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”.
Perfect
Armin van Buuren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause your perfect
The way that you are
Perfect
Like the moon in the stars
And the sun in the sky, getting higher
Even knows when it's time to surrender
'Cause your perfect
'Cause your perfect
The way that you are
Perfect
Like the moon in the stars
And the sun in the sky, getting higher (high)
Even knows when it's time to surrender
'Cause your perfect
The way that you are
Perfect
Like the moon in the stars
And the sun in the sky, getting higher
Even knows when it's time to surrender
'Cause your perfect
Perfect
And the sun in the sky, getting higher
Even knows when it's time to surrender
The lyrics to Armin van Buuren's song "Perfect" are a tribute to the beauty and perfection of the person being addressed. The repetition of the phrase "cause you're perfect" emphasizes the singer's admiration for this person, who is described as being flawless and radiant like the moon and the stars. The image of the sun in the sky getting higher suggests a sense of progression and growth, as well as an awareness of the cyclical nature of life. The line "even knows when it's time to surrender" adds a note of humility and acknowledges the inevitability of change and loss.
Overall, the song celebrates the unique qualities and inherent worth of the person being addressed, recognizing their presence as a source of light and inspiration. It offers a message of acceptance and appreciation, reminding us that we are all deserving of love and respect simply for being who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
'Cause your perfect
You are perfect just the way you are
The way that you are
You don't need to change to be perfect
Perfect
You are flawless
Like the moon in the stars
You shine brightly among others, just like the moon shines among the stars
And the sun in the sky, getting higher
You keep getting better every day, just like the sun rises higher in the sky
Even knows when it's time to surrender
You know when to let go and move on to something new, just like the sun sets and makes way for the night
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Cloud9
Written by: MARKUS SCHULZ, NOEL SANGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SCI FU7E
Armin and Tom is always nice to see.
For all:
It's great if you find someone or something that blows your mind.
I love this serie and i'm excited to See the next (Yeah, i like docu's).
Tours are important, but that you are not overload (jetlags) and can make music relaxed is more important for me.
Have Fun all ;)
For you Armin:
I know how bad it is if your Song crashed and it's not made with loading the version before...
Luca
god, this documentary is giving me so much goosebumps! You are amazing man... we love you!
Mariia10Х
Luca Qualcosa Agreed! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😋😋😋
Mojoman71
totally agree
Luis Ramirez
Armin, thank you so much for putting this series together man! I remember I watched a dozen times the documentary you released in 2012 of 1 year with Armin van Buuren and I loved it. But this one man, it’s much more in depth. It’s a more intimate documentary about what does it take to become the best Dj in the world and all the hard work you’ve been putting in to take your music and your passion to the next level. I also want to thank your awesome wife Erika for sharing you with all of us your fans. She’s a hidden star as well; the real boss! Lol
I’ll keep watching the next episodes and I’ll do my best these remaining weeks to make it to ASOT 900 in my home town México City. For now cheers Armin! 🤙🏼
Tural Ali
I'm just out of Ultra 2022 Europe, still in that atmosphere. It's the second time that I was taking part in Armin's session and got hit by massive inspiration, and creativity again. Now searching for his interviews to know him better as a personality. And this comes across! I mean, what a great life story?!
He reminds me about the "flow state", about what it means to love your profession, about being passionate. I'm 30 now and half of my life spent on computers. All these kind of life stories are reminding me how proud we should be of ourselves for never giving up on our passions.
Vlad Onutu
True words brother!🤘
Same as you, more than half my life composing electronic music.. It's an incredible feeling and honor to have done that and not giving up on my passion.
Andres David Garcia
Thanks for sharing your best moments and experiences with all of us Armin. But please for those of us who doesn't speak Dutch put some subtitles in it.
Wil L
Andres David Garcia There is the English version in my youtube.
krajchek
Now it does I think. Just have to select it from options.
Joana Arantes
I love "Communication", it's been so many years but still like a sound of today! Congrats, I'm enjoying this documentary! Hope see you performing live one day! 🇵🇹