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 He’s a DJ of superlatives: the world’s number one who has worked with some of the best artists creating chart-topping tracks. Meet Armin van Buuren.
Armin Van Buuren is the reigning king of dance music. In 2007, the Brits hailed this Dutch phenomenon as the ‘Number One DJ of the world’, while in Australia he topped the Top 50 DJ poll by dance bible In the Mix.
Have one listen to the first single ‘Going Wrong’ (with DJ Shah and featuring Chris Jones) off his latest release Imagine and you’ll quickly realise what the fuss is all about. For this track, he even channelled our very own Pop Princess to create an infectious vibe.
“We came up with a brilliant idea – sort of a Kylie Minogue-electronic-sound,” he tells SX. “Raw and edgy.”
Armin is no stranger to Australia, having played at various dance festivals around the country since 2000. He has also toured the world during that time.
However, Armin has spent the last two years writing and producing tracks in Los Angeles and Northern Ireland. During these studio sessions, he worked with an array of esteemed artists including singer/DJ Jennifer Rene.
Although trance is Armin’s main sound, he strives to transcend labels and traditional formulas, which is evident on Imagine. In creating the album,
Armin directed his initial focus to the songwriting process before hitting the studio to create the dance mixes.
“Every artist just wants to reflect his personality, be his person,” he says. “Any music that you make, you’re making because you feel you want to make that music, not because you want to make ‘trance’.”
He adds: “It’s an artist’s album. It’s not a mixed compilation in any way and there are no down-tempo tracks – it’s a whole journey through new music.”
Armin is set to seize the dance floor once again with his latest tour, Armin Only: Imagine, playing an eight-hour set on June 6 at the Hordern Pavilion.
And while all eyes will certainly be on the man of the hour, fans can also expect a surprise guest or two.
“When I come to Australia this time, I don’t only bring myself and my records, but I also bring a lot of the artists that I’ve been working with on my new album,” he says. “It’ll be more of an entertainment experience rather than just a DJ set.”
-Nathan Heron
The new single, ‘Going Wrong’ will be in stores in June. Imagine is out now through Central Station Records.
Armin Only: Imagine is on Friday, June 6 at the Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park. Tickets available from ticketek.com.au.
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