I would like to kickstart this passion blog with the man whose single song introduced me into the world of electronic dance music (referred to also as EDM) a few short years ago. Ironically, his area of expertise is slightly outside the general genre I hope to focus on in this blog, but I feel that one cannot write about EDM and not mention Armin van Buuren.
Van Buuren grew up in the Netherlands where he took interest in music and technology from an early age. He was a bright student and even went on to study and complete his master’s degree in law, working at clubs on weekends to improve his DJing skills. It was clear to the young artist, however, that music was his passion, and he soon made it his personal mission to share trance music with the world.
As a leading DJ in the trance and EDM fields, Armin has accomplished many firsts. In 2013, he performed for the new king and queen of the Netherlands, who shocked the crowds and danced with him on stage! The DJ was also the first solo dance artist to perform in Madison Square Garden in 2010. Van Buuren has been the recipient of a large variety of accolades, placing in the top 27 of the “DJ Mag Top 100” five years in a row (and in the top 3 for three years in a row). He has been named “Best Trance DJ” at the DJ Awards in Ibiza and continues to be nominated for various electronic music and DJ awards. He also is the current host of “State of Trance,” a weekly radio show on which he broadcasts new dance hits.
Van Buuren has been at the forefront of the electronic dance music industry for two decades, and thus I could not think of a better artist to begin this blog with. According to Armin, “music should connect us. As long as the music keeps evolving like it is, I will continue and I don’t see any reason to slow it down.”
Van Buuren has released six albums to date. They are, in order: ‘76’ (2003), ‘Shivers’ (2005), ‘Imagine’ (2008), ‘Mirage’ (2010), ‘Intense’ (2013), and ‘Embrace’ (2015). Of personal interest to me is a track in his ‘Intense’ album, ‘This is What it Feels Like.’ Admittedly, this is the single song that introduced me to the EDM world, but that is by no means its greatest attribute. Featuring vocals by Trevor Guthrie, the song is an up-lifting combination of dance and pop with a carefree, timeless beat.
Armin’s main work is in the trance genre, where he has released countless hits including ‘Indestructible’ and ‘Caught in the Slipstream.’ Armin’s music encompasses both tracks with and without vocals. In addition, his later works include experimentation with unconventional instruments for dance music. As one of the earliest trance artists, van Buuren has helped to create the genre into what it is today – and through his concert on international stages and nearly unparalleled success, his is a name one won’t likely forget in the near future.
Sources:
https://www.arminvanbuuren.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armin_van_Buuren
My slightly-biased favorite Armin song, ‘This is What it Feels Like
I really like your passion blog for this semester! I too am a fan of EDM, so it’ll be great to hear your perspective on it and find new artists to listen to
I wish I could listen to the song! I’ve never really listened to EDM music but I know where I live has a massive festival every year called Camp Bisco. I’ve never been, but I know a lot of my friends say it’s an amazing time, so I’ll definitely have to give it a try.
I had personally never heard of this genre of music before reading your blog this week. After listening to “This is What it Feels Like,” I have to say that the music is catchy. The instruments are also quite diverse, which you mentioned. I cannot wait to hear what other songs you have for us!