It's not just love for music, it’s my passion. It goes beyond liking, and beyond a hobby. It’s about a way of living. Music is essential to my life,” is how DJ Armin van Buuren defines his relationship with music.
The Dutch DJ and producer born in Leiden, the Netherlands, on December 25, is one of the most noteworthy persons in the world of EDM and has been a flag-bearer of trance music. Named #1 DJ in the world for five times, last week Armin van Buuren was back in India, a country he has always loved playing in and that has left him “speechless”.
Ahead of his gig at Croma Sunburn Arena ft. Armin Van Buuren presented by Absolut, in partnership with Rhythmbox in association with t2, t2oS caught up with the the Grammy-nominated Dutch backstage for an exclusive interview. Excerpts…
We are super excited to have you back in Calcutta. How thrilled are you to be in India again?
I am excited to be back, I have so many passionate fans here. Feels really great to finally be back in India after Covid. After so many years, like six years. I have really made an effort to come back this time because I have slowed down on the number of gigs, but India has been one of my favourite countries to play in and the reception has been so warm. Fans from all over India come to the hotel with gifts and it’s incredible. So heartwarming!
You are the trance God for your fans. Calcutta has been seeing a surge in the numbers of techno fans post-pandemic with various gigs. How do you perceive blending the two together or exploring techno full-fledged?
I don’t try to limit myself to just one kind... I don’t care if it is labelled techno or trance. If it feels right, if it fits in my set then I’ll play it. I try not to look too much into genres. I look at what the content is. For me, even a good EDM record still works in my set. I’m not going to play my whole set of EDM records but I know Big Room Techno is big right now. So I don’t want to close my eyes to what’s happening. I’ve always tried to stay relevant within the sound without deviating too much from my own path.
So Blue Fear is one of your earliest tracks. So when you look back, what is the biggest take away from your fans and the music industry?If you stick to your roots and if you are loyal to your fans, they go a long way. I am very fortunate to say I have been doing this for 24 years now. I started in ‘99. Next year it will be 25 years since I am active as a DJ. I am very thankful to have witnessed that journey in electronic music. From being a club thing, being small, underground to this mega thing that it is right now, the festivals all over the world, I just feel blessed that I am still a part of it.
“Don’t be a prisoner of your own style” you had told us last time... in over 24 years as a DJ, what has been your mantra to not make your music sound monotonous?
The answer is simple, listen to your heart. I love Blue Fear, I am super proud of that track, it is one of my favourites. But, I am not going to make a second Blue Fear, I am not going to make another Communication. I am not going to make another In And Out of Love... I finish the track and I move on.
Which five tracks of yours would you say were career-shaping/pathbreaking?
Blue Fear for sure, Communication, In And Out of Love, This Is What It Feels Like, and Blah Blah Blah.
What album of yours would you recommend to someone who is just beginning to listen to trance?
(Thinks) Depends if the person wants to hear real trance like just instrumental stuff, or more commercial stuff. Intense was my most successful album but the album I am most proud of is Moons of Jupiter by Gaia.
What is the current state of trance in the world?
I take two hours every week to tell that to people, it is hard to put it in just a few words but what I am excited about is there’s all these new names coming, guys like Avira, Laura van dam. I am just trying to give a stage to the new names as well. You have to keep your eyes open. Every week I present the state of trance, according to myself. Recently we had episode 1,000!
When you started your career and when you started A State of Trance, could you perceive it was going to be this big?
Honestly, there was no plan behind it. I have a passion for making radio and I have passion for this music. So...
Over so many years, five-time World No#1 DJ, so many awards throughout the world, do awards play as much importance in your life as they did when you started your career?
I am very thankful for awards, and it is super important, sort of an accolade in your career, but I am not making music for awards... you know what I mean? I sit in the studio making music, I am having fun. I try to make something genuine that comes from my heart and that’s it. I don’t think you should make it more difficult than that.
What comes to your mind first? The music, the melody or the lyrics?
I don’t have a standard way of working. That for me is the answer to your previous question. I never work in the same way. So I do not have a standard way of working, usually it’s the melody, but sometimes I am just working on a groove and I add a baseline, and we move on from there. It’s never the same way.
What is a piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Never quit piano lessons (laughs).
How long did you play the piano?
I played the piano till I was eight and then I had enough of it and I quit and I should have never quit. So now for five years I have been taking piano lessons again. Not to perform on stage but to just learn the technique behind it. Learn about the chords, structures and everything.
Which artiste has got you hooked?
I listen to everything right now! Dance music, I listen to a lot of ambience. There are so many artistes that inspire me. I love Spotify. I love the streaming services, I love the unlimited access to music. I am a massive fan of Carbon Based Lifeforms from Sweden, their new album is insane.
How about Bollywood music?
I don’t listen to Bollywood music, I have to be honest with you. I haven’t had the time to properly investigate it.
Club gig or outdoor music festival? What excites you more at this point in your life?
The crowd that had gathered from all parts of the city and many from neighbouring states came equipped with banners and messages for Armin Picture: Sunburn Arena
Do you want to eat steak every day? (laughs) What makes my job great is that one day I’ll be playing in a venue like this, then I will play in Ibiza in a small club, then I’ll play in a big festival like Tomorrowland and then I will play in a small club. I don’t want to do the same thing all the time. If you just play in festivals, they get boring. If you just play clubs, they get boring.
You have played sets seven-eight hours long. How do you prepare for such long sets?
I don’t really need to prepare in the sense that if you tell me now to play for seven hours, I can. If you tell me now to go on stage and play for 12 hours, I will. But that’s because I am doing it almost every day. I know my music, I know what I want to tell, the story, it’s a lot of fun to prepare a longer set because you can test a lot of music, people have a bigger attention span. If you play for one hour, you have to bang all the hits. Like here tonight, I only have two hours and I haven’t been here in seven years, so the music alone I have made in seven years is more than two hours. So longer sets give me the opportunity to show the versatility of my sets, what I have been doing...
You have a song called Computers Take Over The World. Do you think in an age when AI is becoming more vital, AI will take away the role of a DJ?
Could be. You have to see the title ironically. I don’t believe at this point that computers will take over the world. It’s meant to start a discussion, and make people aware of it. But yeah, I can see AI DJ-ing in the future. Right now, if I make a playlist on Spotify, Spotify automatically suggests new tracks and sometimes I discover new music that way. That’s the start of DJ-ing. I am pretty sure that it’s going to happen.
Lastly, what did you do today in Calcutta?
Went to some schools. It was actually really nice. And I went to the gym in the hotel and that’s about it!