Armin van Buuren (born Armin Jozef Jacobus Daniël van Buuren, December 25, … Read Full Bio ↴Armin van Buuren (born Armin Jozef Jacobus Daniël van Buuren, December 25, 1976) is a trance (mostly progressive trance and uplifting trance) music producer and DJ from the Netherlands. His musical career started in 1995.

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”.

Heading Up High
Armin van Buuren Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

See, when you're holding on to all that you can't
Be, know that all there is to gain lies
Within arm's reach
For the flaw lies in your head not in your heart
See, how the darkest night will soon bring light again

Now we're heading up high
Where no harm will get in our way

Will we ever touch ground again?
Now it's a long way down
Now we're heading up high
Where no harm will get in our way
Will we ever touch ground again?
Now it's a long way down
Now it's a long way down

See, when you're holding on to all but you can't
Breathe, know the dawn lies in your hands
Just let your heart speak
And the darkest light will soon burn bright again

Now we're heading up high
Where no harm will get in our way
Will we ever touch ground again?
Now it's a long way down
Now we're heading up high
Where no harm will get in our way
Will we ever touch ground again?
Now it's a long way down
Now it's a long way down

We won't go in, we won't go
Why end it? Why end it?
We won't go in, we won't go
Why end it? Why end it?

Now we're heading up high
Where no harm will get in our way
Will we ever touch ground again?
Now it's a long way down
Now it's a long way down

We won't go in, we won't go
Why end it? Why end it?

We won't go in, we won't go
Why end it? Why end it?

Overall Meaning

The song "Heading Up High" by Armin van Buuren is a motivational and optimistic anthem that speaks about holding on and persevering through difficult times. The lyrics suggest that when someone is struggling, the answer might lie within themselves, as they hold the strength to overcome adversities if they only believe it. The first verse encourages listeners to recognize that they don't need to hold onto their fears, for all they truly need is accessible to them. The verse states that "All there is to gain lies within arm's reach," indicating that there is an abundance of opportunities out there for whoever is brave enough to reach out and grab them. The lyrics suggest that the "flaw lies in your head, not in your heart," indicating that fear and insecurity can cause one to doubt their abilities. Therefore, it is essential to believe in themselves and their strengths regardless of the challenges that come their way.

The chorus reaffirms the hope and resilience advocated by the song. When people overcome obstacles, they head up high, free from any harm’s way. Though they may stumble and fall, the song offers the listeners reassurance and suggests that failures do not have to be the end. Although they may fall, they should not stay down. The lyrics state, “Will we ever touch ground again? Now it's a long way down," suggesting that there may be tough times ahead, but the journey forward holds rewards worth pursuing.

In summary, "Heading Up High" is a song with a message of inspiration that encourages perseverance, self-belief, and determination. It acknowledges that the road to success can be challenging, but with a positive mindset and determination, anyone can push through and reach their goals.

Line by Line Meaning

See, when you're holding on to all that you can't
When you are struggling to cope with all that life throws at you

Be, know that all there is to gain lies
Understand that there is much to gain

Within arm's reach
It is easily in your grasp

For the flaw lies in your head not in your heart
The problem is in your mind and not your emotions

See, how the darkest night will soon bring light again
Just like how the night eventually brings light, difficult times will pass

Now we're heading up high
Escaping our troubles and rising above them

Where no harm will get in our way
Where we will no longer be plagued by difficulties

Will we ever touch ground again?
Will we ever have to face our problems again?

Now it's a long way down
Returning to our difficulties will be a great fall

We won't go in, we won't go
We refuse to be brought down

Why end it? Why end it?
Why give up when we can keep going?

Just let your heart speak
Listen to your emotions and follow what they tell you

And the darkest light will soon burn bright again
Even in the darkest times, hope is still present

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, CTM Publishing, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BENNO DE GOEIJ, JAN HAKER, CASPER STARREVELD, ARMIN J J D VAN BUUREN, NIELS VAN DEN BERG, ELOI YOUSSEF

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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