The year 2010 brings a great challenge to Dutch DJ/producer Armin van Buuren. Encouraged by his three-year status as the number one DJ in the critically acclaimed DJ Mag Top 100, the ‘Gouden Harp’ distinction he received in March, two international Dance Music Awards -amongst one for ‘Best Global DJ’ - and of course the millions of music lovers and fans who party tirelessly during his many gigs, Armin keeps on going. Unstoppable and on the way to his fourth artist album. After ‘76’, ‘Shivers’ and ‘Imagine’, September 10th is the date when the successor, ‘Mirage’ will finally be revealed. A foretaste of this new album, is the very first single: ‘Full Focus’.After singles ‘Gaia – Tuvan’ and ‘Broken Tonight’ with VanVelzen, Armin returns to the core with ‘Full Focus’: his own sound and instrumental power. The result is a banging trance track with a classical touch, techy effects and a strong feel for drama. Months and months of work, in between his many travels, have been put into this disk. And that’s definitely showing, ‘Full Focus’ is a crowd’s record, a highlight and encore at the many festivals, clubs and events Armin will be playing at this summer. After its exclusive release it became a Top 10 charter in the iTunes Dance Charts, and is still there in the many countries it’s been released so far.The ‘Full Focus’ package is completed with several must-have remixes and original interpretations by some of the best producers in dance-land. John O’Callaghan, the number one Irish DJ/producer, gave a really deep techno-feel to the record, as where mister ‘Boombox’, UK producer Ali Wilson, remained on the housy, groovy side of it. Dutch talent Ummet Ozcan, ever on the rise of becoming the next big thing in tech-trance, makes you feel ‘Full Focus’ with an emotional interpretation, driven by strings and all the necessary components to get the hands in the air and the eyes closed for a trippy ride into trance.
Tracklist:
Full Focus (Extended Mix) (06:49)
Full Focus (Ummet Ozcan Remix) (07:03)
Full Focus (Joint Operations Centre Remix) (07:42)
Full Focus (Ali Wilson TEKELEC Remix) (07:09)
Preview Extended Mix:
indulged his passion for music from a young age. He spent all the money he earned with his paper round on records. His mum won a computer when he was 10, gaining Armin’s interest. “So as a little nerdy kid I was writing my own basic programs, and learnt about the technology from there.” He progressed from making low-profile mix tapes for friends to higher profile mixes when he discovered experimenting with different sequences on his computer through his uncle. “I was so stunned by what I saw him doing on the computer, that I got addicted to creating music right there and then!” “I loved dance music immediately – this great rebellious sound that was so different to the ‘beautiful’ songs of the years before”. Armin cites electronic pioneer Jean Michel Jarre as a major influence, as well as Dutch producer Ben Liebrand, who later mentored him in his mixing and producing. In the early days, Armin thought it was wise to have something extra in case the dj’ing didn’t work out. So he studied for a law degree. The final year of his course was inevitably stretched as he juggled his studies with his increasingly hectic schedule; his rise to fame included lots of productions and remixes, as well as playing out to packed clubs every weekend. It took him three years to graduate, but his determination made him succeed!Armin is a dedicated trance lover, but isn’t imprisoned by a single genre, saying “What makes trance work so well is that it doesn’t stick to one style, and can incorporate electro, minimal, whatever it likes.” The main ingredient to Armin's life will always be music. "This is just what I really want," says Armin. "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”.
