If you're a trance fan in Ibiza, there's only one place you want to be on a Thursday, and that's Ushuaïa. After a successful run at Privilege, Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren has this year brought his night A State of Trance to the open air Bossa arena, bringing some of the best DJs in the field with him to entertain us every week. Last night however, the whole seven hours of entertaining was on Buuren's shoulders, as he played his legendary annual solo set.
Usually coming on after his comrades, it was a rare opportunity for Buuren fans to see him playing in the daytime, and with the Ibicenco sun blazing, mojitos on the go and people relaxing by the pool (as much as you can relax to trance), there was probably no better way to be spending your afternoon. However, while a novel experience, I think we can all agree that trance is best served with darkness, and Buuren definitely came into his own once the sun retreated into the horizon.
Set against the inky blackness, the domed stage stood at the end of the arena like a shining beacon, sending lasers and strobes off into the night, while the main man himself was perched up high in front of images of globes and planets. A true showman, Buuren jumped, bounced and mouthed along, giving even the most energetic fans a run for their money. His excitement was infectious, and even as we came to the six hour mark the crowd were still going strong.
One of the few compromises of being an up-market venue like Ushuaïa, is that it can sometimes attract the sorts of people who aren't there for the music but simply to pose in their very best designer gear, their eyes barely registering the DJ, instead scanning the crowds for admirers. Last night however was a different story - as with just one act on, there was no question that this was a crowd made up of true fans here to see their hero, and the atmosphere was all the better for it. As if to show his appreciation, Armin held up his hands in the shape of a heart as he blasted Gaia's Empire of Hearts out into the night, and the four thousand strong crowd followed suit.
A true pro in the art of the marathon set, Buuren took us on a journey through trance, from the feel-good melodies of Bob Sinclar's I Feel For You (Axwell Remix), to the shuffling beats in Ridney's At Night, right through to Jonathan Mendelsohn's soaring vocals in Dash Berlin's World Falls Apart. Not one to play it safe, Buuren even threw us some Disney and classical shaped curve balls in the form of Frozen's very own Let It Go, and Günter Wand's Symphony No. 5, making up what was a varied and well executed set.
But sadly all good things have to come to an end and, like Cinderella, when the clock struck twelve Armin's seven hours were up, (it's not only Armin who can do Disney). He wrapped up the night with his summertime anthem, This Is What It Feels Like, featuring Trevor Guthrie and, ever the gentleman, thanked his fans telling them that this was the best night of his whole season, and we think he just might be right.
WORDS | Joanna Wright PHOTO | James Chapman
