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[INTERVIEW] Armin Van Buuren, World's #1 DJ

2018-04-18 Jenny Ren ShanghaiWOWeng

The past weekend was taken over by F1 and Heineken. As a big fan of EDM, I was honored to have a chance to sit down with the TOP 1 DJ Armin Van Buuren before his live set in Jing'an Kerry Center to ask him about life, music, and being one of the biggest DJs in the world. 



JR: Any special talent in China that caught your eye?


AVB: I toured in China for ten days in March. I saw j.l.fan, one of the new upcoming trance DJs. He is doing very well. It’s exciting because I came to China for the first time in 2004, played in Beijing and Shanghai. The market has grown so big and caught a lot of attention. Everywhere In the mainland, there is more and more EDM music so I’m super happy.

 

JR: Any tips for DJs who want get to your level in China?


AVB: The quickest way to get to the top is to make your own music. It sounds ironic to “make your own music,” but to become a popular DJ, you’ll always get the fame from your own track. When people are buying tickets for music festivals, they come to see you to play the track that they love the most.

 

JR: If you could spin in any place on earth, where would it be?


AVB: I played on the Great Wall in Beijing a couple of years ago, it was a rainy day but it didn’t matter, everybody stayed. It was just phenomenal. In the future… I don’t know, on the Eiffel Tower maybe? Something like that, I like Paris as well.

 


JR: What's your routine for pre-show warm-up?


AVB: I always bring a crew of 5 people to any show. So before I go on the stage I’m always talking with them about the show. You may think that on every set I play the same songs but that’s not the case. Some sets are for 2 hours, some are for an hour and some for 5 hours. So there is always something that needs to be taken into consideration.

 

JR: And you’ll have some drinks with them?

 

AVB: Maybe sometimes I’ll have a glass of champagne before I go up the stage, but it’s not like I need to drink before I play. Nothing crazy, I don’t need to be drunk before I perform. But there is nothing wrong with a beer or two.



JR: The Chinese EDM market is growing fast. Ultra came to Shanghai last year, what other festivals would you like to see in China?

 

AVB: I’d love to play on EDC. And Cream Field is coming this year as well. It’s very funny because I used to play at the very first Cream Field in the UK. It was like at the end of 90’s and 2000. Cream Field is a brand that I have worked with for a long time, more than 20 years. So it’s great to see they are hitting the mainland of China.

 

JR: As a DJ, you have to be on tour all the time, how do you juggle work, your personal life and family?

 

AVB: That must be the most difficult question you've asked me. Because there is no easy answer for that. I’m very blessed for my understanding life, but I have to say that it was not easy. My schedule basically decides our life. There are always gigs that I must go to. I definitely DJ less than I used to. I used to work 150 days a year, but now I can only do 90 a year. So it means I will not miss the important family weekends.


I do a lot of production as well in my own studio, and a lot of meetings with my crew. Also, I have a radio show every week which I do from the office, it also saves me a lot of time. The reason I've balanced so well is that I have an understanding wife and a great team of people around me.

 


JR: Did you ever bring your kids on tour with you?


AVB: No, I prefer to keep my children out of the picture, because I try to give them an ordinary life. So you can rarely find photos of my children online, maybe only some from their baby times. They just see me as a dad but not a famous DJ. We also choose a normal school and ask no special treatment from teachers.

 

JR: You're playing at an F1 event, so I should probably ask you something car-related: what do you think DJs and professional race car drivers have in common?

 

AVB: First of all, they must be hard working. Because for me, racing is more than driving a car. You have to be well-trained and have a lot of preparations to become a racer. It’s the same thing as a DJ. When I do an important set this weekend, I will prepare a month in advance, making new music and edits. Secondly, You have to be fit and healthy. I work out a lot and I don’t drink all the time. Thirdly, no matter if you are a DJ or a racer, you always want to win and become number 1. It’s a human factor.


JR: It's also a Heineken event so I should mention them... uhhh, what’s the perfect song to play when you are popping open a bottle of Heineken?


AVB: Save my night. I made this track for the Heineken campaign years ago. I still play it a lot and my fans love that.


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