Armin Van Buuren

Armin van Buuren is a world-renowned Dutch DJ, record producer, and electronic music pioneer. Born on December 25, 1976, in Leiden, Netherlands, he has built a decades-long career that has made him a foundational pillar of the global dance music scene.

Early Life and Breakthrough Inspired by electronic music pioneers like Jean-Michel Jarre, van Buuren began his DJing career in 1996 while studying law at Leiden University. He found early success with tracks like "Blue Fear" (1997) and "Communication," the latter becoming a massive hit in Ibiza in 1999. In the same year, he co-founded his label Armind, laying the groundwork for what would become a massive musical empire.

A State of Trance (ASOT) In March 2001, van Buuren launched his weekly radio show, A State of Trance (ASOT). What started as a two-hour Dutch broadcast has evolved into a global phenomenon, reaching nearly 40 million listeners across 84 countries on over 100 FM radio stations. The show propelled him to international stardom and played a crucial role in cultivating interest in trance music worldwide. ASOT has celebrated numerous milestones with massive global tours and live broadcasts, surpassing 1,000 episodes and hosting dedicated worldwide festivals.

Career Milestones and Accolades Van Buuren's impact on the dance music industry is highly decorated:

DJ Mag Top 100: He holds the record for being ranked the number one DJ by DJ Mag a total of five times (four of those consecutively). Most recently, he ranked fifth on the 2025 list.

Grammy Nomination: In 2014, he earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording for his hit single "This Is What It Feels Like" featuring Trevor Guthrie.

Billboard Records: He holds the United States record for the most entries (twenty-one) on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

Royal Honors: In 2011, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau for his services to the Dutch dance and music economy.

Albums and Recent Works (2023–2025) His extensive discography spans critically acclaimed studio albums including 76 (2003), Shivers (2005), Imagine (2008), Mirage (2010), Intense (2013), Embrace (2015), and Balance (2019).

In recent years, Armin has continued to innovate and release highly successful projects:

2023: Released his eighth studio album, Feel Again, and starred in the documentary concert film This Is Me: Feel Again, which explored his creative process and journey of self-discovery.

2024–2025: Launched a massive multi-part album project, beginning with Breathe In in early 2024, and concluding with the complete Breathe album in June 2025.

Late 2025: Showcasing his immense musical versatility, he released Piano, an acoustic album featuring fifteen tracks recorded in a single take with string accompaniments.

Armin van Buuren remains a tireless innovator, continually pushing the boundaries of electronic music while maintaining a deep, global connection with his fans.