Videos | Armin van Buuren Joined on Stage by Dutch King and Queen; Everything Makes Sense Again
Posted by Spice on May 1, 2013
Here is a video of Armin van Buuren being joined on stage by the King and Queen of the Netherlands, who made an impromptu pit stop at this apparent rave while probably en route to a ball and/or palace.
This video is perfect. Several things:
1) There are currently multiple comments on YouTube alleging that Armin is, in fact, the real King in the North King of the Netherlands and the other guy’s an impostor. Interesting theory.
2) I’m assuming that this is the Dutch equivalent of the Obamas getting on stage with Skrillex at Ultra. Awesome; also excellent visual.
3) In that vein, I’d really like to live in a country where Armin van Buuren is backed by a symphony orchestra and kings and queens come out to wave to the adoring populace as the dulcet sounds of trance and violins fill the air. Armin van Buuren: Dutch National Treasure.
4) The Queen is kind of a babe, no?
5) Coolest royal family ever. Sorry England — until Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles are photographed waving glow sticks at Ministry of Sound, I don’t want to hear about it.
BREAKING: I’ve just been informed that this is a video of King Willem-Alexander’s inauguration, where Armin was specifically asked to perform. However, what King Willem-Alexander isn’t telling you is that the whole inauguration thing was actually a ploy; he really just wanted to see Armin drop his Dead London edit of “Stresstest.”
Events | Ultra Music Festival 2013 — Weekend 2 Recap (Or, If I Never Hear “Clarity” Again, It Will Be Too Soon)
Posted by Spice on April 9, 2013
“You know, the mainstage doesn’t look that awesome this year. In fact, it kind of looks smaller than it did last year.”
I was sitting on a friend’s couch drinking a lukewarm Bud Light and watching Nicky Romero’s Weekend 1 set on a Macbook. We didn’t have the good speakers plugged in because someone was napping upstairs, so the sound was tinny and easy to talk over. The TV mounted to the wall was tuned to NCAA basketball with the volume off. It was early on Friday evening and I was in the process of getting over bronchitis. A bag of Doritos was making the rounds.
“Shit guys. This stage is bullshit.” I grabbed a fistful of Doritos and gestured at the computer. “Look at it. It’s just sitting there, being purple. God, the mainstage is going to effing suck this year.” My friends nodded sagely. I leaned back, satisfied that my point had hit home, and turned my attention to the basketball game.
Of all the things I’ve been wrong about in my life, this has got to be top three.
Electro-House | Armin van Buuren & W&W – D# Fat
Posted by Spice on February 25, 2013
First things first: Armin van Buuren might have a production credit on “D# Fat,” but it ain’t trance. Nope, this collaboration with Dutch powerhouses W&W is electro to the core; in fact, it takes a leaf out of the book of “The Code” (another W&W special) and delivers a pounding bassline and hard-hitting, crunchy synth leads. Don’t let the piano riffs at the beginning fool you — this track packs a massive wallop and is sure to get dance floors moving as we head into the WMC home stretch. In all, “D# Fat” is a reflection of the next wave of progressive and electro house — it combines the best elements of both genres to great effect.
Beatport: Armin van Buuren vs. W&W – D# Fat
Trance | Armin van Buuren & Markus Schulz – The Expedition (A State of Trance 600 Anthem)
Posted by Spice on January 28, 2013
We’re about two weeks out from the launch of Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance 600 world tour, so it’s only appropriate that the official theme song — which premiered a few weeks ago on ASOT — got a Beatport release earlier today. ASOT theme songs are always a bit of a marketing ploy — by design, they’re meant to drum up excitement for the tour — but they’re also frequently great in their own right. Armin and Markus’s “The Expedition” (which in some ways recalls the ASOT 550 theme, W&W’s “Invasion”) is no exception. A dark and dramatic vibe, punchy synth riffs, and a slightly higher bpm (133) ensure that this is something we’ll be hearing plenty of in the coming weeks. For more details on A State of Trance 600 and to see if Armin and the gang will be coming to a city near you, head to the official website.
In other trance news, look for Armin’s upcoming A State of Trance 2013 compilation to drop on Valentine’s Day. (Note: apparently it will feature a new Gaia track. Goodie!) This compilation is the 10 year anniversary edition and will likely (hopefully) be filled with a lot of great material. He’s also in the process of wrapping his next artist album, so, as always, many things to look forward to in the coming weeks and months.
Beatport: Armin van Buuren & Markus Schulz – The Expedition (A State of Trance 600 Anthem)
Electro | Clinton VanSciver
Posted by Juicebox on January 23, 2013
It’s always exciting to see an artist that we’ve supported since day 1 to make it. Everyone’s definition of making it always varies, mine usually falls under crafting the official remix for the #1 DJ in the world, which Clinton VanSciver just did. The kid still has a ways to go, but making an official remix for Armin van Buuren this early in his career is unbelievable and definitely raises a big red flag that says, “start listening to this kid’s music” in all caps. Check out the track below, buy it, and support these young guns of our generation.
Buy on iTunes
Buy on Beatport
Preview, Trance | Ferry Corsten – Kudawudashuda [Preview]
Posted by Spice on January 10, 2013
Ferry Corsten returns to his roots in his latest track — a play on “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda” — which premiered to much fanfare on the New Year’s edition of Corsten’s Countdown. This is solid gold non-vocal trance that features a mesmerizing hook, heavy kicks, and incredible builds; aside from the retrofits of older tracks he’s been working up with Markus Schulz, “Kudawudashuda” is easily one of the best things I’ve heard from Ferry lately. It’s the kind of track that gets dropped at 4:30 a.m. when the club is still packed but things are starting to get weird and you’re moving without thinking and are utterly in the zone.
On a more general note, Ferry is one of the heaviest hitters in the game and a true master of the genre, and I am hopeful that this is an indication of the kind of trance we can expect to see in 2013 (I’m likewise encouraged by Armin’s “Who’s Afraid of 138?” campaign). No word yet on an official release date yet but look it for it to drop soon on Flashover Recordings.
Progressive House, Trance | Armin van Buuren’s 2012 Yearmix
Posted by Spice on January 7, 2013
For some reason I’m only just getting to the magnificent feat of editing and mixing that is Armin van Buuren’s 2012 Yearmix. Armin spent close to a month chopping and refashioning 101 of the year’s top trance tunes into one blissful, continuous two hour mix that aired on A State of Trance at the end of December. Diehards will have already heard this in its entirety, but I’m calling your attention to it now in the event that it got lost in the holiday shuffle because it’s not something to miss. Not only does it provide an excellent and diverse cross section of the year in trance, but Armin’s unparalleled technical mastery is on display to the fullest extent (I cannot stress enough how agile, seamless, and creative his transitions are — if you have any sort of familiarity with these tracks, he’ll have you in total awe in about three minutes). Check it out below and be sure to take a look at the full track list after the jump.