tamarisk
April 20th, 2004, 07:25 AM
why is he famous?
From music releases like Sunburn and Yet Another Dub to remixes of "As The Rush Comes" and "Time Is The Healer," Armin van Buuren has been seducing dance crowds with his DJing and producing abilities since he was 19 years old.
quick bio
Born in Holland on December 25, 1976, to a musical family, Armin van Buuren was using a computer (that his mother won) to write basic programs and spending all his money on records by the age of 10.
By 19, Armin officially entered the electronic dance scene by creating the blueprint track for a new genre of music with Blue Fear.
Armin is not only a DJ; after completing high school in 1995, he went on to study law and received his degree in 2002. Right now, however, his DJ career is thriving and chances are you won't be seeing him in a courtroom anytime soon.
Armin is the proud owner of numerous dance music record labels including Armind and Armada. He also has a hugely successful weekly radio show called "A State Of Trance" and is constantly touring the globe, bringing the freshest sounds your way.
As a nominee for a 2004 DanceStar Award for Best New Artist, Armin may have been on the scene since the beginning, but it seems that he has only just begun.
To find out more about Armin van Buuren and his awesome music, check out www.arminvanbuuren.com.
Q: What are some of your favorite cities to perform in?
This sounds like the politically correct answer but I don't have any favorite cities, every city is different for me. I have played at parties with 20 to 60 thousand people and it's all different, you can't really compare two parties. I do have favorite clubs, but that list is long.
Q: That's cool, we've got all kinds of time... What are some of your favorite clubs?
The Guvernment in Toronto, Aria in Montreal, The Roxy in New York, Circus in L.A., Vision in Chicago, the list goes on and on.
Q: You have a radio show called "A State Of Trance," how does that work when you're touring?
No, I haven't skipped any shows. Sometimes I do it live and other times I have done it prerecorded. So far, I haven't missed an episode.
¿ Quick fact ?
Armin van Buuren was rated the No. 5 DJ in DJ Magazine's Top 100 Poll in 2003.
Q: How did you end up producing early on and how did you fall into electronic music?
If you look at everything now, it may seem there was a really good schedule designed for me to be in this position, I was a really big fan of electronic dance music, I think it had a lot to do with the atmosphere in Holland at the time. Holland was one of the first countries to adopt dance music into their culture and we were the first ones to have really big raves. I grew up in that atmosphere in the early 1990s, and I was very interested in how dance music was made. I invested a little bit into equipment and I started making my own tracks, but didn't think anything would come from it, so I started with my law degree and all of a sudden one of my tracks blew up and that's why I am sitting here right now. It's one dream. it's great, every day something new happens. It's fantastic.
Q: Did you ever finish your law degree?
I got my degree in December 2002, so I am a qualified lawyer.
Q: What do you prefer, DJing or producing?
I think I prefer producing a little more than DJing because you have more freedom, you can make anything you want; it doesn't necessarily have to be four to the floor. You can go more with your mood, or the atmosphere that you're in. As a DJ, people expect a certain sound and a certain danceability for the music. As a producer, I really like to let go of any rules that may exist. [But] DJing gives you the pleasure of the direct reaction from your crowd. If you're a producer and you release a record, then you see the sales only a year later.
Q: What are your thoughts on piracy?
I have two opinions, of course. First of all, downloading is illegal. We have all agreed on that, because we have made a law on that, and that law was made by the government we elected, so we have all agreed that we should not be downloading or sharing music. The people that do that actually commit a crime and I think there is no difference from stealing a CD from the CD store and downloading it, it's still stealing. On the other hand, I know that I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you, or staying in L.A. in a nice hotel and playing for all these people without the downloads. A lot of people get my music from the Internet. So I have a double thought about this. I know it's illegal and on the other hand, I know it is a great medium. I think it's really important that we start to use the medium. People should realize that a lot of time and money goes into making records. It's really not that easy to make a good record. We should have an atmosphere in which people respect the fact that a lot of producers, record companies and a lot of vocalists and writers put a lot into making good records and they need to get money for that either way. I think the Internet is a beautiful way to spread your music and I want to support that, but only if you respect the original producers. Record companies are re-organizing, and I predict the record company of the future will only be the financier.
¿ Quick fact ?
Armin's favorite fictional hero is Han Solo and his favorite movie is Star Wars.
Q: How important is it for a DJ to claim the No. 1 spot?
I would like to be No. 1, and I'm not going to be politically correct on this one, I want to be the No. 1 guy one day. That's a dream [of mine].
Q: Do you think that it hurts a DJ's career when he's too popular?
The most important thing is that a DJ should stick to his own sounds. If you are a famous DJ, you always get a lot of comments on your DJing. So far, everything is going good for me. I call it the Top 5 syndrome; when you're in the Top 5, you're really aware of what you are playing. A lot of people are going to be looking at what you do. I'm not ashamed to call myself a trance DJ. So many people declared trance dead and it's still around today, which only means that if I stick to the path I started on six years ago, I will always have a small following. If you follow your heart, even if you are number 1, then you will be all right. Of course, you're always going to be criticized, but all famous people are criticized. The most important thing is that if you follow what your heart tells you, then I think that's the right way.
Q: Tell us about your own label, Armada.
We started a label about a year ago. A lot of small record labels have seven or eight people working for them. We decided to start with only two people on the payroll. We support everything from progressive to techno. There's this new wave coming, I call it progressive trance, we really want to focus on this new sound, so we started a new label called Electronic Ailments. There is a big support for it already.
Q: Would you ever consider releasing rock albums or does it have to have electronic roots in the music?
We are a dance company. I would not be unhappy releasing rock, but it's not our specialty. We specialize in releasing dance records, so we focus on that.
Q: What are the craziest things girls do to you, or want to do to you, that you wouldn't want your mother to find out about?
I have signed a lot of chests. A lot of girls want their breasts signed. I don't know why -- my autograph's not that nice. I get embarrassed by it, but it's a laugh, I see it as part of the fun.
Q: Armin, you always keep us dancing, thanks for your time and your music...
For more on Armin van Buuren's life and music, check out www.arminvanbuuren.com.
From music releases like Sunburn and Yet Another Dub to remixes of "As The Rush Comes" and "Time Is The Healer," Armin van Buuren has been seducing dance crowds with his DJing and producing abilities since he was 19 years old.
quick bio
Born in Holland on December 25, 1976, to a musical family, Armin van Buuren was using a computer (that his mother won) to write basic programs and spending all his money on records by the age of 10.
By 19, Armin officially entered the electronic dance scene by creating the blueprint track for a new genre of music with Blue Fear.
Armin is not only a DJ; after completing high school in 1995, he went on to study law and received his degree in 2002. Right now, however, his DJ career is thriving and chances are you won't be seeing him in a courtroom anytime soon.
Armin is the proud owner of numerous dance music record labels including Armind and Armada. He also has a hugely successful weekly radio show called "A State Of Trance" and is constantly touring the globe, bringing the freshest sounds your way.
As a nominee for a 2004 DanceStar Award for Best New Artist, Armin may have been on the scene since the beginning, but it seems that he has only just begun.
To find out more about Armin van Buuren and his awesome music, check out www.arminvanbuuren.com.
Q: What are some of your favorite cities to perform in?
This sounds like the politically correct answer but I don't have any favorite cities, every city is different for me. I have played at parties with 20 to 60 thousand people and it's all different, you can't really compare two parties. I do have favorite clubs, but that list is long.
Q: That's cool, we've got all kinds of time... What are some of your favorite clubs?
The Guvernment in Toronto, Aria in Montreal, The Roxy in New York, Circus in L.A., Vision in Chicago, the list goes on and on.
Q: You have a radio show called "A State Of Trance," how does that work when you're touring?
No, I haven't skipped any shows. Sometimes I do it live and other times I have done it prerecorded. So far, I haven't missed an episode.
¿ Quick fact ?
Armin van Buuren was rated the No. 5 DJ in DJ Magazine's Top 100 Poll in 2003.
Q: How did you end up producing early on and how did you fall into electronic music?
If you look at everything now, it may seem there was a really good schedule designed for me to be in this position, I was a really big fan of electronic dance music, I think it had a lot to do with the atmosphere in Holland at the time. Holland was one of the first countries to adopt dance music into their culture and we were the first ones to have really big raves. I grew up in that atmosphere in the early 1990s, and I was very interested in how dance music was made. I invested a little bit into equipment and I started making my own tracks, but didn't think anything would come from it, so I started with my law degree and all of a sudden one of my tracks blew up and that's why I am sitting here right now. It's one dream. it's great, every day something new happens. It's fantastic.
Q: Did you ever finish your law degree?
I got my degree in December 2002, so I am a qualified lawyer.
Q: What do you prefer, DJing or producing?
I think I prefer producing a little more than DJing because you have more freedom, you can make anything you want; it doesn't necessarily have to be four to the floor. You can go more with your mood, or the atmosphere that you're in. As a DJ, people expect a certain sound and a certain danceability for the music. As a producer, I really like to let go of any rules that may exist. [But] DJing gives you the pleasure of the direct reaction from your crowd. If you're a producer and you release a record, then you see the sales only a year later.
Q: What are your thoughts on piracy?
I have two opinions, of course. First of all, downloading is illegal. We have all agreed on that, because we have made a law on that, and that law was made by the government we elected, so we have all agreed that we should not be downloading or sharing music. The people that do that actually commit a crime and I think there is no difference from stealing a CD from the CD store and downloading it, it's still stealing. On the other hand, I know that I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you, or staying in L.A. in a nice hotel and playing for all these people without the downloads. A lot of people get my music from the Internet. So I have a double thought about this. I know it's illegal and on the other hand, I know it is a great medium. I think it's really important that we start to use the medium. People should realize that a lot of time and money goes into making records. It's really not that easy to make a good record. We should have an atmosphere in which people respect the fact that a lot of producers, record companies and a lot of vocalists and writers put a lot into making good records and they need to get money for that either way. I think the Internet is a beautiful way to spread your music and I want to support that, but only if you respect the original producers. Record companies are re-organizing, and I predict the record company of the future will only be the financier.
¿ Quick fact ?
Armin's favorite fictional hero is Han Solo and his favorite movie is Star Wars.
Q: How important is it for a DJ to claim the No. 1 spot?
I would like to be No. 1, and I'm not going to be politically correct on this one, I want to be the No. 1 guy one day. That's a dream [of mine].
Q: Do you think that it hurts a DJ's career when he's too popular?
The most important thing is that a DJ should stick to his own sounds. If you are a famous DJ, you always get a lot of comments on your DJing. So far, everything is going good for me. I call it the Top 5 syndrome; when you're in the Top 5, you're really aware of what you are playing. A lot of people are going to be looking at what you do. I'm not ashamed to call myself a trance DJ. So many people declared trance dead and it's still around today, which only means that if I stick to the path I started on six years ago, I will always have a small following. If you follow your heart, even if you are number 1, then you will be all right. Of course, you're always going to be criticized, but all famous people are criticized. The most important thing is that if you follow what your heart tells you, then I think that's the right way.
Q: Tell us about your own label, Armada.
We started a label about a year ago. A lot of small record labels have seven or eight people working for them. We decided to start with only two people on the payroll. We support everything from progressive to techno. There's this new wave coming, I call it progressive trance, we really want to focus on this new sound, so we started a new label called Electronic Ailments. There is a big support for it already.
Q: Would you ever consider releasing rock albums or does it have to have electronic roots in the music?
We are a dance company. I would not be unhappy releasing rock, but it's not our specialty. We specialize in releasing dance records, so we focus on that.
Q: What are the craziest things girls do to you, or want to do to you, that you wouldn't want your mother to find out about?
I have signed a lot of chests. A lot of girls want their breasts signed. I don't know why -- my autograph's not that nice. I get embarrassed by it, but it's a laugh, I see it as part of the fun.
Q: Armin, you always keep us dancing, thanks for your time and your music...
For more on Armin van Buuren's life and music, check out www.arminvanbuuren.com.