News & Reviews

BASS: Armin Van Buuren uplifts trance music at 20th Annual Winter Music Conference

Trance DJ Armin Van Buuren was nominated for four awards at this year’s 20th Annual International Dance Music Awards, including the "Best European DJ" and "Best CD Compilation" categories, continuing his emergence as one of today’s top DJs. Winners will be announced Mar. 24 at the awards ceremonies at Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, during the 2005 Winter Music Conference.

Van Buuren’s nominations outpaced longtime trance stalwarts such as Paul Van Dyk, Sasha and American Paul Oakenfold. Although it wasn't nominated for an award, last year’s CD release of his tightly wound live set in Ibiza probably represented one of the year’s best live performances. It's a definite positive to see real trance music take a front seat to the often repetitive march of techno music now being packaged as so-called trance.

Van Buuren also landed a “Best European High Energy” nomination for his original track “Burned with Desire.” Among other nominations were Tiesto, for “Best Progressive House/Trance” for his track “Just Be.” Van Buuren and Tiesto both were nominated for best European DJ, along with Paul Van Dyk and Sasha.

Europeans meanwhile continue to dominate the global DJ arena. Van Buuren, Van Dyk and Sasha were each nominated under for a “Best Global DJ” award, with Paul Oakenfold the only American to make the list. Van Buuren’s studio album A State of Trance 2004, which was released by Ultra, got nominated under the “Best Full Length DJ Mix CD” category.

On the local front, Love Parade San Francisco was nominated for “Best Dance Event.” Love Parade SF - which we consider last year’s most off-the-hook party - goes up against the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Dance Valley in the Netherlands, Gods Kitchen Global Gathering, UK, and Trance Energy, Netherlands.

Spundae, held Sundays at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco, was nominated for “Best U.S. Club.” Not surprisingly, the other six club nominations were evenly split between venues in Ibiza and the UK. Among the record labels, San Francisco house and downtempo group Om was nominated for “Best CD Compilation” for its release Om Lounge 9.

In the if-you-stick-around-long-enough-they’ll-nominate-you-for-something category, Bassment Jaxx and the Chemical Brothers each got nominated for Best Dance Artist, Group.” The Winter Music Conference 2005 runs from Tuesday, Mar. 22 to Sunday, Mar. 27 in Miami Beach.
 

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