2005 marked one of the most significant releases of Armin van Buuren‘s career: the album Shivers. The record would go on to spawn some of the Dutch icon’s biggest classics, beginning with its iconic title track, which would become one of the cornerstones of his discography.
The following year opened with the release of Control Freak, a track that clearly showcased the refined trance production technique Armin possessed during that era. Alongside the original version came Sander van Doorn’s remix, a reinterpretation destined to become one of the defining tracks of 2006.
With his rework, Sander van Doorn gave the track an entirely different personality. At the height of his tech-trance breakthrough, the Eindhoven producer injected the record with a more hypnotic dimension, driven by a sharp and captivating synth. These qualities would go on to define much of his later output, at a time when his rise to success was only just beginning.
The remix made an immediate impact, quickly becoming one of the most played reworks of the year and reaching No. 4 in the prestigious A State Of Trance Top 20 of 2006. Even two decades later, it remains a timeless classic, regularly selected by trance DJs as one of the genre’s essential tracks to include in their sets.
Released in June 12, 2006 on Armind (Armada Music)
1. Control Freak (Original Mix) 8.17
2. Control Freak (Sander van Doorn Rmx) 7.18