Name: Armin van Buuren
Nationality: Dutch
Rank: #3 in the Top 100 DJs 2017 list by DJ Mag
Wish him on: December 25
Fan following: 1.68m on Twitter and 1.9m on Instagram (@arminvanbuuren) 
Did you Know?
¯Before taking up DJing full-time, he thought it was wise to have a back-up plan, which made him pursue a master’s degree in law.
¯There is an on-the-road biography of Armin called Een op een or Armin Only by Dutch author Coen Bom in which he reported on the hectic life of Armin and tried to find the secret behind his grand success. 
¯This Is What It Feels Like featuring Trevor Guthrie was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2014 in the Best Dance Record category, making him the fourth trance artiste to receive a Grammy nomination.
¯In 2015, he did an official remix of the Game of Thrones theme song originally made by Iranian composer Ramin Djawadi.
¯This month, Armin started offering DJ and production classes through online tutorial service MasterClass.

A trance legend. Proud founder of record label Armada Music. The main man behind weekly radio show/podcast A State of Trance that propelled him to stardom. Current World #3 DJ (according to DJ Mag list 2017). Armin van Buuren is all set to make his Calcutta debut on December 17 as part of We Are Connected, in association with t2, organised by Whats In D Name and Blue Olive Studios. A week before the mega concert, t2 caught up with the Grammy-nominated This Is What It Feels Like man over an email chat...

Hello! What makes you keep coming back to India for gigs? Last year, you were in Pune...

I’m always looking forward to playing in India. I think India has an amazing culture and the crowd is phenomenal every single time. That’s why I always keep coming back for more.
 
We are very kicked to welcome you to Calcutta at the multi-artiste EDM concert — We Are Connected. What are your expectations from the city?

I’ve been to India plenty of times before and I always feel that the people are super-friendly, even those in the big city. I expect to encounter the same in Calcutta, plus some of those architecturally impeccable buildings India is known for. I’m really looking forward to spend some time there.
 
You’ve played at We Are Connected before, in Myanmar...

I have some very fond memories from playing at We Are Connected in Myanmar, so I was actually really excited when I heard they wanted me to play in their Calcutta event as well.
  
You held the top spot in the Top 100 DJs fan poll by DJ Mag for four years (2007-2010) and you continue to rule as #3... how seriously do you take these awards?

I do take these awards seriously, because a lot of my fans put in the effort to vote for me. They are the reason why I am still in the Top 5 after all this time and I am very thankful for that. If I wouldn’t take the award seriously, I would diminish all of that support from my fans to practically nothing. And that’s not right.
 
You are hailed as the ‘god of trance’ and many young DJs also look up to you as their icon… did you ever dream or foresee a time like this when you started your career 20 years ago? 

When I started about 20 years ago, I hadn’t even dared to dream that I would be where I am now in 20 years’ time. I am so grateful for all the support and opportunities I got through these years and I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have been able to do it all without my fans or my team. 

What are the top three memorable moments in terms of gigs in these two decades? Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

I couldn’t possibly choose so few shows. Of course, The Best Of Armin Only shows from earlier this year come to mind, as does my set at Untold Festival in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. But to be honest, there are hundreds of shows that are memorable and important to me in their own way and there isn’t one I wish had gone differently. Every show, every gig was part of the road that led me to where I am today and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
 
Have you ever felt tired or bored? What is your biggest motivation? Is there any one thing that has been constant in this amazing journey?

I’m happy to say that I’ve never been bored or fed up with music. The trick is to keep yourself inspired and I do that by switching things up now and then and by stepping out of my comfort zone to try new things. I have this constant yearning to innovate and that is what drives me to improve as an artiste. As for the continuous factor in my life, it’s the support of my fans, the incredible efforts of my team and the love of my family. They are who made this amazing journey possible.

Of all your productions and remixes till date, which album is closest to your heart? 

That’s like asking me which of my kids I like best. I can’t possibly choose. Each album has its own spot in my heart and they are all important to me in their own way.

What sets trance music apart from other genres of electronic music?

I feel that trance music has a way of conveying the emotion of music unlike other genres. To me, it strikes the right chord within me every single time and it gets me goosebumps time and time again. This may not be the case for everyone, but this is what sets trance music apart from all other genres to me. I love the fact that it’s so highly melodic and that it can be both energetic and serene within the same song. 
  
What do you listen to when you are unwinding?

I could listen to practically every kind of music. I grew up with many different kinds of music through my parents and I learnt to listen to loads of other genres along the road as well. So whatever I listen to just depends on what I feel like and in what kind of mood I am. 

We all have a ‘guilty pleasure’ song that we secretly listen to. Do you have any? Will you ever be caught humming a pop song? 

Definitely. I don’t really get why pop music is often thought of as guilty pleasure material. Especially nowadays, pop music operates on a common ground it shares with electronic music, so I don’t even remotely find it to be something I should be ashamed to listen. If I like it, I might just hum it. That’s the way it goes.

Hardwell, Martin Garrix, David Guetta and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike… you share a very good relationship with most of them. Is there any kind of competition you feel from the new batch of boys? From your Instagram pictures, it looks like a lot of fun when you guys meet…

That’s because meeting up with these guys is always enjoyable. Of course, some could very well consider us rivals. But most of all, we share a deep and unwavering passion for music that you won’t find in everyone. This means that it’s always great to talk to each other and share new ideas. There’s always a good bit of competition between us, but I’d compare it to friends playing a friendly game of who-knows-what rather than going all-out in a brawl. 
 
Recently Diplo composed the song Phurrrr for Jab Harry Met Sejal. We’d love to see a Bolly collab with you... 

At the moment, I don’t think a Bollywood song is in the pipeline for me. But never say never, right!
 
If you were to make a dream video, which DJs /celebrities would you cast in it?

I don’t really know, to be honest, but Hardwell would probably feature in it. He’s a good friend of mine and he also played a small part in the music video of Heading Up High, the song I did with Dutch band Kensington for my Embrace album.
 
Your birthday is almost here (December 25). We are interested to know if you will have a big birthday bash... or will you give the party a miss?

I haven’t really given it that much thought yet. I should probably start thinking about it now, don’t you reckon? 
 
Your concerts have been larger than life and the ‘blackout’ at Tomorrowland this year blew our minds (Armin trolled the Tomorrowland crowd with staged ‘technical difficulties’). What can your fans in Calcutta expect from your gig?

I always aim to give my fans exactly what they want, so in this case, this will probably boil down to a highly energetic set that should really blow their minds. I’m really looking forward to see how that’s going to turn out.
 
We Are Connected is all about connecting people through music and it focuses on a universal passion to live, like and share. What kind of interaction are you looking for with your fans?

What I want from my fans during my performance is that they just forget all about the differences in culture, race, beliefs or whatever may divide them. I want my fans to be in the moment and to share those moments with each other. That, to me, is what music is all about.

Lastly, what is your message for your fans in Calcutta? Are you looking forward to do touristy things here?

I really hope to give you a good time here in Calcutta. Let’s go for a night we’ll always remember!

What: We Are Connected, in association with t2, starring Armin van Buuren Where: Eco Park When: December 17, 3pm onwards

 

Pramita Ghosh
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