Armin Van Buuren Discusses Future of Career with “Less Performances”

Armin Van Buuren shared a big announcement about his career with fans prior to his album release.

After an incredible Ultra experience – a set at the Worldwide State, another at the Mainstage, and a B2B with trance master Ferry Corsten – Armin Van Buuren must have felt exhausted, on top of the world, untouchable, inspired, the list goes on and on… Yet, in the style of legends, Armin wasn’t even close to done. Shortly after Ultra’s close, Armin released a nearly two-hour-long album, the eighth of his career, titled ‘Feel Again,’ replete with 34 tracks.

The thesis of the album? Authenticity. In promoting his album, Armin released a series of reels on his Instagram, explaining his evolution as an artist and performer and the thought process behind his production.

“I’m trying to be more authentic, not to pretend – but it’s hard,” mused Armin. “I’ve learned to take off my mask, not to try to please everybody. I want to stay true to myself, and it makes me vulnerable. But to open up to all of you and share this with you makes me feel strong, and, yeah, little proud, maybe.”

In a separate video, Armin ruminated on his perception of the world. “Our views of the world are so different. You know, the way you look at the world is probably different than the way I view the world. You know, I really started to look at what is really important for me in life and set my priorities. I lost… that’s basically the core of this whole story – everything I’m telling you. I lost what I really wanted to do in life.”

In yet another post, Armin shared unexpected commentary on the trajectory of his career. More specifically, he shared that he was slowing down, focusing more on the quality of shows rather than the quantity.

“I’m not going to quit DJing but I don’t want to do 150 gigs anymore. You know, it’s too much and I don’t enjoy it. But the gigs I do? I enjoy them and I’m going to give my full 110 percent like I’ve always done – and that’s what I feel during meditation. It’s a radical shift from the Armin of three years ago, the “Balance” Armin. Ironically, the album was called ‘Balance,’ and I was more out of balance than ever. So now, I’m trying to find that balance again by just allowing myself to feel again.”

To listen to Armin’s intriguing new album, venture below.