Throughout the September dates, culminating in the October 5 closing party, those in attendance and everyone following the events have been able to experience a format designed to give Armin the perfect environment to express his club-focused musical vision, sharing the decks with artists with whom he has already built a musical connection through previous and upcoming collaborations
It feels like only yesterday, yet it was back in February when Armin van Buuren announced in Rotterdam that A State Of Trance would be taking over [UNVRS] Ibiza, now one of the world’s most renowned venues. At the time, there was still plenty to discover. Until last year, Armin and his iconic brand had been inseparably linked to Ushuaïa, which had hosted the residency for several years.
The move to [UNVRS] represented, in many ways, another step forward. The venue has already welcomed virtually every major name in electronic music and, since last year, has also become the main stage for the ceremony crowning the world’s No. 1 DJ according to DJ Mag, with this year’s Top 100 event scheduled for October 6.
Just one day earlier, Armin will close this chapter at [UNVRS] with a five-hour closing party, joined by Sara De Warren and Dan Harrison.
Throughout the September dates, those in attendance and everyone following the events have been able to experience a format designed to give the King of A State Of Trance the perfect environment to express his club-focused musical vision, sharing the decks with some of the artists who currently represent and further amplify his movement and his approach to music.
From the very beginning, Armin had promised that the nights on which he would perform solo would feature special vinyl sets, an element he chose to incorporate throughout the residency. The result went even beyond his celebrated Unfiltered episodes, bringing trance history to the forefront while showcasing the producer’s extraordinary skills in such a prestigious club environment.
The entire format was developed around the F2F concept, bringing together Armin and four artists with whom he has already established a direct musical connection: Hannah Laing was the first, on September 7, following their collaboration with Wippenberg, U Got 2 Know. Eli Brown followed on September 14, with the two also having an unreleased collaboration on the way, set to arrive soon. On September 21, it was Argy’s turn to go F2F with Armin, following their collaboration on Like A Child and marking another chapter in a musical connection that has already produced some memorable moments.
The fourth F2F DJ set brought Funk Tribu into the picture, a young Colombian talent who had already shared the decks with Armin earlier this year during A State Of Trance in Rotterdam: their return to the F2F format at [UNVRS] marked another step in a connection that has continued to grow throughout the year, leading to their first official collaboration.
Now, that connection has evolved into their first official collaboration: Nirvana will arrive on October 9, with a sound that clearly draws inspiration from old-school trance, driven by a powerful, relentless kick and a strong sense of forward momentum.
With the F2F format and the artists chosen to share the decks, Armin van Buuren and his A State Of Trance team have continued to shape and evolve their vision at [UNVRS] Ibiza: it follows the idea of a truly all-encompassing musical experience, bringing together Armin’s wealth of experience with artists who share and follow his musical direction. The F2F concept becomes a complete experience in itself, bringing the audience even closer to the music and to the artists performing in front of them.
Being part of a venue of this calibre represents an important milestone, further defining the identity of A State Of Trance: long admired by trance fans around the world, the brand is now becoming even more recognizable within the international club landscape.
From here, the focus will shift towards the final months of the year, with ADE next on the horizon, where Armin and his team will once again be among the main protagonists.