It’s been intensely active for trance extraordinaire Armin van Buuren as of late. In the last few years, we’ve seen him push his A State of Trance events to unexplored territories, he brought his first child Fenna into this world (with another one on the way), and he even reclaimed his spot as the world’s #1 DJ. On May 3rd, the ASOT legend continues to look onward with the release of his fifth studio album ‘Intense.’

Armin adds:

These songs came to life just by being in the studio, being who I am and following my gut. I feel closer to myself than I ever have. The album sort of happened to me, it just all came together and the story wrote itself. I didn’t try to force anything, I just did what I found interesting and tried to have as much fun in the studio as possible… I’ve never put so much work into one album and each track by itself is pretty Intense. They are all about moments of extreme joy or sadness and the album flirts with all kinds of musical styles, particularly the title track itself.

Armin van Buuren vs. Skrillex

It’s almost been a year since Armin van Buuren brought A State of Trance 550 to Beyond Wonderland 2012. For those who have been waiting patiently for another album, you’re in luck. Van Buuren just announced that his fifth studio album, ‘Intense,’ will be released May 3. “It’s been an intense 2 years in the making. Being a perfectionist, some of these tracks have taken me months to finish,” van Buuren said. It’s been an honor to work with such talented artists, singers and songwriters.” Some of those artists include Arty and W&W.

While we don’t know all the artist collaborations just yet, what we do know is that ‘Intense’ will incorporate live orchestra and rock bands into the album. In addition, the album art cover is being unveiled slowly day by day, and the final reveal of the entire cover will take place March 7. Armada Music is next set to announce the “Intense” track-list and additional artist collaborations.

By Anum Khan

Congratulations to Armin van Buuren! Armin and his wife are expecting their second child.

Before Armin van Buuren embarks on ‘The Expedition’ Tour - a worldwide event that celebrates the 600th episode of his famed A State of Trance

As we close the books on another unforgettable year of trance, the world’s five-time number one DJ, Armin van Buuren, has released his famed annual year mix. Making its debut appearance in 2005, the ‘A State of Trance Yearmix 2012’ sees Armin carrying on the tradition with his 8th installment of the series. This year, Armin showcases 100 quality tracks from veteran artists such as Aly & Fila, John O’Callaghan, and Markus Schulz. As well as highlighting up-and-coming talent including Andrew Rayel, MaRLo, Khomha and many more.

If you’re craving the best trance tunes of 2012 or have just been out of the loop this year, then Armin’s 2012 Yearmix is just what you need! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s go down the rabbit hole once again. Because 2012 was definitely a great year for trance music.

Tracklist:

CD1:
1. Intro – The Year Of Two
2. Omnia & Ira – The Fusion
3. Jaytech feat. Steve Smith – Stranger (Kyau & Albert Remix)
4. Cathy Burton & Omnia – Hearts Connected
5. Arty, Nadia Ali & BT – Must Be The Love
6. Gareth Emery – The Saga
7. Rank 1 & Jochen Miller feat. Sarah Bettens – Wild and Perfect Day
8. Andy Moor feat. Sue McLaren – Trespass (Antillas & Dankann Club Mix)
9. Velvetine – The Great Divide
10. Alexander Popov – When The Sun (Eximinds Remix)
11. Paul van Dyk feat. Arty – The Ocean
12. Dash Berlin feat. Chris Madin – Silence In Your Heart (Club Mix)
13. Dash Berlin feat. Emma Hewitt – Like Spinning Plates (Alexander Popov Remix)
14. Dash Berlin feat. Sarah Howells – Go It Alone (Club Mix)
15. Andain – Turn Up The Sound (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
16. Rex Mundi – Bella Monaco
17. Andrew Bayer & Matt Lange feat. Kerry Leva – In And Out Of Phase (Club Edit)
18. Sunlounger & Zara Taylor – Try To Be Love (Roger Shah Naughty Love Mix)
19. The Blizzard – Piercing The Fog
20. Headstrong feat. Stine Grove – Love Until It Hurts (Aurosonic Progressive Mix)
21. Chicane & Ferry Corsten – One Thousand Suns (Soundprank Remix)
22. Cosmic Gate & Emma Hewitt – Calm Down (Omnia Remix)
23. Armin van Buuren feat. Ana Criado – I’ll Listen
24. Aly & Fila meet Roger Shah feat. Adriana Thorpe – Perfect Love
25. Ana Criado & Omnia – No One Home
26. Lange – Destination Anywhere
27. Ben Gold feat. The Glass Child – Fall With Me
28. Aruna – Save The Day (Myon & Shane 54 Summer Of Love Mix)
29. Ferry Corsten feat. Betsie Larkin – Not Coming Down (Dash Berlin 4AM Remix)
30. W&W – Moscow
31. W&W – Shotgun
32. Heatbeat – Chow Mein
33. W&W – Invasion (Club Mix)
34. Ørjan Nilsen – Endymion
35. Ørjan Nilsen – Copperfield
36. Ørjan Nilsen – Burana
37. Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl feat. Georgi Kay – In My Mind (Axwell Mix)
38. Zedd feat. Matthew Koma – Spectrum (Armin Van Buuren Remix)
39. Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford – On My Way To Heaven (Above & Beyond Club Mix)
40. Andy Moor – K Ta
41. Andrew Bayer feat. Molly Bancroft – Keep Your Secrets (Myon & Shane 54 Summer Of Love Mix)
42. Markus Schulz feat. Seri – Love Rain Down (Myon & Shane 54 Summer Of Love Mix)
43. Ben Gold – Where Life Takes Us
44. Dennis Sheperd & Talla 2XLC – Two Worlds
45. Fady & Mina – Kepler 22 (Andrew Rayel Aether Remix)
46. Tritonal – Slave (Tritonal & Ben Gold Club Dub)
47. Omnia – Infina
48. Heatbeat – Rocker Monster
49. Ummet Ozcan – The Box
50. Armin van Buuren – We Are Here To Make Some Noise
51. Sandro Silva & Quintino – Epic
52. Rank 1 – 7 Instead Of 8
53. Armin van Buuren feat. Ana Criado – Suddenly Summer
54. Gareth Emery feat. Christina Novelli – Concrete Angel

CD2:
1. Ferry Corsten feat. Aruna – Live Forever (Shogun Remix)
2. Tenishia – Where Do We Begin (Andrew Rayel Remix)
3. Emma Hewitt – Miss You Paradise (Shogun Remix)
4. Dash Berlin feat. Jonathan Mendelsohn – World Falls Apart (Club Mix)
5. Super8 & Tab feat. Jan Burton – Black Is Back (Classic Vocal Mix)
6. MaRLo – Megalodon
7. Ralphie B – Icarus
8. Lemon – We Can’t Fly (Solarstone Pure Mix)
9. Andrew Rayel – Aeon Of Revenge
10. Ørjan Nilsen – Legions
11. Shogun – UFO
12. Beat Service – Fortuna
13. Markus Schulz feat. Ana Diaz – Nothing Without Me (Beat Service Remix)
14. Abstract Vision & Elite Electronic – Kinetic
15. Skytech – What’s Wrong (Skytech Stadium Mix)
16. Armin van Buuren presents Gaia – J’ai Envie De Toi
17. Faruk Sabanci – Elveda
18. Wiegel Meirmans Snitker – Nova Zembla (Armin van Buuren Remix)
19. Andrew Rayel – 550 Senta (Aether Mix)
20. Andrew Rayel feat. Jano – How Do I Know (Club Mix)
21. A.R.D.I. – Premonition
22. Gareth Emery – Tokyo (Ben Gold Remix)
23. Protoculture – Perpetual Motion
24. Markus Schulz vs Ferry Corsten – Loops & Tings
25. Alexandre Bergheau – Colors Of Persia
26. Eco – A Million Sounds, A Thousand Smiles
27. Bobina – The Space Track (Andrew Rayel Stadium Remix)
28. Aligator feat. Daniel Kandi – The Perfect Match (Club Mix)
29. Jorn van Deynhoven – Headliner
30. Solarstone & Clare Stagg – The Spell (Solarstone Pure Mix)
31. Armin van Buuren feat. Jan Vayne – Serenity (Andrew Rayel Aether Remix)
32. SoundLift – Revenge (Original 2012 Mix)
33. Running Man – Amnesia (SoundLift’s Emotional Take)
34. Aly & Fila vs Bjorn Akesson – Sand Theme
35. Aly & Fila vs Jwaydan – Coming Home
36. Photographer – Airport
37. SoundLift – Alexandria
38. Paul van Dyk feat. Plumb – I Don’t Deserve You (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix)
39. Sebastian Brandt – Mana
40. Simon O’Shine – Your Distant World
41. Solarstone with Aly & Fila – Fireisland (Aly & Fila Uplifting Mix)
42. Arctic Moon – Starships Over Alice
43. Full Tilt feat. Katrina Noorbergen – Letting Go (Jorn van Deynhoven Remix)
44. Armin van Buuren & Ørjan Nilsen – Belter
45. Ørjan Nilsen – Amsterdam
46. KhoMha – The Dark Knight
47. Indecent Noise feat. Ridgewalkers – Full Moon Fever (Power Dub)
48. John O’Callaghan – Stresstest (John Askew Remix)
49. Outro – Every End Is A New Beginning

Download the ‘A State of Trance Yearmix 2012’ album here.

As 2012 beings to wind down, there is one thing that remains in the forefront of everyone’s mind. What track’s made the cut for this year’s A State of Trance’s Top 20. Each year, Armin van Buuren invites ASOT fans from around the globe to vote for their favorite releases that stood out amongst the rest. However the wait is over as the Top 20 of 2012 has been revealed to the trance faithful! Gareth Emery’s ‘Concrete Angel’ feat newcomer Christina Novelii, took the top spot amidst a long list of equally deserving anthems.

A State of Trance Top 20 of 2012:

1. Gareth Emery featuring Christina Novelli – Concrete Angel
2. Armin van Buuren featuring Ana Criado – I’ll Listen
3. Omnia & IRA – The Fusion
4. Gaia – J’ai Envie De Toi
5. Andrew Rayel featuring Jano – How Do I Know (Club Mix)
6. Armin van Buuren featuring Ana Criado – Suddenly Summer
7. Andrew Rayel – Aeon Of Revenge
8. Aly & Fila meet Roger Shah featuring Adrina Thorpe – Perfect Love
9. W&W – Invasion (Club Mix)
10. Andrew Rayel – 550 Senta (Aether Mix)
11. Paul van Dyk featuring Plumb – I Don’t Deserve You (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix)
12. Ferry Corsten & Armin van Buuren – Brute (Armin’s Illegal Drum Edit)
13. Solarstone with Clare Stagg – The Spell (Solarstone Pure Mix)
14. Jorn van Deynhoven – Headliner
15. Armin van Buuren – We Are Here To Make Some Noise
16. W&W – Moscow
17. Tenishia – Where Do We Begin (Andrew Rayel Remix)
18. Aligator featuring Daniel Kandi – The Perfect Match (Club Mix)
19. Simon O’Shine – Your Distant World
20. Markus Schulz featuring Ana Diaz – Nothing Without Me

More info here.

Armin van Buuren has released the first artists who will be joining him for his worldwide ASOT 600 event. The ‘Expedition World’ Tour is an 11 stop celebration scheduled to kick off on February 16th in Mexico City until it reaches Den Bosch on April 6th.

ASOT 600 Den Bosch:

Who’s Afraid of 138?!: (Dedicated to 138 BPMs)
Aly & Fila
Arctic Moon
Armin van Buuren
Bryan Kearney
Indecent Noise
James Dymond
John Askew
John O’Callaghan

Expedition:
Craig Connely
Estiva
Fabio XB
Faruk Sabanci
Juventa
KhoMha
Matt Davey
Rex Mundi
Sneijder

ASOT 600 Kuala Lumpur:
Aly & Fila
Armin van Buuren
Ben Gold
Cosmic Gate
Super8 & Tab
W&W

ASOT 600 in Minsk:
Armin van Buuren
Dash Berlin
Eximinds
Leon Bolier
Sean Tyas
Sied van Riel

ASOT 600 Mexico city:
Armin van Buuren
Dash Berlin
Markus Schulz
Max Graham vs Protoculture
W&W

ASOT 600 Sao Paulo:
Armin van Buuren
Jorn van Deynhoven
Markus Schulz
Orjan Nilsen
Ruben de Ronde
Tomas Heredia

More details here.

You might have already heard about the drama that arose from Dash Berlin declining an offer to perform alongside Armin van Buuren for his landmark A State Of Trance 600 event. Armin managed to get Dash Berlin to clear the air over a phone interview during the airing of ASOT 589. It seems as though the issue has been resolved and both parties reached an agreement. Dash Berlin is the first officially announced act joining Armin on his Expedition Tour. He will perform at 6 of the 11 scheduled locations including Mexico, Minsk, Sofia, Beirut, Guatemala City, and Den Bosch (his first appearance in Holland).