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Armin van Buuren has remained one of trance and progressive house's most successful and influential figures since the late 1990s. Establishing a cinematic sound influenced by synth pioneers like Klaus Schulze and Jean Michel Jarre, he achieved chart success with early singles like 1997's "Blue Fear" before he initiated his extensive run of mix CDs. He launched the highly successful radio show A State of Trance in 2001 -- the program's weekly broadcasts, as well as its annual compilations and mix CDs, have helped maintain trance's popularity long after its commercial peak around the turn of the millennium. He co-founded Armada in 2003, and the label has similarly remained a major presence in the EDM world. Releasing a string of Dutch Top Three albums -- including 2008's Imagine, his first to chart in the U.S. -- he became a fixture on the festival circuit, renowned for his uplifting live shows. He has consistently ranked in the Top Five of DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs poll every year since 2002, and has won scores of awards from the publication, additionally receiving a Grammy nomination for 2014's "This Is What It Feels Like." Following his 2019 studio album Balance, A State of Trance hit 1,000 episodes in 2021. Van Buuren released the first two parts of Feel Again in 2022, with the full-length, including all three parts and extended mixes, arriving in 2023. Singles, like 2024's "Forever (Stay Like This)," also kept him busy ahead of the full-length, Breathe In.

Born on December 25, 1976, in Leiden, Holland, van Buuren became interested in music at an early age (his father was an avid record buyer). A close friend introduced him to the world of dance music, and the Dutch DJ and remixer Ben Liebrand quickly became his main inspiration. It led van Buuren to investigate the roots of the electronic music he was becoming fond of, and numerous Jarre and Schulze CDs were acquired. Computers and turntables were also purchased, and creating his own music became a priority.

In 1995, van Buuren attended Leiden University, and a local student club provided the venue for his first DJ gigs. The same year he was fortunate enough to have some demos included on compilations, and when the money came in, it was rolled back into producing 12"s. Cyber Records released his first hit, "Blue Fear," in 1997, and his 1999 track "Communication" was released by AM:PM and reached the Top 20 in the U.K. He also formed his own label, Armind, in 1999 and met Dave Lewis, the man responsible for jump-starting the careers of DJ Tiësto and Ferry Corsten. A collaboration with Tiësto yielded a major record for Armind, "Eternity," and marathon five-hour sets brought him more attention. High-profile remixes of Madison Avenue's "Don't Call Me Baby" and Wamdue Project's "King of My Castle" followed, and numerous mix CDs were released on United Recordings.

By 2002 he'd placed number five in DJ Magazine's Top 100 (eventually topping the chart for a four-year stretch) and was hosting his own weekly show on the Dutch ID&T radio station, A State of Trance. By the end of 2003 he found time to set the worldwide record for longest DJ set (12-and-a-half hours at a club in The Hague), finish his law degree, and release his first non-mix CD, 76. Shivers followed in 2005, with Imagine arriving in 2008. The latter hit number one in the Netherlands and also marked his first appearance on the Billboard 200, spawning the hits "Going Wrong" and "In and Out of Love."

Debuting at number three on the Dutch charts, 2010's Mirage featured singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor along with fellow producers BT and Ferry Corsten. Van Buuren returned in 2013 -- after numerous mix albums, including his annual additions to the A State of Trance series -- with his fifth studio album, Intense, his highest-charting U.S. release to date. Buoyed by a 2014 Grammy nomination for the set's hit single, "This Is What It Feels Like" with Trevor Guthrie, the album was expanded in 2015 as Intense: The Most Intense Edition, a collection that turned the original LP into a four-CD/one-DVD box featuring remixes and recordings of live gigs. His collaboration with Cosmic Gate, "Embargo," landed that same year. The track would appear on van Buuren's sixth studio album, the Dutch chart-topping Embrace, which also featured Gavin DeGraw, Hardwell, and Mr. Probz.

Over the course of the following years, he continued his yearly State of Trance series, climbing to his 14th installment, State of Trance 2017, and adding to his Ibiza series with A State of Trance Ibiza 2018. That same year, he released the EP Blah Blah Blah and followed in 2019 with Trilogy (Armin van Buuren vs. Shapov). That same year also saw him release his seventh studio album, Balance. The 28-track set included collaborations with the likes of Rudimental, Above & Beyond, and BT, to name but a few. It landed at number one on the U.K. dance charts and cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. He then collaborated on a handful of non-album tracks in 2020, including "Leka" with Super8 and Tab, "Punisher" with Fatum, and "I Need You to Know" with Nicky Romero and Ifimay. A double-CD mix celebrated A State of Trance's 1,000th episode in 2021, and A State of Trance Forever, an unmixed set of van Buuren tracks and collaborations, followed later in the year. More singles appeared into 2022, including "We Can Dance Again" (with Reinier Zonneveld and Roland Clark) and "Love We Lost" (with R3hab featuring Simon Ward). Feel Again, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 appeared during the year. The full-length Feel Again followed in 2023, presenting all three parts and extended mixes. He also released singles such as "Motive," "Destination (A State of Trance 2024 Anthem)," and 2024's "Forever (Stay Like This)." The latter track helped pave the way for his 2024 full-length, Breathe In, which featured appearances by Anne Gudrun, Mila Josef, Julia Church, and others. ~ David Jeffries & Neil Z. Yeung

Active since the early '90s, Dutch DJ/producer Ferry Corsten is one of the most prolific and commercially successful trance artists. His biggest hits helped set the standard for the euphoric, melodically rich trance sound that was highly popular during the late '90s and early 2000s, and his sound continued to evolve, embracing electro, pop, and even hip-hop. Including collaborative projects, Corsten has released music under dozens of monikers, with System F and Gouryella (initially a collaboration with fellow Dutch trance heavyweight Tiësto) making the biggest impact. However, since the mid-2000s, the majority of his output has been released under his given name. He's released dozens of DJ mix albums, including several volumes of the Trance Nation and Once Upon a Night series, on labels such as Ultra, Ministry of Sound, and Moonshine. A regular at dance festivals such as Electric Daisy Carnival and Tomorrowland, he has toured the world extensively and performed on nearly every continent. He has won or received nominations for numerous DJ and producer awards, and often appears on DJ Magazine's annual Top 100 DJs poll. Corsten operates the Flashover Recordings label, and he hosts the popular Corsten's Countdown radio show.

Born in Rotterdam in 1973, Ferry Corsten got into dance music at an early age and started DJ'ing and making music as a teenager. Along with his friends John Matze, René de Ruyter, and Robert Smit, Corsten released a techno EP under the group name Spirit of Adventure in 1991. The project evolved into the Tellurians, and their sound became harder and darker, reflecting the hardcore techno scene that was becoming popular in their home city. As the decade progressed, he continued producing techno, acid, house, and hardcore tracks under names like Free Inside and A Jolly Good Fellow. In 1995, at the age of 21, he was the winner of the dance category of De Grote Prijs van Nederland, a prestigious award given to emerging Dutch musicians. In 1996, he released his debut full-length, Looking Forward, under the name Ferr. Issued by the Nutrition label, the album was an eclectic set of tracks ranging from Detroit-influenced techno to drum'n'bass and downtempo. He also released a novelty Christmas album, Santa's X-Mas Dance Party, under the name DJ Sno-White. Corsten also scored his first charting hit in 1996, when "Don't Be Afraid" (under the name Moonman) made the U.K. singles chart. Continuing to produce singles at a rapid pace, he scored another big hit in 1997 with "I'm in Love," an uplifting trance track co-produced with frequent collaborator Smit under the name Starparty. The two also started a label called Tsunami, as part of Dutch dance company Purple Eye Entertainment.

In 1998, Corsten's track "Air" (under the Albion moniker) was released by leading trance label Platipus. The soothing, summery tune became a staple of DJs like John Digweed and Paul Oakenfold, and was remixed several times. Corsten's popularity exploded in 1999, as trance was ruling dancefloors as well as the pop charts. Anthem "Out of the Blue," his first single under the System F moniker, was released in February, and became a massive hit, hitting the Top 20 of the U.K. singles chart. Corsten also had hits in collaboration with Tiësto (as Vimana and Gouryella), and Vincent de Moor (as Veracocha), and remixed popular trance tracks by Art of Trance, Matt Darey, and Cygnus X, as well as more mainstream artists like Faithless, Moby, and William Orbit (his version of Barber's "Adagio for Strings"). He also began releasing his first mix CDs, including the initial volumes of Trance Nation and Artist Profile Series 1: Solar Serenades for Tiësto's Black Hole Recordings. Corsten was named Producer of the Year by Muzik Magazine, and received another Dutch music award, the Zilveren Harp. The second System F single, "Cry," appeared in 2000, and was also a major hit. The project's full-length debut, Out of the Blue, arrived in 2001, containing the previous two hits as well as "Soul on Soul," a collaboration with Soft Cell's Marc Almond, and "Exhale," co-produced by Armin van Buuren. At the end of 2001, Tiësto confirmed rumors that he had left the Gouryella project, and Corsten continued using the name, releasing "Ligaya" (co-produced by John Ewbank) in 2002. Also that year, Corsten released "Punk," an electroclash-leaning single under his own name, which became a hit.

The second System F album, Together, was released by the Japanese label Avex Trax in early 2003. Right of Way, Corsten's first production album credited to his own name, appeared in late 2003. The album included "Punk" as well as an even bigger hit, "Rock Your Body Rock," and hit the Top Ten of the U.K. album chart. Continuing Corsten's string of mix CDs and compilations, Infinite Euphoria was released by Ministry of Sound in 2004. Corsten also released a double-CD mix celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Dance Valley festival. In 2005, Corsten left the Tsunami label and initiated Flashover Recordings. His first album for the label was 2006's L.E.F. ("Loud Electronic Ferocious"), a diverse set featuring guest appearances by Gang Starr's Guru, Howard Jones, and Duran Duran's Simon LeBon. The album's blend of styles led a website to refer to Corsten as the "King of Crossover." In 2007, Corsten started his popular radio show Corsten's Countdown, and performed the first Full on Ferry concert at Rotterdam's Ahoy Stadium. He also released a remix of Public Enemy's classic "Bring the Noise," furthering his crossover appeal.

In 2008, Corsten released Twice in a Blue Moon, a more reflective, less party-ready album inspired by his marriage and the birth of his daughter. A remix album followed in 2009, as Corsten took his Twice in a Blue Moon: The Experience tour across the globe. Corsten recorded a set for BBC Radio 1's weekly Essential Mix program in 2010. He also released Champions, a System F remix album, and started a new mix CD series called Once Upon a Night. Following more extensive touring, Corsten released the full-length WKND in 2012, including tracks with Aruna, Betsie Larkin, and van Buuren. He also launched a monthly mix show called Ferry's Fix, while still producing the weekly Corsten's Countdown. Corsten and Markus Schulz formed the duo New World Punx in 2013, debuting with the single "Romper." In 2015, Corsten released a series of Hello World EPs, eventually compiled as a full-length. He also released a new Gouryella single, "Anahera," which was easily the most successful trance track of the year, and he launched a worldwide Gouryella tour. The single "Neba" and full-length From the Heavens, containing updated versions of the older Gouryella tracks, appeared in 2016. Early in 2017, a Gouryella documentary, also titled From the Heavens, was premiered in Melbourne, Australia. A few months later, the Gouryella single "Venera (Vee's Theme)" was released as the first single from Corsten's Blueprint album, which appeared in May. ~ Paul Simpson