldwide. After five years of being ranked in the top 10 and last year?s #2 standing, Armin was able to takeover the No.1 DJ crown from Paul van Dyk and past three consecutive year winner Tiesto.
Now Armin embarks on another major US tour for his latest mix compilation Universal Religion 2008: Live from Armada at Ibiza. The album was recorded live on August 21 in summer 2007, during the Armada night at legendary Amnesia nightclub. On the live element Armin says, ?It adds to the feeling, the experience, so you can feel like you?re there, having a great time with your friends.? The unplanned set list became the perfect CD release: a spontaneous selection of records that embodies the timeless Balearic sound of Ibiza against the buzz of a crowd enjoying a world-renowned club. ?I had the first two tracks lined up, and the rest I just chose as I played, gauged on the reaction from the dancefloor,? says Armin. ?Tracks like Big Sky, Sunlounger and Daydream are pure Balearic gems. It?s scary to record something live but once the music starts flowing you lose yourself to it?.
On top of his already vigorous schedule with the release of A State of Trance 2007 album, Armin continues to broadcast his hugely popular international radio show "A State of Trance" which can now be heard in 20 countries by 2.5 million people every week. Meanwhile, Armin continues to play gigs and festivals all across the world and spread his own unique brand of soaring, electronic dance music.
"Universal Religion 2008" compilation mixed by Armin van Buuren is out on Ultra Records - December 4th, 2007. (this is the same as Universal Religion: Chapter 3, already released in Europe)
The day of his New York City performance, Friday, November 9th 2007, thanks to our friends at Made Event and Ultra Records we had the opprtunity to interview, over the phone, the newly crowned, world number 1 Dj
The interview itself
1. Congratulations on being #1 Armin, are you sick of this question yet, how does it feel to be on top ?
Armin van Buuren: No, definitely not sick of that question, this is great, it?s always been a dream of mine, achieving this, but it was never the goal, just a dream that I?ve always had. It?s so special because it?s an award voted on by clubbers, not some judges in the industry or something, just people from all over the world who listen to the music and love it. This is such an honor, to be honest, and I?m telling you this straight from my heart, it hasn?t even set in yet, this idea that I?m number 1, I?m just really honored
2. Why is 2007 the year that this happened ?
Armin van Buuren: I?m not sure, the people just decided it, I don?t know why now. This wasn?t particularly a special year; there wasn?t an artist release or Armin Only this year. The A Sate of Trance 2007 CD?s did well and ASOT episode 300 was really popular, so I guess that helped. I just really enjoy doing my thing and playing the trance music I love. The radio show, CD?s, DVD?s, are all about really good trance music for the people.
3. During your set at DJ Mag?s top 100 show you dropped Paul Van Dyk?s ?New York City? track, was that your way of honoring him ?
Armin van Buuren: No, I just love the track, and of course I love Paul Van Dyk, he still is and always has been one of my favorites. I love the new album he released this year, I know there was some negativity towards it, but I don?t get it, I have played at least 4 tracks from that album this year, and ?New York City? is one of tracks that have really done well in my sets lately
4. What it is like to look at the DJ Mag 100 list and see your name on top, and all those famous names under you.
Armin van Buuren: I admire my colleagues so much, I look at these names and I can?t believe I?m on that list with them. If Carl Cox walked in here right now I would be humble and shy. All these DJ?s are great and it?s special to be on this list with them.
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dom 11-nov-2007 19:41
5. Your live sets and ASOT radio show has grown so diverse, all the genres of EDM can be found from minimal to house, why has this evolution occurred ?
Armin van Buuren: I DJ for the crowd, not for myself, if it was for me the music would be real ambient, weird sounding. These track lists are for the crowd. I want to make sure the people are dancing and into the music, sometimes you have to play a track that?s different, so the crowd doesn?t get bored and the energy level stays high. DJs have to take risks sometimes and that can mean playing new stuff, or different types like a minimal sound or a Dubfire track. It?s all about the energy in the club; I have to work for them. I read reviews on forums and people?s comments on the track lists and I don?t feel just by reading that list you can get a feel for what is was like to be there or why I played that track at that moment. That?s what people have to understand, a DJ has to do what?s right at that moment, to make the people dance. I?m very open-minded about music. The trance people on the forums have to understand that trance is not a static phenomenon, it?s something that moves and changes, it?s very dynamic. When I look at Beatport and they classify a song as electro or minimal, who decided that, why can?t it be trance. If the song rocks a crowd, if it make?s the dance floor move, then that?s what counts, not what style it is.
6. So did I catch you saying you check out the message boards ?
Armin van Buuren: No, (he says laughing), I have an assistant who looks at them, especially after the radios show, to see what tracks were well liked. I don?t mind the constructive criticism on the boards, on the radio show we are just testing out tracks, on the forums we find out which one?s people like. The best is when I play a track the first time and they don?t like it, but then by second and third they start to really get it and enjoy it. If the forums are used to discuss which tracks are good, then it can be really useful. The boards like trance.nu, tranceaddict, uktrancealliance, are great for music; they spread the word about the radio shows, the gigs, and releases.
7. It seems as if every trance DJ now has a radio show because of ASOT, what is that like ?
Armin van Buuren: I find it flattering, I don?t think club DJ?s always realized the importance of radio, When I was growing up I hated my parents, I had long hair, a typical kid, and I would ride my bicycle and listen to the radio. Dutch radio in the early 90?s had some shows that were playing EDM, or ?house? as it was called it then. I always said to myself when I was riding to school I want to start my own radio show if I ever get the chance one day. When the people at Radio 538 gave me the opportunity, I think ASOT 1 was on June 1st, I thought ok it would just be one show or something like that; it was just in Dutch at the beginning. I never realized it would get this big; something like over 3 million people or more come to listen. When it started some kids began to stream it over the internet, then I heard it was on this web site or that site and it just kept on spreading and getting bigger. I really knew it was big when I did the show, I think ASOT 30, on a Thursday and then on that Saturday I was playing a set in New Zealand and some kids were holding up signs with the names of tracks that I had just debut on that past radio show, it was crazy. The power of the internet to spread the show and with the DI.FM deal we just grew so much. That?s what this all about, right, sharing great tracks, making people happy, and if all these radio shows are sharing all this great music then everyone is happy. The competition keeps me fresh and makes the people get what they want.
8. Explain how Universal Religion Chapter 3 (or ?Universal Religion 2008? in the USA) Live from Armada at Ibiza came about.
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dom 11-nov-2007 19:41
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
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