It’s been quite a strange, challenging, and one-of-a-kind year hasn’t it? During the time of this global pandemic, we hope that everyone has looked out for each other and realized just how much goes on in this world. One tiny thing changed everything. The only thing to beat it is to stand together and work together. Just like the ASOT community, we can fall back on music to support us through tough times.

A Look Into The Mix

The compilation features anyone and everyone in trance–all your favorite artists come together once again. There’s Above & Beyond, Gareth Emery, Aly & Fila, Cosmic Gate, Ferry Corsten. The list goes on and on with Paul van Dyk, Solarstone, Super8 & Tab, Genix, Brennan Heart, Fatum. How many trance stalwarts can you get into one album? Andrew Rayel, Factor B, Craig Connelly, ReOrder, Jorn van Deynhoven, Markus Schulz oh my! You’ll have to listen to find out the rest. Now if only we could get all these legends onto Dreamstate.

While only tidbits play throughout the entire selection, they blend together smoothly and will take you to that place of comfort. Don’t forget there are two sides chock full of the greatest trance artists.

Looking back upon the year, these tracks are here to perfectly encapsulate your mood. Enjoy the uplift, the progressive, the melodic, even the big room. While this may give us major festival FOMO, a new year is coming. The entire mix spans two hours and is breathtaking. Let it spark some inspiration in your day and be the outlet you need for expression.

A Message From Armin

“It’s been a tough year for everyone. For me personally, it was like a reset I didn’t know I really needed. COVID-19 made me realize how lucky I am to be doing this. I really miss physically connecting with people around the world. I felt a bit lost without the magic of performing for a crowd and experiencing this music together. Fortunately, I could continue broadcasting my A State Of Trance radio show in Amsterdam to connect with everyone online. I’m extremely thankful for that.

I hope that this seventeenth edition of the year mix brings some much-needed light into this year and that it gives everyone something to look forward to as well. The planned celebrations for the ASOT1000 had to be postponed, but we will be doing something special on January 21, the day on which we’ll broadcast the 1000thepisode of A State Of Trance. There are a few surprises coming in the next few weeks, so keep an eye on my social media channels” – Armin van Buuren

We definitely feel that message, Armin. This year and this mix let us reflect on all that’s happened and all the new music we’ve gotten. Listen to the year mix below and enjoy!

A State Of Trance Year Mix 2020 | Buy/Stream

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Last weekend, one of the biggest trance events took over Mexico City. A State of Trance celebrated yet another edition with some of the biggest names in the trance industry. ASOT Mexico, curated by Dutch DJ/Producer Armin Van Buuren, brought in over 25,000 people to enjoy the purest melodies, strongest beats, and a sense of unification and happiness in what turned out to be one of the best events in Mexico this year.

Trance Takes Over Mexico

It all began last Saturday, when over 25,000 fans and 15 of the best Trance DJs took over Parque Bicentenario to dance and party for 8 hours. ASOT announced just a couple days before the festival that the festival was officially sold out. ASOT 900 contained 2 stages, the main stage and the ‘Road to 1000’ stage. A lineup full of some of the biggest names in trance such as Cosmic Gate, Ferry Corsten, John Askew, and of course, Armin Van Buuren ignited the crowd and gave them one of the most memorable nights the EDM scene in Mexico has ever had.

ASOT Begins

Since the beginning of the festival, big names such as Spencer Brown took the crowd into the full ASOT mood. Bringing in classics and brand new amazing tracks, including his brand new Deadmau5 remix, Spencer Brown helped get the public in the mood. Artists such as Mexican DJ/Producer Leo Reyes, American duo Elevven, and Ruben De Ronde would continue to help immerse the crowd as the sun came down, covering the festival with a golden aura and announcing the coming of a perfect night.

ASOT by Night

After a couple hours, the sun came down, and the night took over Parque Bicentenario. Legendary German duo Cosmic Gate took over the main stage to drop anthem after anthem. They would be joined by Luke Bond, Ashley Wallbridge, and legend Ferry Corsten, who introduced his project System F to Mexico City. Ben Gold took the stage as well. Armed with his new album Sound Advice: Chapter 2 the 26 years old completely owned the night.

The Boss Comes Up

Finally, at 10 pm, the man, the legend, and the ASOT founder made his stellar appearance. Armin Van Buuren took over the mainstage, surrounded by screams and ovations. He then proceeded to completely control the night, showing why he is considered one of the best, if not the best DJ of all time. ‘Revolution’, ‘Blah Blah Blah’, and ‘Great Spirit’ were just some of the tracks played in one of the best trance sets Van Buuren has delivered in Mexico City. After two hours filled with the purest essence of trance, Van Buuren surprised the crowd by dropping a hardstyle remix for ‘Blah Blah Blah’ and announcing he would be back in Mexico soon. Could we have our first EDC Mexico Headliner?

The End

Even after Van Buuren’s set was over, there was still a lot of dancing at partying at ASOT 900. Marlo, Obie Fernandez & Lightform, and John Askew delivered amazing sets that kept the people moving, singing and dancing even after many of them looked tired and ready to go home.

Finally, the closing acts came up to the stage. The main stage was closed by Israeli DJ/Producer Whiteno1se, who delivered a set filled with all-time greats psy-trance mashups and a live performance by Scottish singer Nina Nesbitt. Meanwhile, on the Road to 1000 stage, Scottish DJ/Producer Will Atkinson dropped one of his famous “no genre” sets. With these performances, ASOT 900, Mexico City would come to an end. The crowd left the place smiling, singing and going over the memories of a crazy, beautiful, and amazing night.

What We Learned

Undoubtedly, ASOT 900 left a mark in Mexico’s EDM industry. In a scene dominated by bass and house, trance was long due for a comeback. After Psy-trance took over the EDM industry, thousands were finally waiting for the definite trance comeback. Now, the comeback might finally be on sight.

A sold-out event, anywhere, at any time is always something to respect, and ASOT 900 being a sold-out event sends out a pretty clear message: Trance is back. Not only Psy-trance, but the most melodic genre in the whole EDM specter. Without a doubt, we will now be seeing the return of one of the biggest, oldest, and most important genres in the EDM industry.

Relieve some of ASOT’s best sets here

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This past weekend, A State of Trance made a stop in Oakland, California for the very first time. Back in February, it was announced that the USA would receive another chance to celebrate 900 episodes of ASOT with the king of trance, Armin van Buuren. In a brand new location, Insomniac and ALDA Events went all out to make a memorable night for thousands of attendees. From the venue to the stage production, ASOT Bay Area went above and beyond my expectations.

The Venue – Oakland Coliseum

Rather than holding the party indoors like previous ASOT events, Insomniac and ALDA took advantage of the massive Oakland Coliseum. Home of the Oakland Athletics and Raiders, the Coliseum was specifically designed for crowds. The outdoor setting was comfortable with our summer weather and offered great sound quality. While some may view the Coliseum as old or out of date, it had more than enough to handle an event of this size.

First, two huge jumbotrons offered a view of the artist playing on stage, great for those wanting to sit in the stands. Speaking of seating, hundreds of seats were available if you didn’t feel like standing all 7 hours. The stage was situated in the outfield of the stadium, offering a great view, all around. If you watched previous ASOT 900 livestreams like myself, you likely recognized the stage design from Spain and Ukraine. I was ecstatic when I found out it made it all the way to sunny California!

Furthermore, the stadium offered more than enough restrooms, parking, and food. Parking wasn’t cheap at $40 but many attendees took BART, the local train transportation. Additionally, the same vendors who walk around selling refreshments at baseball games, were out selling water on the dance floor! Snack bars were also open around the stadium, preventing long, frustrating lines. When everything came to a close, it was a painless experience exiting the grounds.

Trance On Top of Trance

Once the gates were open at 5pm, Fatum, our first act of the night, was already in full swing. Ruben De Ronde & RODG, MaRLo, Aly & Fila, and NWYR further energized the crowd before Armin’s appearance. Each artist had their own touch to spark up the crowd as the sun slowly set. From MaRLo’s beautiful ‘Lighter Than Air’ to Fatum’s ‘Outlaw’, we were hearing the best trance had to offer.

By 9pm, the darkness had engulfed the Coliseum and NYWR took to the stage. From the get-go, they immersed the crowd with fire and stunning visuals of dragons. In no time, the lasers were shooting over our heads as our anticipation for Armin intensified. NWYR threw in our favorites like ‘Wormhole’ and ‘Artificial Intelligence’, along with a handful of IDs.

When the clock struck 10, the lights dimmed and red lasers filled the air. Armin began his set with the iconic ‘La Résistance De L’Amour’, he and Shapov released earlier this year. Would it be an ASOT party without special guests? Luke Bond and Karra joined Armin on stage for the newly released track ‘Revolution’. By now the crowd was fully warmed up and ready for some newly released Gaia.

From here, it was time to play ‘Lifting You Higher’, the theme of this year’s ASOT 900 festival. Now halfway through his set, Armin took it down a notch with Markus Schulz & HALIENE’s, dramatic ‘Ave Maria’. To end the night, Armin closed with the beloved track ‘Blah Blah Blah’. To our surprise, fireworks erupted above the stadium, creating the perfect end to ASOT 900 Bay Area.

All in all, Insomnia and ALDA put together a memorable event, showcasing the trance we all know and love. Even while this was the first ever ASOT Bay Area, everything felt organized and thought out. There weren’t any technical difficulties and the stage production was spot on. If anything, fans left that night praying ASOT would return next year with the same energy.

Watch the recorded livestream here if you missed out or want to relive ASOT Bay Area. Have a great festival season!

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Armin van Buuren & Luke Bond – Revolution

Hot on the heels of his much awaited remix for ‘Jump‘, Armin van Buuren has unleashed his latest offering ‘Revolution’, and it sounds nothing short of a genuine summer anthem. The uplifting tune will be released off the ARMIND label and features the promising British producer Luke Bond.

Luke Bond gained rapid fame bursting onto the scene in 2012 with a massive hit ‘The Other Side‘. He also scored ASOT tune of the week with the same. Luke has since dished out a swarm of bouncy modern trance anthems which has earned him the support of major names such as Paul Van Dyk, Nicky Romero and Gareth Emery.

‘Revolution‘ is a tune that contains many elements of the dance music spectrum and does not disappoint in its entirety. The peppy nature of the song with a heavy bassline and a tension filled drop only gives it an extra zest. It looks like Armin is ready to deliver another blockbuster of a track and we cannot wait for it. Listen to the song below and let us know your thoughts.

Armin van Buuren & Luke Bond – Revolution

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Andrew Rayel found inHarmony Music under Armin van Buuren‘s Armada Music label in 2017. The Find Your Harmony stage will house sets by Andrew Bayer, Andrew Rayel, Cosmic Gate, David Gravell, Leiel, Mark Sixma, MaRLo, Ruben De Ronde, and Space Corps. He’s taking away from artists associated with Armada and Anjunabeats, making sure to grab some of their best talents. With this type of event and lineup, the label is surely looking to grow its presence further.

Rayel hosts his weekly radio show ‘Find Your Harmony’ which is currently on its 154th installment. With the latest episode, he featured the works of Fatum, Nifra, Luke Bond, Ilan Bluestone, and Ferry Corsten. In that show, he also presented the world premiere of Alessandra Roncone‘s ‘Redemption’ on the Future Sound of Egypt label.

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ASOT 900 Utrecht

Sometimes, we can’t help but wonder: “what is it that Armin van Buuren has, that everything he touches turns to gold?” Well, we still don’t have an answer for that, but we are certainly happy that it’s working this way. Last weekend, to celebrate the 900 episodes of his radio show A State Of Trance, Armin threw a mega-festival without precedents: ASOT 900. EDMTunes was lucky enough to be a part of the festivities, and we are here to tell you everything about it!

With a record-breaking attendance of 35,000 festivalgoers from 161 nationalities, ASOT 900 has been, by far, the biggest edition of an ASOT festival. The Utrecht venue hosted 5 different stages with different trance styles to fit everyone’s taste. Some of the artists on the bill included Vini Vici, MaRLo, Estiva, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Allen Watts, Whitenoise, Dezza, Ruben de Ronde, Luke Bond and more. But the festival wouldn’t have been complete without some fantastic perks and surprises that happened through the night:

Armin playing 3 different sets during the night: This is none other than Armin’s own festival. He conceived it from the very beginning when ASOT was only a weekly radio emission. Armin was feeling like at home, pretty much in his very own backyard, and he played 3 times: at the beginning, during the peak hour and at his signature stage, Who’s Afraid of 138?! So even if you couldn’t catch him on one set, you didn’t have to worry. You could always catch the next one.

ASOT radio show live from the festival: Yes, that radio booth was everything. Just imagine yourself, enjoying the best artists in the first row of the crowd, and then going to grab a drink while watching everything that’s going on at ASOT’s radio booth. That’s what we call an immersive experience!

New collaboration with Above & Beyond: And this is what we’ve all been waiting for ages! Our favorite brits and the King of Trance dropped this much-awaited new single together ‘Show Me Love‘. The Trance Family dreamed about this for a long time. And the dream became real at ASOT 900.

ASOT 900 coming to the Bay Area, California: West coast Armin’s lovers, if you were disappointed that the only way to catch an ASOT 900 show was either flying to Europe or to Ultra Miami, good news have come your way. Armin announced during the festival that the ASOT 900 crew is coming to the Bay Area to keep partying like there’s no tomorrow. So if you live in San Francisco, you have been warned!

Conclusion: If ASOT 900 was such an epic production, we can only imagine what ASOT 1000 is going to be. Teamed up with ALDA, the biggest electronic music promoter in the Netherlands that is now associated with Insomniac Events, Armin has the world in his hands, and the speculation for the 1000th episode is already growing. What is it going to be? We don’t know yet. But in the meantime, you can catch ASOT 900 in some of these other amazing locations!

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Luke Bond – Right Now

U.K trance producer Luke Bond returns to Armin’s Armada Music label with an amazing trance anthem in ‘Right Now’. Teaming up with Sara Skinner on vocal duty. Luke Bond masterfully blends his trademark melodic sound with Sara Skinner’s beautiful, euphoric vocal on top. This is

Blending his high-impact, exceedingly melodic trademark sound with Sara Skinner’s gorgeous, emotion-laden vocals, Luke Bond reminds us time and time again why we all love vocal trance so much. That pure progressive feel combined with the dance floor impact is sure to make this a festival crowd favorite. There is just something about vocal trance that is so satisfying that i can’t pinpoint it. And if you happen to be heading down to ASOT 900 in Utrecht, be sure to head over to the Road to 1000: Lifting You Higher stage and check out Luke Bond’s set in the flesh.

Luke Bond – Right Now

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Armin van Buuren couldn’t be more literal about Lifting You Higher, as the theme of the celebration was announced when he was playing to a private audience, 60 meters off the ground and suspended by a crane. But the announcement didn’t came alone, as he also revealed that day that our favorite trio Above & Beyond were the first confirmed artists on the bill. Today, the full line up has been released, so if you were looking for a little Christmas present, this might be just what you need.

With 5 stages, ASOT 900 is full of stars. The mainstage will host the likes of Cosmic Gate, Estiva, FUTURECODE (Ben Gold x Omnia), MaRLo and Vini Vici (besides Armin and Above & Beyond). There will be also a Road to 1000: Lifting You Higher stage, with artists such as Fatum, Maor Levi and Ruben de Ronde. And of course, the signature label stage of Who’s afraid of 138?! with Armin, Giuseppe Ottaviani and Will Atkinson (among others). So obviously the big shocker here is Armin van Buuren playing on the 138 stage and we can’t wait to see it!

But these are not the only perks of ASOT 900. As you might know, ASOT is Armin’s home sweet home. And to welcome everyone to his place, he will start off the evening with an exclusive warm-up vinyl set, which means that if you get there early, you might even get to see Armin 3 times during the night. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds!

ASOT 900 is already one of the most awaited events for 2019, and we definitely don’t want to miss it. If you want to join us, check the full line up below and click here for more information and tickets.

MAINSTAGE

• Above & Beyond
• Armin van Buuren
• Cosmic Gate
• Estiva
• FUTURECODE (Ben Gold x Omnia)
• MaRLo (Tech-Energy Set)
• Vini Vici

PROGRESSIVE

• Dezza
• Gundamea
• John 00 Fleming
• Kolonie
• Matt Fax
• Paul Thomas
• Rodg

PSY

• Astrix
• Captain Hook
• Exis
• Ghost Rider
• Magnus
• Reality Test
• Shadow Chronicles
• WHITENO1SE

ROAD TO 1000: LIFTING YOU HIGHER

• AVAO
• Fatum
• Ferry Tayle b2b Dan Stone
• KhoMha
• Luke Bond
• Maor Levi
• Ruben de Ronde

WHO’S AFRAID OF 138?!

• Allen Watts
• Armin van Buuren
• Davey Asprey
• Giuseppe Ottaviani Live 2.0
• PUSH Live
• Sneijder
• Will Atkinson

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Super8 & Tab – Burn (Luke Bond Remix)

U.K. trance-head Luke Bond returns to Armin van Buuren’s Armada Music, this time on remix duty. After being asked to put his twist on several hits including Cosmic Gate’s ‘Falling Back,’ Bond is turning his gaze toward Super8 & Tab. The Swedish duo’s track ‘Burn’ featuring Hero Baldwin is a beautiful, airy artist piece that Luke Bond turns into a big room trance banger.

Although he retains the soulful vocals of Hero Baldwin, everything else in this track diverges from the original. Crafted for a large arena or festival, the Luke Bond remix of ‘Burn’ is nothing short of an anthem. Relying on his tried and true production skills, Bond creates a completely new masterpiece ready to make crowds jump all over the world.

You can listen below to Luke Bond’s newest remix, out now on Armada Music. While definitely not in the same vein as the original, it’s sure to bring out all the feels. If you don’t hear this at an Armada show it’s probably because someone forgot to update their USB.

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Gareth Emery – Reckless (Gareth Emery & Luke Bond Remix)

Gareth Emery and Luke Bond bring us another trance track we wont be forgetting anytime soon. If you’ve heard the Luke Bond remix of Gareth Emery’s “Soldier” then you probably have high expectations for another collaboration by them, don’t worry you wont be disappointed by “Reckless“. Gareth is known for bringing great vocalists into his tracks like he does here with Wayward daughter on. Coming off his brand new album 100 Reasons to Live this ones sure to be big this summer.

Gareths latest album 100 Reasons to Live just arrived April 1st featuring collaborations with Ashley Wallbridge, Christina Novelli and Ben Gold. The album was inspired by Gareth wanting to show the world there is much more to life out there yet to be discovered. After some struggles within himself a couple years ago Gareth rediscovered his passion for what he does and the true reasons he got started in this business. He wants this album to be a similar kind of motivation to all of us across all walks of life. He’s been posting pics non-stop on his facebook showing us his 100 reasons to live.

Be sure to check out “Reckless” and get your copy of 100 Reasons to Live. Catch Gareth live if you get the chance he’ll be at the Haven nightclub in Atlantic City on April 23rd.

Gareth Emery – Reckless (Gareth Emery and Luke Bond remix)

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