He has been named number one in the prestigious DJ MAG Top 100 poll four times in a row, from 2007 till 2010 and for the 5th time in 2012. He's the first DJ in the history of the DJ Magazine to achieve that and an indication of his prolific output over more than 14 years he’s been dj’ing and producing. Being the official World’s Most Popular DJ is just one of his many achievements, but the driving force behind his success is an overriding passion for electronic dance music.
2008 began with the success that the number one DJ seems to attract; he was awarded with the prestigious Buma Cultuur Pop Award in January. This was followed by being voted as the Best Trance Artist in the Beatport Music Awards in March; judged on the musician’s artistic achievements, national and international success, it is evident that Armin van Buuren has become one of the decade’s most influential trance acts.
Even a basic list of recent successes reads like a lifetime of work: ‘Best Album’ for artist album ‘Shivers’ at both the Dutch Release Dance Awards and the prestigious Edison Awards; ‘Best Compilation’ for ‘A State Of Trance’, in 2006, claiming the ‘Best European DJ’ award in 2007 and ‘Best Mix Radio Show’ at the Miami Winter Music Conference in 2006 and 2007, for radio show ‘A State Of Trance’ – now broadcasting on a massive 40 FM stations as well as satellite and internet radio, with over 26 million listeners a week; a 5th year residency in Ibiza at Amnesia and over 50,000 downloads every week from podcasting high end chart-bothering positions all over the world for singles, albums and compilations , with single “Rush Hour” used as the theme tune to the UEFA European Youth Championship; the #1 entry in the Dutch album charts with his artist album ‘Imagine’, the #1 entry of the DVD registration of ‘Armin Only ‘ Imagine’ – the landmarks just keep coming!
The 350th episode and the 7th year of the hit radio show ‘A State of Trance’ was celebrated in May 2008 with an eight hour live broadcast from Antwerp in Belgium to over 40 radio stations internationally. Fans were invited to a free party with a line up that had been voted for by the show’s listeners; another example of the importance the DJ places on the satisfaction of his fans. Considering the popularity of the radio show the introduction of ‘A State of Trance Podcast’ was a natural progression. The weekly podcasts which contain highlights and Armin’s favourite tracks from the previous episode ensure that trance lovers across the world will never miss another episode!
Sold-out shows for Armin Only in 2005 and 2006 created eager anticipation of the third edition, which kicked off in a sold-out Jaarbeurs in Utrecht in 2008; over 16,000 fans attended and were enthralled by the DJ’s nine hour set. The theme of the night was ‘Imagine’, described by Armin as “the celebration of our sensations both in life and in clubland.” Fans all around the world should not despair, as ‘Armin Only’ tour dates have also been set for Romania, Poland, Belgium and Australia; the DJ will also be touring in England, Scotland, Ibiza, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the USA, with expected dates in, for an example, the Czech Republic.
Born in Leiden, Holland (on December 25, 1976) to a musical family, Armin indulged his passion for music from a young age. He spent all the money he earned with his paper round on records. His mum won a computer when he was 10, gaining Armin’s interest. “So as a little nerdy kid I was writing my own basic programmes, and learnt about the technology from there.” He progressed from making low-profile mix tapes for friends to higher profile mixes when he discovered 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 to the ‘beautiful’ songs of the years before”. Armin cites electronic pioneer Jean Michel Jarre as a major influence (famed for his awesome visuals as well as his groundbreaking synth sounds), 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 something extra in case the DJ’ing didn’t work out. So he studied for a law degree. The final year of his course was inevitably stretched as he juggled his studies with his increasingly hectic schedule; his rise to fame included lots of productions and remixes, as well as playing out to packed clubs every weekend. It took him three years to graduate, but his determination made him succeed!
Armin’s own productions have all made a huge impact and quickly gain worldwide acclaim; his latest artist album titled ‘Imagine’ entered the Dutch Album Top 100 Chart at number one; this is the first time a dance producer has ever accomplished such a feat in the history of Dutch music. The first single to be taken from this album, ‘Going Wrong’ with DJ Shah featuring Chris Jones, entered the Dutch Singles Chart at number five. The ‘Armin Only DVD’ was also released and reached the acclaimed number one spot in its second week. His back catalogue includes Blue Fear, Communication, Sound of Goodbye, Shivers, Rush Hour, Burned With Desire, Exhale, Love You More, This World Is Watching Me, and Yet Another Day. While the remix offers flood in, Armin only takes on tracks that he really loves. He uses exactly the same criteria for his compilations, meaning that every release from Armin or his long-running Armind label is a bone fide stormer that’s earned its place. His output includes tracks for the cult TV series 24, and the likes of Motorcycle’s As The Rush Comes.
Armin is a dedicated trance lover, but isn’t imprisoned by a single genre, saying “What makes trance work so well is that it doesn’t stick to one style, and can incorporate electro, minimal, whatever it likes.” His desire to showcase more of the great music he hears, along with the number of people sending him tracks they wanted to release, led to the obvious step of starting his own label, Armada, in 2003.
The label is a joint venture between Armin, Maykel Piron (former head of A&R for Warner Music) and David Lewis, who'd previously managed Armin. "What we wanted was a company that could offer everything for an artist: representation, a booking agency, and a record company. Artists can choose full management, or to just release a record or play out at gigs. Armada lets the artists choose what they want without telling them what to do".
Armin is now a fully-fledged artist in his own right, having made his songwriting debut on his album, the award-winning Shivers; The events continue to get bigger and bigger, and Armin regularly headlines the likes of Sensation White, Global Gathering, Dance Valley, ZoukOut, Mysteryland, Coachella, Beats In Brazil, Trance Energy, Fort Dance, Summer Days – basically whether you’re in Australia, Russia, the Middle East, the US or Europe, you can catch Armin van Buuren at a club or festival near you!
"This is just what I really want," says 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”.
Alone with You
Armin van Buuren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look how far we’ve come since that first day
Standing in harmony
All unified, we’re one for tonight
Bathing in endless glow, your colors and mine
Remembering when
How it all began
A whole new world to find
Felt so alive
I am home with you
I am home with you
There’s music in my heart
We’re surrounded by the stars
I am home with you
I am home with you
Forever
On the way towards a thousand memories
Frame by frame
Scenes of us
I remember how it feels
To be right there
Where I belong
All I’ll ever need is right here
Where our hearts sing one thousand melodies
I am home with you
I am home with you
There’s music in my heart
We’re surrounded by the stars
I am home with you
I am home with you
No matter where we are
I know you’re never far
I am home with you
I am home with you
Forever
The lyrics to Armin van Buuren's Alone With You are a beautiful reflection on the power of music and how it can bring people together. The song begins with the artist acknowledging the journey that he and his partner have been on, from that first day to the present moment. The two are standing in harmony, bathed in an endless glow that is a beautiful depiction of the love that they share. Armin then takes us back to the beginning of his love story, when everything was new and exciting, and it felt like there was nothing to lose. He remembers feeling so alive and full of hope for the future.
As the song progresses, Armin reflects on the many memories that he and his partner have created together. He describes these memories as "frame by frame scenes of us" and talks about how special it feels to be right where he belongs. The chorus repeats the sentiment that he is home with his partner, and that there is music in his heart because of the love they share. The song concludes with Armin expressing the certainty that no matter where they are in the world, he is always home as long as he is with his partner.
Line by Line Meaning
So here we are
Here we are, in this moment, together
Look how far we’ve come since that first day
Reflecting on how much we've grown and progressed since the beginning
Standing in harmony
Being in perfect agreement and unity with each other
All unified, we’re one for tonight
Coming together as a single entity for the duration of tonight
Bathing in endless glow, your colors and mine
Being surrounded by an infinite radiance, where both of our unique qualities are shining bright
Remembering when
Reflecting on the past
How it all began
Recalling the starting point of something
Nothing to lose
Not having any risk or danger associated with the situation
A whole new world to find
Expanding horizons and discovering new things
Felt so alive
Feeling invigorated and exhilarated
I am home with you
Feeling at home and comfortable when with you
There’s music in my heart
Feeling uplifted and joyful with you
We’re surrounded by the stars
Being encircled by the beauty of the cosmos
Forever
Always and for eternity
On the way towards a thousand memories
Making countless moments to cherish in our future
Frame by frame
Piece by piece, moment by moment
Scenes of us
Memories of our past experiences together
I remember how it feels
The sensation of a certain moment being embedded in my memory
To be right there
Being present and in the moment
Where I belong
Feeling like I am in the right place
All I’ll ever need is right here
Knowing that everything I require is present
Where our hearts sing one thousand melodies
A place where we feel emotions so powerful, they resonate like a thousand harmonies
No matter where we are
Regardless of location
I know you’re never far
Feeling close to you even when we are physically separated
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9
Written by: ARMIN J J D BUUREN VAN, BENNO GOEIJ DE, MARK J OTTEN, SUSANNE L SANNE BOOMHOUWER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mohammedashik1745
Who's here in 2024?
@jyden_f8b
Let's gooo
@MrPuto-
It's unacceptable that almost 10 years later this song doesn't have millions of views. Lauren's voice is incredible. Wronged masterpiece
@nick347b
Can Armin not make one progressive house track without people complaining? This song is beautiful. Of course we all want him to continue making real trance but he's not obligated to stick to the same thing for every single track.
@cagermanboy
This video is beautiful and a sign of our times people. Lauren and Armin thank you for bringing to light the self-centered behavior that our American society has become. Time to reach out beyond ourselves and pay attention to those around us. You don't know how many lives you can touch or even save.
@gedelstein3000
This song is so beautiful after all these years I still love listening to it Lauren Evans has such a amazingly beautiful voice. I just had to close my eyes and listen to her sing.
@Slash1550
I remember listening to this song on the way to a job interview in 2014 knowing my life was about to change. This song is still so relevant and still a masterpiece 👌
@AsimNkosiMusic
This deserves way more recognition and views <3
@ginopanthers5070
agree. I watched it years ago and liked and came back again
@kirstidare6948
Sometimes people as brilliant as Armin are simply 10+ years ahead of the times. Heck, trance used to be 20+ years ahead. So, the gap is closing. I encouraged him to put this out there again in a message if he ever sees it. I believe if he pushed it out there now it would hit the top of the charts. ❤ It is time. The moments is now!