name	Nadia Ali
background	solo_singer
birth name	Nadia Ali
birth date	August 03, 1980
birth place	Libya
origin	Queens, New York, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	Electronic dance music, trance, house
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	2001–present
label	Smile in Bed
associated acts	iiO, Armin van Buuren, Morgan Page, Avicii, Starkillers, Sultan & Ned Shepard
website
notable instruments	}}

Nadia Ali (}}; born August 3, 1980) is a Pakistani American singer-songwriter, born in Libya and raised in Queens, New York. She gained attention as the frontwoman and songwriter of the band iiO, after their 2001 hit "Rapture" reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted across several countries in Europe. Their 2006 single, "Is It Love?", reached the top of the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play Chart.

After embarking on a solo career in 2005, Ali became successful as an oft-requested vocalist in electronic dance music. She released her debut album ''Embers'' in 2009. Critics praised her unique songwriting, which combined electronica with ballads, Eastern and acoustic music. Three singles from the album reached the top-ten of the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play Chart, including the No. 1 hit, "Love Story". The song was also nominated at the 25th International Dance Music Awards at the Winter Music Conference, while "Fantasy" was nominated for a Grammy award.

In 2010, she released a remix compilation titled ''Queen of Clubs Trilogy'' to mark her decade-long career as a singer-songwriter. "Rapture" was re-released as the only single from the compilation and the song was once again a chart success in Europe. Ali released the single "Pressure" with Starkillers and Alex Kenji in 2011, which became a club and festival anthem and received an International Dance Music Award. She has also collaborated with several notable producers and DJs, such as Armin van Buuren, Schiller, BT, John Creamer & Stephane K and Avicii. Ali is currently working on her second studio album titled ''Phoenix'', which is due to be released in 2012.

Life and career

1980–2005: Early life and iiO

Nadia Ali was born in Libya to Pakistani parents in 1980. The family relocated when she was five years old and she was subsequently raised in Queens, New York. An eight year old Ali used any opportunity she could get to sing after a friend heard her humming a Madonna song at school and complimented her. While continuing singing as a hobby and for the thrill of performing and receiving no formal vocal training, she had also started writing poems and songs for her friends by the time she was 15. As a teenager her interest in dance music developed after visiting nightclubs in Manhattan and inspired her to dream that she would one day be featured on one of the records playing in the club.

Ali started working in the New York offices of Versace when she was 17, where she attracted attention by singing at the Christmas parties. A colleague from Versace introduced her to producer Markus Moser, who was looking for a female singer to collaborate on some of his original production for a girl group in Germany. The two teamed up with Moser working on production, while Ali wrote the lyrics and vocals for the songs. Her first song was the single "Rapture", which she wrote in 30 minutes based on an encounter with an Australian nightclub patron. A demo of the song was first played at the New York club Twilo in 2001 and received early support from influential DJ Pete Tong who played the demo on his show on BBC Radio 1. The song eventually became an Ibiza favourite after support from prominent DJ's such as Sasha, Danny Tenaglia and Sander Kleinenberg during the summer season. Released in late 2001 by Ministry of Sound, the single became a commercial success peaking at No. 2 on UK Singles Chart and ''Billboard's'' Hot Dance Club Play Chart, while charting in several countries in Europe. The success of "Rapture", Ali said, caused the formation of iiO as the music they were initially working on was quite different from dance music and were asked to come up with a project name to promote the single. They originally named themselves Vaiio after the Sony VAIO laptop Ali used to write the lyrics on. The duo toured internationally and released several more singles, including "At the End", "Runaway", "Smooth", and "Kiss You". Their first studio album, ''Poetica'' followed in 2005.

Ali left the group in 2005 to pursue a solo career, while Moser continued to release iiO material featuring her on vocals. Most notably, these releases include the 2006 single "Is It Love?", which reached No. 1 in America on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play Chart, the 2007 remix album ''Reconstruction Time: The Best Of iiO Remixed'' and the 2011 studio album ''Exit 110''. When asked about her decision to pursue a solo career, she said her time with iiO was a great learning experience but she decided to leave because she didn't want to restrict herself to one style of music but explore her creativity and also to have the freedom to collaborate with others artists.

Her decision to pursue a career as a singer was not initially encouraged by her Pakistani parents who were academically inclined and wanted her to pursue a more stable career. She has said since then they have evolved and are one of her biggest supporters. Speaking of her identity as a Pakistani and Muslim woman, she has said it is very important to her to set an example that they are able to contribute positively and capable of taking their career into their own hands. Explaining further, she said that she feels it as her responsibility to any women who are sometimes stereotyped to show that they can contribute to arts or any professional field. Her ethnicity, she has stated, has been an advantage and helped her stand out in the entertainment industry. She has said that over the years, she has met South Asian women who have told her that her story has inspired them to pursue something they loved.

2006–09: ''Embers''

Ali started working on her debut solo album soon after leaving iiO, a process which took her four years. She attributed the delay to her busy tour schedule and the fact that she was still learning and "trying to establish her identity as a songwriter and co-producer". Her first solo release was the 2006 single, "Who is Watching?", a collaboration with Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren, which appeared on his album ''Shivers''. She has described "Who is Watching?" as one of her most meaningful songs, the song described one's struggle to reach the top, only to realise once one is there how lonely it is and how one has forgotten their priorities and the important people in their life. This was followed by "Something to Lose" in 2006, a duet with singer-songwriter Rosko, produced by John Creamer & Stephane K and released by Ultra Records. The track was licensed to Roger Sanchez's ''Release Yourself, Vol. 5'', as well as Sharam Tayebi of Deep Dish for his Global Underground debut ''Dubai''.

In June 2008, she released "Crash and Burn", the first single from her solo album. The single became a club success peaking at No. 6 on ''Billboard's'' Hot Dance Club Play Chart. She released the second single, "Love Story" from the as-yet untitled album in February 2009. It topped ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play Chart in April 2009 and was nominated for the Best Progressive/House Track at the 2010 International Dance Music Awards at the Winter Music Conference. Ali was featured on MTV Iggy in March 2009, where she recorded three live acoustic videos, performing "Rapture", "Crash and Burn" and "Love Story".

The third single "Fine Print" was released in July 2009. Ali announced that the single preceded the release of her debut solo album ''Embers''. The single peaked at No. 4 on ''Billboard's'' Hot Dance Club Play Chart. ''Embers'' was released in September 2009. Co-produced by Sultan & Ned Shepard, Alex Sayz and Scott Fritz, Ali self-released the album on her own label, Smile in Bed Records. ''Embers'' generally received positive reviews, Chase Gran from About.com called it a "well rounded, gourmet album with impressive songs". Gail Navarro from Racket magazine complimented Ali on her songwriting saying, "It wasn’t just her sultry sound mixed in together with that enchanting singing voice; her songwriting got me hook, line and sinker". Speaking about the self-release of the album, she has cited her creative independence and the pressure of deadlines as the main reasons why she created her own record label. She chose to release her singles and albums digitally citing the nature of the electronic music audience with the listener choosing to click a button and getting music instantly and the traditional method of distribution deals in the United States.

Ali released two collaborations in 2009, the first "Better Run" with Tocadisco was released on his album ''TOCA 128.0 FM'' and "12 Wives In Tehran" with Serge Devant was released on his album ''Wanderer''.

2010–2011: ''Queen of Clubs Trilogy''

Ali's first release in 2010 was the track "Try", a collaboration with German producer Schiller, chosen as the lead single from his album ''Atemlos'', the music video premiered on YouTube in February 2010. In April 2010, Ali released "Fantasy", the fourth single from ''Embers''. The track was chosen as a single by her fans after a poll conducted by Ali on her Facebook page. The music video for "Fantasy" was set to the Morgan Page remix, which served as a prologue to Ali's next project; ''Queen of Clubs Trilogy: The Best of Nadia Ali Remixed''. Speaking about the project, Ali mentioned that she wanted a remix compilation, which spanned the 10 years of her career from her one-half as iiO, to her solo album and collaborations. Explaining the name of the concept, she said she wanted to incorporate her upbringing in Queens and the fact that her music is predominantly played in nightclubs. Using that inspiration, she decided to use the playing card "Queen of Clubs" as the title, portraying herself as the Queen, a move she described as "audacious" but something she felt she could prove because she had the substance. The package was broken into three releases: ''Ruby Edition'' (August 2010), ''Onyx Edition'' (October 2010) and ''Diamond Edition'' (December 2010). It featured collaborations with, and remixes by, Armin van Buuren, Gareth Emery and Avicii amongst several other prominent DJs and producers.

I think the fact that it (electronic dance music) is mostly male dominated makes females stand out that much more if they are driven enough. I believe anything is possible with hard work.

– Nadia Ali

With a decade-long career, MTV described Ali as one of the "enduring empresses" of electronic dance music and the ''Queen of Clubs Trilogy'' as "aptly titled". Noted for being the "definitive" and "unmistakable" voice of dance music, she is said to have "enriched" and "invigorated" the genre. Ali has went on to become an oft-requested collaborator by DJs and producers. She was praised for acquiring notability in a male and DJ-dominated genre where vocalists serve as supporting acts. In December 2010 she received her first Grammy nomination when the Morgan Page remix of "Fantasy" was nominated in the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category.

Her first track with iiO, "Rapture" was re-released as a single from ''Queen of Clubs Trilogy'' with remixes by Tristan Garner, Gareth Emery and Avicii. A new music video for the track was shot based on the "Queen of Clubs" theme and released on January 24, 2011. The song peaked at No. 3 on the Romanian Top 100 chart, while charting in other European countries.

Throughout 2010, Ali's collaborations with DJs and producers were released. These included remixes of her upcoming collaboration "That Day" with Dresden and Johnston, which were released on compilation albums. The next, "The Notice" with Swiss duo Chris Reece was released on July 13 on all digital retailers. Ali was featured on the track "Feels So Good" on Armin van Buuren's fourth album ''Mirage''. Released as the fifth single from the album, the song was voted as the Best Trance Track at the 27th International Dance Music Awards in the Best Trance Song category. She was also a featured guest on his Armin Only tour.

During 2011, Ali announced the release of collaborations with several DJs and producers. The first of these was "Call My Name" with the duo Sultan & Ned Shepard, released by Harem Records on February 9. "Call My Name" was a club success, charting at No. 5 on ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play Chart. The second track "Pressure", a collaboration with Starkillers and Alex Kenji was released on February 15 by Spinnin' Records. The Alesso remix of "Pressure" became a club and festival anthem and received support from notable DJs such as Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia and Calvin Harris and was voted the Best Progressive House Track at the 27th International Dance Music Awards.

In April, iiO released the studio album ''Exit 110'', which featured Ali on vocals. She distanced herself from the album and stated she had no involvement in the project besides her vocals and words from nearly 10 years ago being used for the songs. She described it as "interesting" that there was new material featuring her released by iiO when she hadn't worked with Moser since 2005. She further said that she hadn't spoken with Moser since her departure and when asked whether the split of iiO was amicable, she refused to explain the circumstances surrounding the dissolution of the duo. On May 23, her next collaboration, "Free To Go" with Alex Sayz was released by Zouk Recordings. She was featured on Sander van Doorn's second studio album ''Eleve11'' on the track "Rolling the Dice", a collaboration between van Doorn, Sidney Samson and her. Her next release was the single "Believe It" with the German duo Spencer & Hill, which was released on October 3 by Wall Recordings. She collaborated once again with Starkillers on the single "Keep It Coming", which was released on December 26 by Spinnin' Records.

2012–present: ''Phoenix''

As of November 2010, Ali had begum working on her second studio album. A music video for the lead single from the album, "When It Rains", was released on her YouTube channel on August 17 2011 with a release date to be announced. She attributed the delay in the release of the album once again on her busy touring schedule citing the demand to perform live particularly in the United States. However, beginning in February 2012 she took 40 days off to finalise the album, which she said would be titled ''Phoenix''. Explaining the creative process behind the album, she said she chose to work with a mix of international producers in an effort to combine the North American understanding of good songwriting with the European expertise in production to create a high energy dance album catered for her dance music fans. The theme of the album, she elaborated, was trying to get the listener to understand the "artist personality" and the singer-songwriter behind the music.

Her first release in 2012 was "This Is Your Life", the fourth single from Swiss DJ EDX's album ''On The Edge''. In addition, she will also be featured on upcoming studio albums by Morgan Page and BT.

Musical style and influences

Ali is perhaps best known for her characteristic voice and vocal abilities. Reema Kumari Jadeja from MOBO described her work as "masterfully encapsulating euphoric and melancholic, Ali’s signature music style sees Eastern mystique caressed with intelligent electronica and fortified with soul". The songs on ''Embers'' were likened to Madonna's work in her prime and a "modern re-intepretation" of Stevie Nicks. ''Billboard'' praised her voice for having "too much life on its own". Ali has been influenced by an eclectic mix of artists, which she credits to her Eastern background and upbringing in Queens. She listed alternative, folk, Indian and Pakistani music as her biggest influences. Some of her vocal and songwriting influences, she said, were Stevie Nicks, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Madonna, Sade and Bono.

Her debut album was noted for a blend of electronica, acoustic and Middle Eastern melodies. Speaking about ''Embers'', Ali said she did not want a typical dance record and chose to experiment, particularly with the number of ballads on the album. Ali has collaborated with DJs from a broad range of genres and styles in electronic dance music. Some of the resulting work has been described as minimal trance, "sad disco" and "mainstream pop".

She has been praised for her songwriting, describing personal experiences with people, which "hit a powerful and striking chord" with the listener. Ali has said she almost always prefers to sing a song she has written herself and that the best songs are mostly written when they narrate a true account. The songs on ''Embers'', Ali has stated, describe the relationships she has experienced and the emotions they have left behind. The song "Fantasy", she said, summed her up how she likes to be recognised, "an emotional songwriter who loves being a part of electronic music". Ali has said in the future she would like to focus more on production and songwriting and has written songs for Tocadisco, Avicii, Hardwell, Sultan & Ned Shepard, EDX and Pete tha Zouk.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Embers'' (2009)

''Phoenix'' (2012)

;Compilations

''Queen of Clubs Trilogy: Ruby Edition'' (2010)

''Queen of Clubs Trilogy: Onyx Edition'' (2010)

''Queen of Clubs Trilogy: Diamond Edition'' (2010)

Awards and nominations

|- | style="text-align:center;"|2010 | rowspan="1" style="text-align:left;"|"Love Story" | Best Progressive/Tech House Track at 25th International Dance Music Awards | |- | style="text-align:center;"|2011 | rowspan="1" style="text-align:left;"|"Fantasy (Morgan Page Remix)" | Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at 53rd Grammy Awards | |- |rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2012 | rowspan="1" style="text-align:left;"|"Feels So Good" | Best Trance Track at 27th International Dance Music Awards | |- | rowspan="1" style="text-align:left;"|"Pressure (Alesso Remix)" | Best Progressive Track at 27th International Dance Music Awards | |-

References

External links

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:American female singers Category:American house musicians Category:American musicians of Pakistani descent Category:American people of Pakistani descent Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American Muslims Category:Pakistani emigrants to the United States Category:People from New York City Category:Pakistani Muslims Category:Pakistani female singers Category:Pakistani expatriates in Libya

ar:نادية علي de:Nadia Ali es:Nadia Ali fa:نادیا علی fr:Nadia Ali it:Nadia Ali pl:Nadia Ali pt:Nadia Ali ru:Nadia Ali tr:Nadia Ali

name	Armin Van Buuren
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Armin van Buuren
alias	Amsterdance, Armania, Darkstar, Emc2, El Guitaro, Elect of DJ-RA, Gaia, Gig, Gimmick, Hyperdrive Inc., Misteri A, Perpetuous Dreamer, Problem Boy, Rising Star, The Shoeshine Factory
born	December 25, 1976Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands
origin	Koudekerk aan den Rijn, South Holland, Netherlands
instrument	Synthesizer, drum machine, equalizer, personal computer
genre	Trance, Progressive Trance, Vocal Trance, Uplifting Trance, Electro House, House Music
occupation	Remixer, Producer & DJ Composer
years active	1995–present
label	Armada Music (2003–present)
associated acts	Alibi, Dark Matter, Electrix, Lilmotion, Major League, Monsieur Basculant, Red & White, Technology, Triple A, Wodka Wasters
website	arminvanbuuren.com }}

Armin van Buuren (), (born in Leiden, Netherlands on 25 December 1976) is a Dutch trance producer and DJ. In 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 he was voted number one in DJ Magazine's annual top 100 list of the most popular DJs. Since 2001 van Buuren has hosted a weekly radio show called ''A State of Trance'' and claims to have over 30 million weekly listeners in more than 40 countries, which would make it the most listened radio show in the world. His 2008 studio album, ''Imagine'', entered the Dutch album chart at #1, a first for a dance artist in Dutch music history.

Armin van Buuren has always had his own studio and worked alone in the beginning of his career. Since the release of his third studio album ''Imagine'' from 2008 he has been working with Benno de Goeij and DJ-RA of Rank 1 on all solo productions and remixes. He is well known for his annual "Year Mix" which incorporates clips and custom mashups from the year's most popular trance tracks. Each year-mix consists of about 85 individual releases, edited into a 2 hour mix which is released on double CD as well as aired on his weekly radio show at the end of each year. According to van Buuren, each year-mix takes several months to make, including thousands of digital audio edits and hundreds of audio plugins.

Personal life

Armin Van Buuren was born in Leiden, the Netherlands on 25 December 1976, but grew up in Koudekerk aan den Rijn. He finished high school at the Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden in 1995, and left for college to study law at Leiden University. While studying law, van Buuren's interest for making music blossomed, and he began working as a DJ in a local club called Nexus. As his musical career began to take off, he put his law degree on hold, although he did return to finish law school in 2003. Armin Van Buuren started making music when he was 14 and he often listened to music using the headphones that his father had given to him. He was inspired by French electronic music composer, Jean Michel Jarre, and wished to become a great electronic music composer like Jarre; finally meeting Jarre when van Buuren was the number 1 DJ of the world, along with DJ-RA (2009), in Amsterdam after Jarre's concert.

On 18 September 2009 Armin married Erika van Thiel in Wassenaar, Netherlands. They met during a vacation on Crete, and had been together for 9 years prior to the marriage.

On 12 January 2011, Armin announced the pregnancy of his wife Erika on Twitter. He hoped the baby, due this summer, will be his "best production ever." Their daughter, Fenna, was born on 24 July 2011.

Career

1995–1999: Early career and success

Since 1995, van Buuren has released many tracks on different labels with increasing success. His first big success was "Blue Fear" which was on Cyber Records at the age of 19. This 'Euro Trance blueprint' made it into the UK Chart. "Communication" was released on the same label, and had a huge impact on Ibiza, Spain in the summer of 1999. After being signed to AM PM Records, this track entered the UK Chart at #18 in 2000.

Van Buuren began his DJ career at club Nexus in Leiden, where he learned to play long DJ sets, which were regularly six to seven hours per set. During school holidays he played more than four times a week. In 1999, he met Dave Lewis who introduced him as a DJ in England and the United States. His career accelerated, entering the DJ magazine Top-100 in November 2001 at Number 27. He has played in more than 25 different countries and can often be found on the main stage at big summer festivals. Van Buuren played a record-breaking twelve and a half hour set for Dancetheater in The Hague (the Netherlands). In the United Kingdom he performs regularly at Passion (resident 2002), Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Slinky, Ministry of Sound, Peach and Golden.

In the beginning of 1999, van Buuren started his label Armind together with United Recordings. The first release, Gig – "One," was well received. The second release "Touch Me," under the name Rising Star was signed to Ministry of Sound in the UK, before the record was released.

By the time of his third release, Gimmick – "Free" was signed to R&S; Records, van Buuren had managed to make his label popular very quickly. Under the surname Gaia he released "4 Elements" on Captivating Sounds, a sub-label of Warner Brothers. Teaming up with Tiësto, two new projects were born: Major League – "Wonder Where You Are?" was released on Black Hole Recordings and Alibi – "Eternity" was released on Armind. "Eternity" received club and chart success and was signed to Paul van Dyk's imprint Vandit Records. Another major collaboration followed this. Together with Ferry Corsten, van Buuren recorded a riff-classic titled "Exhale" for the System F. album. Released as a single, this track reached gold status in less than a month.

2000–2004: ''A State of Trance'' and ''76''

In 2000, van Buuren started his own Armin van Buuren compilation series. He managed to find a balance between progressive house,and vocal trance music styles. His first compilation album, ''A State of Trance'' (not to be confused with his weekly A State of Trance radio shows), sold more than 10,000 copies and contains van Buuren's well known remix of Moogwai, "Viola." His second album, ''Basic Instinct'' featured a new track: "Perpetuous Dreamer" – "The Sound of Goodbye." This track entered the Dutch charts in June 2001 at number 26. Later in the year, the track hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The third album, ''In Motion'' was released 6 August 2001. This album contained the real trance sound and was very popular in the United States. A fourth album, ''Transparence'', followed in 2002. In 2003, he worked with such artists such as DJ Seth Alan Fannin throughout a global tour on Dance Revolution in Europe, selling out to crowds of 20,000 people in Armin's home country of the Netherlands.

In March 2001, van Buuren started his own radio show on ID&T; Radio (traditionally broadcast in Dutch and later English since ASOT 183). In this weekly two-hour show, entitled ''A State of Trance'', he plays the latest popular trance music tracks. His show and the artists he features are popularized by publishing the artists and track titles on his website. This radio-show/website combination has proven popular internationally. When ID&T; Radio changed genres in 2004, van Buuren left and took ''A State of Trance'' with him. The show then moved to Fresh FM, a Dutch radio station. It is now a weekly feature on SLAM!FM, another Dutch radio station, DI.FM, an online radio station, and on XM Satellite Radio, channel 80 in the United States and Canada. A complete list of stations that broadcast ''A State of Trance'' can be found at the ASOT section of Armin's website. Also in 2004, van Buuren remixed the 24 theme song into a trance hit. In June 2005, the 200th episode was celebrated in Amsterdam and subsequently aired on radio. The 250th (8 hour) anniversary episode was celebrated in Club Asta in The Hague, Netherlands, featuring van Buuren, Jonas Steur, M.I.K.E., John Askew, Rank 1 and Menno de Jong.

In 2002, he had a residency at Glow in Washington D.C., and he has played in San Francisco, Houston, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Atlanta, Austin, Denver, New York City, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Seattle. He has also regularly appeared at Amnesia on the island of Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain. In October that year, van Buuren was voted Number 5 in the DJ Magazine 100 top DJ's. The following year, he jumped up to the #3 spot, and held 3rd place for the next 3 years. His work left him at the #2 spot, just below Paul van Dyk in the 2006 polls, and, in 2007, Armin reached #1, heading the 2007 DJ Mag Top 100. He was voted #1 again in 2008, 2009 and again in 2010.

In June 2003 van Buuren released his debut studio album, ''76'', named after his year of birth, 1976.

2005–present: ''Shivers'', ''Imagine'' and ''Mirage''

On 8 August 2005 van Buuren released his second studio album, ''Shivers''. On the album van Buuren worked with artists such as Pakistani American singer Nadia Ali, English singer Justine Suissa and American trance duo Gabriel & Dresden.

On 11 November 2006, he had a live performance called Armin Only in Ahoy Rotterdam for the second time (after 12 November 2005) with a 9 hour solo set, where he performed to over 11,000 fans.

In the summer of 2007, van Buuren recorded and released a live set at Amnesia, Ibiza. ''Universal Religion Chapter 3, Live from Amnesia at Ibiza'' was released on 28 September 2007 as a mix compilation on Armada Records and in the US as "Universal Religion 2008" on Ultra Records on 4 December 2007.

On 17 April 2008 van Buuren released his third studio album, ''Imagine''. It features collaboration with singers such as Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation and Jacqueline Govaert of Krezip. The album debuted at number one on the Dutch Albums Chart.

19 April 2008 saw the 3rd edition of Armin Only, this time in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, Netherlands. The event was attended by 16,000 fans and (partly) broadcast live on Dutch National TV. During the second half of 2008, van Buuren took this show abroad, with visits to Australia, Romania, Poland, Belgium, and a special New Years Eve 2008 show at Together As One in Los Angeles, U.S.

On 29 September 2008, Armin won the DJ Award for "Best Trance DJ" at Ibiza along with other nominees, that of Tiësto, Ferry Corsten and Paul van Dyk.

On 12 January 2008, van Buuren was given the "Buma Cultuur Pop Award," the most prestigious Dutch music award.

In 2009, Foreign Media Games announced the production of ''In The Mix: Featuring Armin van Buuren'', a music game being produced in collaboration with Cloud 9 Music and van Buuren's Armada Music label. The title is scheduled to be released sometime in 2010 exclusively for the Wii console.

He has collaborated with his brother, guitarist Eller van Buuren, in such venues as ''Together As One'' in Los Angeles, U.S., on New Year's Eve 2009, as well as on Armin's 2008 album ''Imagine''.

On 3 March 2010 van Buuren was awarded with the prestigious Golden Harp, for his musical work and contribution to Dutch music, by the music collecting society BUMA/STEMRA at the 2010 Buma Harpen Gala in Hilversum, the Netherlands.

On 23 June 2010 it was announced that Armin Van Buuren's fourth studio album, ''Mirage'' was due to be released on 10 September. The first single "Full Focus", was released through iTunes Store on 24 June at midnight. The song peaked at number sixty in the Netherlands. One of the confirmed tracks from the album is a collaboration with English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor called ''Not Giving Up On Love'', which was released as a single from Bextor's fourth studio album, ''Make a Scene''. Armin also wrote a song for English singer Seal, but due to the release of his greatest hits album, ''Hits'', the collaboration never came together.

September 12, 2010, Armin van Buuren launched "A State of Sundays", a new weekly 24-hour radio show aired on Sirius XM Radio.

October 20, 2010, Armin van Buuren won the award for Most Popular International DJ presented by The Golden Gnomes.

On October 27, 2010, Armin van Buuren was announced, for the 4th year running, as the number 1 DJ, and thus prolonging his title as 'Most Popular DJ in the World'.

The 2010 edition of ''Armin Only: Mirage'' kicked off on November 13, 2010, in Utrecht, Netherlands, with more shows coming in Kiev, Buenos Aires, Melbourne, Beirut, Poznań, Moscow and Bratislava .

On November 27, 2010, Armin Van Buuren made his third appearance in Shanghai, China. On his yearly Asia Tour, he always stops by at M2 for an unforgettable night with his Chinese fans.

A State of Trance 500 (ASOT 500)

To mark the 10 year anniversary and 500^th episode of his weekly radio show ''A State of Trance'', Armin performed at five shows across five continents over five consecutive weeks along with various artists. The first show was held on 19 March 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa at the MTN Expo Center. In addition to Armin - Blake Jarrell, Protoculture, Lange, Leon Bolier, and Jorn van Deynhoven were performers. Super8 and TAB were to be part of the South African show, however a flight cancellation caused them to be absent for the event. The event was attended by over 20,000 people. Miami's show was performed at the Ultra Music Festival on 27 March, and part of the show were Marcus Schossow, Alex M.O.R.P.H., Cosmic Gate, Gareth Emery, Ferry Corsten, ATB, and Sander van Doorn. Argentina held the third celebration of ASOT 500 in club G.E.B.A Buenos Aires, where Heatbeat (Argentina's Trance music icons at the time), Jochen Miller, Dash Berlin, Marcus Schultz, AVB, John O'Callaghan and W & W. It was the only of the 5 ASOT 500 celebrations that was held roofless, where AVB recorded a live video with his cell phone and uploaded it to Twitter while playing his live set, showing Argentinean's passion for Trance. Den Bosch in The Netherlands followed with the biggest event of 2011. Accompanied by more than 30 DJ's from countries all over the world, Armin brought together over 30,000 people in one long night's worth of trance music. DJ friends present were Markus Schulz, Gareth Emery, Above & Beyond, Paul Oakenfold and Sean Tyas. The event was radio broadcasted live from Den Bosch by Armin himself to over 30 countries as well as many of the DJ's using their sets as their live weekly or monthly podcast. The final show was held in Sydney, Australia marking the 5th show of the ASOT 500 tour. It was held on 16 April at Acer Arena in Olympic Park and was a sold out event weeks before the night. Shogun, Australia's own tyDi, Menno de Jong, Aly & Fila, Alex M.O.R.P.H. and of course Armin Van Buuren were the lineup where Armin played for a 3 hour set in celebration of this epic 5 week tour.

Discography

''76'' (2003)

''Shivers'' (2005)

''Imagine'' (2008)

''Mirage'' (2010)

References

External links

Armin van Buuren's profile on Trancepedia

Armada Music – the record label of Armin van Buuren

Armin van Buuren - A State of Trance episodes

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:Ableton Live users Category:Armada Music artists Category:Club DJs Category:Dutch DJs Category:Dutch electronic musicians Category:Dutch record producers Category:Dutch trance musicians Category:Eurodance musicians Category:People from Leiden Category:People from Rijnwoude Category:Remixers

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name	Markus Schulz
landscape	yes
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
origin	Eschwege, Germany
birth name	Markus Schulz
genre	Trance
years active	1990–present
label	Coldharbour Recordings, Armada Music, Ultra Records
associated acts	Dakota, Himmel
website	http://www.markusschulz.com }}

Markus Schulz born February 03, 1975 is a German trance music DJ and producer who resides in Miami, Florida, USA. He is best-known for his weekly radio show titled Global DJ Broadcast that airs on Digitally Imported radio, After Hours FM and other online stations. He is also the founder of the EDM label Coldharbour Recordings.

Producing

Schulz has released six mix compilations and three artist albums under his own name. He has also released productions and albums, Thoughts Become Things and Thoughts Become Things II, under the alias Dakota. Through his work with remixing tracks, he has had the opportunity to work with such artists as: Depeche Mode, Madonna, Everything But The Girl, Jewel, Oceanlab, Gabriel & Dresden, Télépopmusik, Fat Boy Slim, Miro, Book Of Love, Blue Amazon, and PQM. His remixes of "Intuition" and "Stand" by Jewel both hit #1 on the Billboard club chart.

Performing

When not in the studio working on new mixes, Schulz maintains an extensive international touring schedule. He originally held a seven-year residency at The Works in Phoenix, Arizona, where he developed his style. Since then, he has performed at clubs all over the world and has DJ'ed at some of the largest festivals and events, including: Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo, Monster Massive, Together As One, Ultra Music Festival, Amsterdam Dance Event, Nature One, Dance Valley, Love Parade, Global Gathering, ETD Pop, Trance Energy 2010, Bang Music Festival, Future Music Festival, Bal en Blanc and at the Episodes 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500 of A State Of Trance.

On October 28, 2010, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, placing Schulz at #8 DJ in the world.

Discography

Albums

''Without You Near'' (2005, Armada Music) ''Progression'' (2007, Armada Music)

''Progression Progressed - The Remixes'' (2008, Armada Music)

''Dakota - Thoughts Become Things'' (2009, Armada Music) ''Do You Dream?'' (2010, Armada Music)

''Do You Dream? - The Remixes (2011, Armada Music)''

''Markus Schulz presents Dakota – Thoughts Become Things II (1 July 2011, Armada Music)''

Compilations

''Coldharbour Sessions'' (2004, Armada Music) ''Miami '05'' (2005, Moist Music) ''Ibiza '06'' (2006, Moist Music) ''Amsterdam '08'' (2008, Armada Music) ''Toronto '09'' (2009, Armada Music) ''Las Vegas '10'' (2010, Armada Music) ''Prague '11'' (2011, Armada Music)

Singles

1998 Markus Schulz - You Won’t See Me Cry

1999 Dakota - Swirl

2002 Dakota - Frozen Time

2002 Dakota - Lost in Brixton

2002 Dakota - Jah Powah

2002 Dakota - Zero Gravity

2002 Dakota - Sunshine Yellow

2003 Dakota - Abandoned in Queens

2003 Markus Schulz presents Elevation - Clear Blue

2004 Markus Schulz presents Elevation - Largo

2004 Markus Schulz presents Elevation - Somewhere

2005 Markus Schulz featuring Anita Kelsey - First Time

2005 Markus Schulz and Departure with Gabriel & Dresden - Without You Near

2006 Markus Schulz featuring Carrie Skipper - Never be the Same Again

2007 Markus Schulz vs. Chakra - I Am

2007 Markus Schulz - Fly to Colors

2007 Dakota - Amsterdam

2007 Dakota - Progression

2008 Dakota - Hypnotic

2008 Markus Schulz featuring Departure - Cause You Know

2008 Markus Schulz featuring Dauby – Perfect

2008 Markus Schulz vs. Andy Moor - Daydream

2008 Markus Schulz - The New World

2009 Dakota - Chinook

2009 Dakota - Johnny the Fox

2009 Dakota - Sin City

2009 Markus Schulz - Do You Dream

2009 Dakota - Roxy ’84

2009 Dakota - Koolhaus

2009 Dakota - Steel Libido

2009 Dakota - Mr. Cappuccino

2010 Markus Schulz featuring Khaz - Dark Heart Waiting

2010 Markus Schulz featuring Justine Suissa - Perception

2010 Markus Schulz - Rain

2010 Markus Schulz - Future Cities

2011 Dakota - Sinners

2011 Markus Schulz & Jochen Miller - Rotunda

2011 Dakota - Sleepwalkers

Remixes

1993 Sagat - Why Is It? Fuk Dat

1993 The Movement - Shake That

1994 Glenn "Sweet G" Toby - I Can Tell

1994 Sweet Sable - Old Times' Sake

1994 Transglobal Underground - Temple Head

1994 2 Unlimited - Throw The Groove Down

1994 Sandra Bernhard - You Make Me Feel

1995 Amber McFadden - Do You Want Me

1995 Truce - Pump It

1995 Real McCoy - Come And Get Your Love

1995 Bette Midler - To Deserve You

1995 Backstreet Boys - We've Got It Going On

1996 Lina Santiago - Feels So Good (Show Me Your Love)

1996 Backstreet Boys - Get Down (You're The One For Me)

1996 Technotronic - Move It To The Rhythm

1996 Madonna - Love Don't Live Here Anymore

1996 Liz Torres - Set Yourself Free

1996 Armand Van Helden - The Funk Phenomena

1996 James Newton Howard - Theme From ER

1996 Backstreet Boys - We've Got It Going On

1997 RuPaul - A Little Bit Of Love

1997 Groove Junkies -

1997 Poe - Hello

1997 e-N Feat. Ceevox - That Sound

1997 Tilly Lilly - Roller Coaster

1997 Electronic - Second Nature

1997 Blue Amazon - No Other Love

1997 LNR - Work It To The Bone

1998 Cynthia - If I Had The Chance

1998 Vertigo Deluxe - Out Of My Mind

1998 The B-52's - Debbie

1999 Everything But The Girl - Lullaby Of Clubland

1999 Dream Traveler - Time

2000 Himmel - Celebrate Life

2000 Masters Of Balance - Dreamworld

2000 Pablo Gargano - Eurogoal

2000 PQM - The Flying Song

2000 Aaron Lazarus - Your Time Will Come

2001 Pablo Gargano - Absolution

2001 Carissa Mondavi - Solid Ground

2001 Rouge - Jingalay

2001 Daniel Ash - Burning Man

2001 Fatboy Slim - Sunset (Bird Of Prey)

2001 Luzon - Manilla Sunrise

2001 Book Of Love - I Touch Roses

2002 Miro - By Your Side

2003 Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes

2003 Jewel - Intuition

2003 Karada - Last Flight

2003 Billy Paul Williams - So In Love

2003 Jewel - Stand

2004 Aly & Fila - Spirit Of Ka

2004 George Hales - Autumn Falls

2004 Solid Globe - Sahara

2004 Filterheadz - Yimanya

2004 Plastic Angel - Distorted Reality

2004 Clubbervision - Dream Off

2004 Kobbe & Austin Leeds - Fusing Love

2004 Airwave - Ladyblue

2004 Myth - Millionfold

2004 OceanLab - Satellite

2004 Piece Process - Solar Myth

2004 Space Manoeuvres - Stage One

2004 Deepsky - Talk Like A Stranger

2004 Whirlpool - Under The Sun

2004 Mark Otten – Tranquility

2005 Tomonari & Tommy Pi - C Sharp 2005

2005 Ridgewalkers - Find

2005 Departure - She Turns

2005 Nalin & Kane - Open Your Eyes (The Child You Are)

2006 Kyau & Albert - Are You Fine?

2006 Eluna - Severence

2006 Yoshimoto - Du What U Du

2007 Kamera - Lies

2007 Andrew Bennett - Menar

2007 Joop - The Future

2008 Destination X - Dangerous

2008 John O'Callaghan feat. Audrey Gallagher - Big Sky

2008 Rank 1 - Airwave

2008 Sia - Buttons

2008 Mike Foyle - Bittersweet Nightshade

2009 Dance 2 Trance - Power of American Natives

2009 Jester Music feat. Lavoie - Dressed In White

2009 Cosmic Gate - Sign Of The Times

2009 Ferry Corsten - Brain Box

2010 Cosmic Gate - The Drums

External links

Official Website

Markus Schulz Facebook Page

Markus Schulz MySpace Page

Markus Schulz Twitter Page

Markus Schulz YouTube Page

References

Category:Electronic music radio shows Category:German trance musicians Category:Remixers Category:Living people Category:Armada Music artists Category:1966 births

bg:Маркус Шулц cs:Markus Schulz de:Markus Schulz es:Markus Schulz fa:مارکوس شولتز fr:Markus Schulz it:Markus Schulz lt:Markus Schulz hu:Markus Schulz nl:Markus Schulz pl:Markus Schulz pt:Markus Schulz ru:Шульц, Маркус sl:Markus Schulz tr:Markus Schulz

name	Adam Young
background	solo_singer
religion	Christian
birth name	Adam Randal Young
alias	Owl City
birth date	July 05, 1986
origin	Owatonna, Minnesota
instrument	Vocals, Programming (music), piano, keyboards, synthesizer, guitar, banjo, violin, cello, xylophone, accordion, drums, Synth.
genre	ElectropopSynthpopIndietronica
occupation	producer, song writer, vocalist
years active	2007 - Present
label	Universal Republic, Sky Harbor, Port Blue
associated acts	Owl City, Sky Sailing, Swimming With Dolphins, Port Blue, Seagull Orchestra, Relient K, Matt Thiessen, Lights.
website	Official website }}

Adam Randal Young is a American musician, multi-instrumentalist, producer, song writer, vocalist and the founder of the electronic project Owl City. He has also fronted numerous other musical projects, including Sky Sailing and ''Port Blue'

Owl City

Career beginnings

Adam Randal Young originally began creating music in his parents' basement while suffering from insomnia. Working alone, Young posted his fizzy electro-pop songs to MySpace and iTunes, selling about 2,000 tracks a week under the name Owl City. Young quickly developed a MySpace following and self-released an EP and a full-length album. His debut release Of June was released in 2007 and despite Owl City not being signed to a record label, still managed to reach #15 on the US Dance/Electronic Albums chart. His first album ''Maybe I'm Dreaming'' was released in 2008, and reached #13 on the US Electronic Albums chart, also without the support of a record label. In 2009, Young signed a deal with the record company Universal Republic and released his second full-length album Ocean Eyes and re-released his two previous works.

Of June

''Of June'' is Owl City's first musical release. Adam Young self-released it on April 21, 2007 and then later again through Universal Republic. It has seven tracks, one of which has been re-released in ''Ocean Eyes''. ''Hello Seattle'' was re-released with the album ''Ocean Eyes'' but now has a 2007 version, a remix, and the 'original'.

Maybe I'm Dreaming

Adam Young's first full-length album. Despite Owl City not being signed to a record label, ''Maybe I'm Dreaming'' reached #13 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. This album earned Adam Young a substantial fanbase which resulted in him touring throughout the United States with band members Austin Tofte, the frontman of Swimming With Dolphins on keys and backing vocals, Matthew Decker on drums and occasionally Breanne Düren also on keys and backing vocals.

Ocean Eyes

Under Universal Republic, Young released the album ''Ocean Eyes''. His hit single "Fireflies" sold 650,000 copies in its first week and was the iTunes Single Of The Week. It later went on to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. ''Ocean Eyes'' reached the top ten in the US album charts and topped the US rock and electronic charts. In February 2010, iTunes released their list of highest-selling songs since 2003 with "Fireflies" listed at #24. After the success of ''Ocean Eyes'', Young began touring internationally. The touring band now consists of Adam Young (lead vocals, guitar, keys, drums), Breanne Düren (backup vocals/keyboard), Matthew Decker (drums), Laura Musten (violin), and Hannah Schroeder (cello). A deluxe version of Ocean Eyes was released on Jan. 26 2010. It contains a bonus track, ''Rugs From Me To You''.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Owl City released his "sophomore" album, ''All Things Bright and Beautiful'', on June 14, 2011. The album reached #1 on the iTunes Top 10 Electronic Albums in both the US and Canada. Receiving 4 1/2 stars from customers. The albums includes three singles, Deer in the Headlights, Alligator Sky, and Galaxies. The album has one bonus track ''How I Became the Sea'', and a track only available in Japan, Shy Violet

Sky Sailing

On June 29, 2010, Young announced that he would be releasing his early recordings under the name Sky Sailing. Sky Sailing's debut album, ''An Airplane Carried Me to Bed'', was made available exclusively through iTunes on July 13, 2010.

Personal life

Young has referred to himself as being deeply shy and socially introverted. He told ''Christianity Today'' journalist Mark Moring that "telephone conversations still terrify me", and Moring was only allowed e-mail communication for an interview. Young may have Asperger's Syndrome, and this is one reason he is so socially introverted and has such a large vocabulary, as well as a reason his lyrics are so difficult to understand. Young resides in his hometown, Owatonna, Minnesota, where he writes and programs all his music. Adam Young enjoys photography as a hobby and claims he is an amateur photographer. He enjoys fast food. According to his blog, Young prefers "blonde girls with blue eyes."

Young identifies himself as a Christian, and writes about his faith on his blog.

Port Blue

Port Blue is an alias used for melody driven instrumental, ambient productions. Through this moniker Adam Young has released one album, ''The Airship'' (2007) and one EP, ''The Albatross EP'' (2008).

:'''Port Blue' is music that can be heard playing in elevators, hotel lobbies, airports, museums and restaurants inside my head. It is the soundtrack to my dreams. If I wrote music for movies, this is what my film scores would sound like. Much of the aesthetic of Port Blue is not what lies in the recordings but rather what is extracted from them...Dreamscapes. No vocals.''

:''In my opinion, there is a huge lack of imaginative, unconventional music being created by artists today and what little there is, goes widely unappreciated by the masses. 'Port Blue' is my attempt at re-creating the music I want to hear and the emotions I want to feel.''

:''I hope you enjoy my art as much as I enjoyed creating it. If by chance you ever feel as though you’ve come to know these songs, please consider yourself a friend because in a manner of speaking, you know me. This music is my heart and soul. This is who I am.'' :(Adam R. Young, 2006)

On June 1, 2011, Adam announced via Twitter that he was working on a new Port Blue song.

Collaborations

He has provided vocals for different artists/producers and their projects, including:

Chicane - Middledistancerunner (2010)

Armin Van Buuren - Youtopia (2010)

He Is We - All About Us (2011)

He has also produced music for other artists including:

Relient K - Terminals (2009)

Shamar - I Don't Know Why (2010)

References

External links

Official website

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:American electronic musicians Category:American male singers Category:American Christians Category:Musicians from Minnesota Category:People from Steele County, Minnesota Category:American vegetarians Category:American people of Canadian descent Category:American people of English descent Category:Christian vegetarians Category:People with Asperger syndrome Category:People on the autistic spectrum

da:Adam Young es:Adam Young fr:Adam Young it:Adam Young nl:Adam Young pt:Adam Young ru:Янг, Адам sv:Adam Young

Name	Laura Jansen
Background	solo_singer
Born	March 04, 1977
Origin	The Netherlands
Instrument	Vocals, piano
Genre	Indie pop / pop
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	2007–present
Label	Universal Records (The Netherlands), None (U.S.)
Website	www.laurajansenmusic.nl (in Dutch)MySpace
Past members	}}

Laura Jansen (born 4 March 1977, Breda, The Netherlands) is a Dutch-American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. Jansen established herself as a regular at the Los Angeles live music venue the Hotel Cafe before gaining fame in her native country, The Netherlands. The daughter of an American mother and Dutch father, she holds dual citizenship in the United States and The Netherlands.

Her music has been featured on the television shows Newport Harbor and The Real World: Cancun.

She previously toured with Joshua Radin for six weeks as part of his band in 2008. In 2009, she toured with William Fitzsimmons as a part of his band and also as his support act. She is currently on tour supporting Joshua Radin.

Discography

In the Netherlands, her debut album "Bells" is available on Universal Records. Released on 4 September 2009, the album peaked at number 6 in the Dutch Album Top 100... In May 2010 Laura received a golden record for selling 25.000 copies of "Bells".

In the U.S., she has two self released EP albums, "Trauma," (released 26 February 2007) and "Single Girls" (released 26 June 2009).

Jansen has released three songs of her album "Bells" as a single. ''Single Girls'' peaked at number 70 on the Dutch Single Top 100. The second single was Use Somebody, originally from Kings Of Leon. The song peaked at number 8 on the Dutch Single Top 100. The third single from this album, ''Wicked World'', which was also the theme song for the Dutch comedy series "Floor Faber", peaked at number 31 on the Dutch Single Top 100. Her second single "Use Somebody", is remixed by Armin van Buuren and is played frequently in the shows.

Jansen is also featured on David Hopkins' album There Are Debts, which also features Damien Rice. She also appears in the music video for Sara Bareilles' song Uncharted.

References

External links

Retrieved on 20 September 2009

Laura Jansen's MSN Star Lounge Blog (in Dutch) Retrieved on 20 September 2009

Laura Jansen's Facebook Retrieved on 20 September 2009

Single Girls Music Video Youtube

NRC article on Laura Jansen (in Dutch)

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American female singers Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:Dutch female singers Category:Dutch singer-songwriters

it:Laura Jansen nl:Laura Jansen