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Armin van Buuren

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Armin van Buuren is a prominent Dutch DJ, musician, and record producer. He is a central figure in the electronic dance music industry, specifically within the trance genre. Trance music is a style of electronic music known for its melodic and rhythmic qualities.

Armin van Buuren logo
Armin van Buuren logo

Van Buuren is widely recognized for his global influence and his ability to connect with massive audiences through both live performances and digital broadcasting.

His musical process involves several complex roles, from DJing to studio production. As a DJ, he selects and mixes tracks to create a continuous flow of music, sometimes playing sets that last over six hours. As a producer, he creates original songs and remixes existing works. He has collaborated with many different artists, including singers like Trevor Guthrie and Sharon den Adel. He also manages music through labels, such as Armind, which he co-founded in 1999. These efforts allow him to shape how trance music is heard and distributed globally.

Van Buuren's career includes many different types of musical projects. He produces compilation albums, which are collections of various tracks mixed into a single experience. He also releases studio albums, such as his debut *76* in 2003, *Shivers* in 2005, *Imagine* in 2008, and *Mirage* in 2010. Beyond recorded music, he hosts *A State of Trance* (ASOT). This is a weekly radio show that has been running since 2001. The show serves as a platform to feature the latest popular trance tracks and introduce new artists to a wide audience.

His journey began in the Netherlands, where he was born in Leiden in 1976. He was inspired by the French electronic composer Jean-Michel Jarre and the Dutch DJ Ben Liebrand. Before his music career fully took flight, he followed a formal academic path. He graduated from the Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden in 1995 and studied law at Leiden University. While his music career grew rapidly, he actually returned to finish his law degree in 2003. This shows his dedication to completing his formal education even as he achieved international stardom.

Armin van Buuren 2005 (cropped)
Armin van Buuren 2005 (cropped)

The scale of his success is reflected in several impressive statistics. His radio show, *A State of Trance*, reaches nearly 40 million listeners across 84 different countries. He has been ranked as the number one DJ in the world by *DJ Mag* five times, including four years in a row. In the United States, he holds a record on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart with 21 entries. His live shows also draw enormous crowds, such as a 2003 tour in the Netherlands that sold out to 20,000 people.

Armin on air
Armin on air

Van Buuren has received many prestigious honors for his contributions to music. In 2014, he earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording for his single "This Is What It Feels Like." He is only the fourth trance artist to receive such a nomination. In his home country, he was awarded the Golden Harp in 2010 for his work in Dutch music. Furthermore, in 2011, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Oranje-Nassau. This honor was given for his services to the Dutch dance and music economy.

His influence extends into various other fields, including technology and media. He even participated in the creation of a music video game titled *Armin van Buuren: In the Mix*, which was released for the Wii in 2010. His work connects the worlds of traditional radio broadcasting, digital streaming, and live event production. By using everything from FM radio stations to satellite radio like XM in North America, he has built a massive, interconnected system for sharing electronic music with the world.

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File:Armin van Buuren 2005 (cropped).jpg
Armin van Buuren 2005 (cropped).jpg
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Armin on air.jpg
File:Armin van Buuren logo.svg
Armin van Buuren logo.svg
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