..::Interesting Armin Van Buuren Interview:::.. .:::Read HERE:::.
The interview is a couple months old, but I found it to be a very interesting read.
Maybe you will too. Or, maybe not. Who knows, but here it is anyway:::
INTERVIEW: ARMIN VAN BUUREN
(2005-10-24)
Armin van Buuren has been making headlines with his appearances at Sail Amsterdam, his Armin Only event as well as his Shivers album. His name is tipped as MixMags new number one DJ in the world. Reason enough to find out more about his recent endeavors. Graham Wood from Eccentric Beats had a chance to sit down with Armin and Maykel Piron of Armada Music in Minneapolis on October 5th to discuss Shivers and Armin' future plans.
EB: You've collaborated with many artists on both of your artist albums.Which artist or artists would you like to work with in the future?
Armin: I have a big list (laughs). I am a music lover. Maykel and I listen to all kinds of music. I always used to carry around a CD player with a big bag of CD's. You remember those days? I would like to work with a vocalist like Coldplay or something, or maybe a rapper. Actually in my show in New York last Friday at Crobar, P Diddy got on stage. That was awesome. maybe I can try to convince him to do something together. I guess I am up for anything. I've always had a weak spot for Enya, the Irish folk singer. She's beautiful!. Or Maire Brennan of Clannad. Or maybe even Bjork.
These are all artists that have their own agenda, its so hard to get in touch with them but I'm sure one of these days I am going to nail one of them. We've tried for Shivers. There were actually about 30 tracks for the album that we were working on and only 11 ended up on the final product. The rest are still ongoing, but nothing is happening with them right now because I am out touring to promote the album. We made some really interesting contacts with some really interesting big names and we want to look into that further, but for the moment I am just touring for this album, Shivers. In the future you can expect some more collaborations.
EB: How many tracks do receive each week for your radio show, A State Of Trance and for your DJing in the clubs?
Armin: It varies. Sometimes it's really quiet and there is nothing in my mail, and there are no emails with links. This is a period now (beginning of October/end of September) when everyone is back from holiday, so dozens of tracks are coming in and we all need to review them. It's a bit too much, because I think as a normal human being you can only handle eight tracks or so a day, or maybe eight tracks in an hour. I wish it would be a lot more dosed, but there is a lot of good new music coming in. Especially now since we set up Armada, the label, I get even more tracks. People send me tracks to be played on the radio show, people send me tracks for me to play as a DJ, and a lot of people send me tracks to consider for the label. Sometimes it's a madhouse. Nowadays it's all links. I have a big hard drive at home where I store all the MP3s.
EB: I've noticed in your studio on your website, you have a wide variety of hardware and software. What do you find yourself using more often these days, for example on Shivers?
Armin: Definitely more software. I think in general we are moving from a MIDI generation to an audio generation. Something that BT started with the birth of Pro Tools. I have a studio that cost me a lot of money in those times. Now anybody with a cracked version of Reason on their dad's laptop can make tracks that sound excellent, good enough for us to release. So it's a strange time, but it's also really good, because a lot of talent that doesn't have the money to buy equipment is now able to make really good music with really cheap software and it sounds amazing. I have these synths because I am used to them and I am a bit of a nostalgic guy. I'm a hands-on kinda guy. When I play a melody, I like to twist the knobs. I haven't really had the time to properly dive into all the soft synths. I mean I have bought everything, the whole Pro Tools thing, the whole Native Instruments pack. I have made some really cool inspiring sounds but there is so much that is coming right now that I need to just focus on one thing and really dig into that.
EB: I noticed you recently updated your studio with some new monitors, what kind of monitors are those?
Armin: I bought 2 Dynaudio M2s, they are passive monitors, because I wanted to have a big room feel in my studio. Whenever I do a track I always burn CD-R's and listen to them in my car and on my mom's stereo. A track should sound good on those Dynaudios, and in my living room, but also on my girlfriend's radio in her car and also on my mom's stereo. If it doesn't sound good there then it doesn't make any sense. I have the M2s to get a club feel because they have a lot of low end and it's a really big sound. Sometimes it's just a test, but I still produce on the Mackies.
EB: Do you see yourself doing a live performance in the future, perhaps using Ableton?
Armin: Yeah, definitely, but at the moment, and this is what I have been saying to a lot of people, laptops are made for home or office use, not for use in vibrant surroundings with a lot of smoke... . people tend to spill drinks on your laptop when you are DJ'ing. I have Ableton, I am really good with it, because I do my show every week in Ableton Live. Actually this week's show was completely done on the airplane with Ableton Live. That's awesome, it's a digital revolution. But I cannot stand the idea of my audience having to wait for my laptop to reboot. Sometimes I play for 10 or 12 thousand people and I just can't have the chance of my laptop crashing when it's a really important night for me. I love it, I love the software, I'm investigating it, but for me right now CDR's and vinyl are still the main thing.
EB What's your favorite track on Shivers?
Armin: Hmm, that's a really difficult question, I think you should ask him. (motions to Maykel)
Maykel: My favorite track? I think my favorite track is Who Is Watching
Armin: Yeah? (laughs) That's cool. I really can't answer that question. I'm really glad to say and I'm really surprised to say that this album doesn't bore me. That may sound really weird to you, but I have heard the tracks so many times in the last two years. I went into the office to talk about it, some tracks got rejected, some things got changed. Even when I listen to it now, I'm like "Yeah, man".
Making an album is probably the hardest thing you can do as an artist. It's very confronting personally and its very scary. You work for two years and you don't have any income on those tracks. You don't know what you are doing because you don't have a crowd to test those tracks on. When you are really enthusiastic about those tracks you have to hold back and not play them in your sets. Every track has a different story, I cannot pick one favorite. The track with Josh and Dave (Gabriel and Dresden) called Zocalo was so different than the track I did with Nadia. Zocalo was recorded in San Francisco on a sunny afternoon and Who is Watching was recorded in just two hours in a studio in New York. It's a very personal album and it's very emotional. I just don't have a favorite; every track for me is good, otherwise I wouldn't have released it.
EB: I know Shivers was two years in the making. About how much time was spent in the studio?
Armin: Every time I wasn't DJ'ing (laughs). A lot of time went into the setup of Armada. I've got really good people that work with me and know not to disturb me with stuff that's unimportant. They know I should be focusing on making music.
EB: In the video for Shivers, I noticed you were playing at a party in a forest. Where was that filmed? Who came up with the idea?
Armin: It was written by a video scriptwriter. We had about ten scripts for that video. It was actually filmed at a very famous house. That house has been used for several commercials in Holland and the video company hired that house for the day. It is in a beautiful area in the north of Holland right near the ocean, it's just a beautiful place. Actually, this is a funny thing, when I was DJ'ing you see me high up, with the palm trees next to me. The DJ setup was not high enough so I had to sit on my knees. So you see me DJ'ing like I am standing, but I am actually on my knees.
EB: Now that you have just released Shivers, what is next for you? What are your future plans?
Armin: A lot of things. First of all, I'm here in the U.S. to finish my Shivers tour. I'll be visiting every major city. Then I'm going home, and on November 12th I will be hosting my first Armin Only on a bigger scale. We call it the Next Level because it will be held in a room for 12,000 people. The ticket sales are really good so I am really excited about it but I am also really nervous about it because there still is a lot to be done. It's a little bit over my head right now, but I am sure when the day comes it will be fine. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night thinking "Oh My God!".
EB: I saw the website for that, it looks amazing!
Armin: You saw it? Thank you. It's the logical next step, I have been doing Armin Only's for a long time. This is just my thing, I am sure I can pull it off.
EB: So you play for how long, 9 hours straight? that's very impressive!
Armin: I love it man, it's the best. Then next year I will still be touring for Shivers a lot because I am going to Asia, Australia. Promotion of the album takes about a year. Next year A State Of Trance 2006 is now confirmed. I'm really looking forward to that one because I am taking another road with that compilation. I really want to give it a go this time. I have a very big secret for September 2006 to be announced soon. We are looking at the release date for it. We have a really nice idea, and there will be a tour with that as well. Then a new artist album in 2007.
EB: What was your most memorable club/event you played this summer?
Armin: I would have to say the Distant Heat festival in the south of Jordan. It was a party in the middle of the desert man, and it was fucking rocking. It still gives me shivers if I think about it. Jordan is actually a beautiful country. Fascinating people. One of the most peaceful countries in the world. The lowest crime rate in the world in Jordan, believe it or not. When the sun came up it was 45 degrees instantly. It was near a rock right in the middle of the desert, three hours from anything. The atmosphere of the party was just how a party is supposed to be. No criticism, no expectations, everyone is having fun. You could see the stars because there were no cities around. I have never seen so many stars in my life and I love that. It was a very inspiring view.
EB: So you played until the sun came up? Armin: Yeah, I played a six-hour set, and I was booked for three hours.
EB: What are currently some of your favorite tracks? Armin: I think the new Marco V is really good.
EB: Is that False Light?Armin: Yeah, that's my favorite off the album.
EB: Do you think you will play that one tonight?
Armin: Yeah, definitely. If I come to the key 'E' then I will. This is probably very selfish, but I still love to play tracks from the album. I've got some new mixes of tracks from the album which I will play out tonight, some exclusive mixes which I am really excited about. There is a lot good music out there man. If you listen to A State Of Trance then you probably hear everything that I like. Even in our own company, Perry O' Neil is doing some amazing stuff. I think he has done a track that is bigger than Waveforce, called Numb. That's huge for me. Mode Hookers by Steve Angelo and Sebastian Ingrosso is amazing, that's really big for me right now. The Orkidea mix of Way Out West. I'd have to go through my CD-R case. I think there has never been a time that I have heard more great music than now. There is so much good music. Andy Moor - Halycon, the track we just put out.
EB: (reaches into bag from the visit to Vital Vinyl before the interview and pulls out that record)
Armin: Oh you got it with you, there you go. I had the honor to play that track for a half year exclusive, so I played that track to death and it still doesn't bore me either. It's a beautiful track. Andy Moor is probably one of the best producers in the world right now. Gabriel and Dresden with Markus Schulz - Without You Near is obviously the biggest track with me in 2005. Markus's album is great.
EB: That just got released didn't it?
Armin: Yeah, that got released this week. That guy has been working his ass off, he deserves all the credit he gets, he's great. Just signed a new track from a guy called Kamil Polner. Awesome track. I could talk hours with you about great tracks.
EB: What kind of music do you listen to at home/in your car?
Armin: Everything. I just bought some classical albums. Stuff your dad listens to. Pink Floyd. I am getting my Pink Floyd collection, I am up to the 15th album now. Jamiroquai's new one, Coldplay's new one. Recently I bought The Best Of Frank Sinatra, not the well-known one, but the low budget one, which is actually better. There is so much great music out there. I love what music does to people. When I am cooking I put on Frank Sinatra and my girlfriend comes in and we both start dancing. It looks really stupid, but that is where you get your inspiration. If you just keep listening to trance constantly, you won't evolve. If you listen to other music, you will take elements of that music and incorporate it. I listen to 50 Cent , I listen to Eminem, I bought all those albums, Chemical Brothers, you name it, everything. I buy a lot of CDs online now. I have a big case at home and I listen to music all day.
EB: What do you do for fun when not out touring or in the studio?
Armin: Normal guy stuff. I am a friends and family guy. I am really close with my parents and I love my girlfriend. I guess I do what you do. I go out on a Friday night with some friends when I don't have to DJ and go grab a bite to eat and see a movie. I am a movie fanatic, I love movies. I've got my diving degree so I'd love to go diving soon, whenever I have time. In January I am going to South America so I will probably be stopping by somewhere in Mexico to go deep sea diving. The good thing about diving is that you can't take your phone with you under the water. I guess I am a bit of a tech nerd as well, I love to fool around with Macs and try out new plug-ins. I have an X-Box and a Gamecube so I love to play video games, but they have been untouched for the last few months unfortunately.
EB: What direction do you see electronic music taking?
Armin: I think there is a lot of negative press about dance music but whenever I DJ, whenever we do clubnights or release a record a lot of people buy it and a lot of people come to our parties so dance music is very much alive. What I really see now is a lot of styles are fusing. Progressive DJs are playing a lot electro, electro DJs tend to incorporate a little bit of trance. It's not so much you have your trance DJ, your progressive DJ or your house DJ now. House DJs play a lot of progressive records these days.
I was DJ'ing in Washington last Saturday night and Ali from Deep Dish was listening to my set the whole night and I gave him three of the tracks of my set that he loved so much the next day. And these were trance tracks! It just shows that we should stop thinking in those genres. I think the whole interesting thing that there is going to be a lot of crossovers between the styles. It's back to basics with dance music. But I will always play trance. I will always support A State Of Trance. Whenever people come to my shows, I am a trance guy. That's the music I love. I like to experiment a little, but not as much that I would go become a house DJ all of a sudden. But I like to experiment, like that Mode Hookers track, that's a track I would play.
EB: Thanks a lot for doing this interview.
Armin: Thank you, man.
..:::Click HERE to Check Out The AvB Article on 365mag.com:::..
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.:::Kristina Sky:::.
.:::Click HERE to visit my Soundcloud | Live Recordings & Tracks:::.
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Last edited by Kristina Sky on Jan-19-2006 at 20:03
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