Week after week, we bring you everything you need to know about your favorite artists performing in your city through this section of our website. This week however, as India and Mumbai bear witness to arguably the greatest Trance Music stage coming to its shores once again, we put into the spotlight not an individual, but a radio show which has offered the world more Trance music that can be surmised into audible years. ‘A State Of Trance’, which is traveling the world as part of its incredible 700th Episode celebrations, has a history so rich and unique that it has etched its name into the legions of electronic music as becoming one of the most dominating and distinctive forces in Global Dance Music consciousness. Here is everything you need to Know About This week’s performer: ‘A State Of Trance’!
Despite it not being the first-of-its-kind radio show format, it certainly bought a unique mix of Trance music from around the globe, neatly arranged and mixed by Armin with almost no interruptions, breaks or advertisements. This continual DJ set format is something Armin personally insisted upon and has maintained in all the 14 years of its life! The radio show continued on its gradual escalation and meteoric rise in popularity as it reached milestone after milestone and garnered fans in regions spreading far and wide beyond stretches reached ever before. The spirit of Trance music, uniting fans of Dance Music around the globe every Thursday night/day/morning was as beautiful and organic a movement as any music culture has ever witnessed. Euphoric melodies, emotive statements and messages and the joy of listening to a masterful DJ in the mix live alongside thousands of fanatics across the world, was simply indescribable.
With its spread to an estimated 20 million listeners, spread over more than 74 countries, and over 150 FM radio-stations and globally through satellite and internet radio, ‘A State of Trance’ has now become a Hallmark in the Modern Day Dance Music movement. Armin has now won the award for ‘Best Mix Radio Show’ at the Winter Music Conference in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The immense popularity of the radio show launched an era of Global Dance Music Festivals that moved from city to city in a span of hours bringing audiences far and wide in closer proximity to like-minded fans and their favorite artists. Starting from ‘A State of Trance 400’, ASOT became ‘live’ celebrating every 50th episode of the show in various events that took place in different cities and countries, together with many Trance DJs playing their sets live. As time went by these celebrations events took the festival formula, with several stages playing different sub-genres of Trance music, sometimes even at the same time across different stages and venues. Each festival was built up months before via his radio show with cities and artist line-ups being gradually revealed. The anthem was of personal significance as he offered other artists to compose the anthem for every intermediate 50th episode celebration and composed one by himself for every intermediate 100th celebration. The ‘Invasion’, ‘Expedition’, ‘New Horizons’ and now ‘Together’ have been major themes behind the festivals in the past few years. With each celebration, Armin has tried to bring something new onto the table, attempting to make the ASOT experience bigger and better than before. His penchant for innovative formats and festival events has only increased the love from his loyal fans tenfold.
The Radio show doesn’t just stop at every week airtime and Festival events. It now has an extended podcast for fans who want more of the radio show. It also has a string of compilations under its name such as the “A State of Trance” yearly compilations, “A State of Trance Year Mix” compilations, “A State of Trance Ibiza” compilations as well as a “A State of Trance Classics” compilations. Apart from these, in 2003 the A State Of Trance record label was formed in 2003 as a sub-label to its Dutch parent company Armada Music, focusing mainly on trance and progressive trance with a wide range of artists and producers.
The legacy of the radio show isn’t limited to its own success, but the spread and awareness of the Dance Music radio shows in general. Most artists around the world now host radio shows and podcasts of their own, to bring their own vision of music and selection forward. The importance of the radio show in spreading awareness of the Electronic music culture has been significant and most importantly, completely organic. The maximum demographic has emerged from internet and satellite radio through almost no advertisements or additional promotions. The radio show has not favored any artists and has tried to genuinely accommodate other sub-genres of Electronic music in order to serve its wide array of listeners.
With the 700th Episode in culmination, the radio show completes a historic 14 years, and its celebrations this year will stopover at Mumbai at the iconic NSCI stadium in Mumbai as part of the Sunburn Arena. With tickets selling fast, you may not want to think twice anymore about missing this historic event. Get all the details here, and be part of the massive ASOT celebrations ‘Together’.
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