By Kishori Sud
New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) With top DJs in the world being mostly Dutch, Disc Jockey (DJ) and record producer Armin Van Buuren, who says he loves Indian culture, feels the vibrant club scene in the Netherlands is a "good way to get started" for those interested in this field.
Buuren, who currently holds the fourth position in the world's top DJ magazine DJ Mag, is set to perform at the 10th edition of the Sunburn Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival.
The world's top DJs mostly include Dutch artistes like Afrojack, Bassjackers, R3hab, Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Ti?sto, Headhunterz and Buuren himself.
Asked if there is a different kind of training the artistes get, Buuren said: "Dutchmen have been blessed with ample opportunities".
"I don't know if there is anything special we do or get taught. I think the vibrant club scene in the Netherlands is a really good way to get started and that a lot of people have been able to use this to fuel their career," Buuren told IANS in an email interview.
"We Dutchmen have been blessed with these opportunities and a lot of us have been able to make the most of it. But anyone who is willing to work their hardest is able to make it, no matter where you live," he added.
The 39-year-old, who was also nominated for a Grammy in 2014 for Best Dance Recording for his single "This is what it feels like" featuring Trevor Guthrie, believes that the EDM scene in the world over is "ridiculously fast paced" and evolving all the time.
"Everyone wants to be the one to discover the next big thing first. EDM has moved from house and trance to dubstep, big room and beyond and now, everyone is trying his or her hardest to reinvent not only his or her style of music but him or herself as well."
"What you get is a mix of music with a lot of cross-over potential and that's an amazing development," he said.
Having been part of the music scene for over 15 years, Buuren says that when he had just entered the field, "there wasn't a lot of money involved in the industry".
"At least not as much as today. That meant that few were in it for the money and fame, simply because music was something they could not live without. The same counts for me."
"My passion for music is what drove me to become a DJ and producer to begin with. I learnt that the sky is the limit as long as you are driven by passion, not by money or fame," said Buuren, who has performed at international fests like Ultra Music Festival in Miami and Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas.
He has been ranking amongst the top five DJs in the world in DJ Mag consistently for five years in a row. Asked if a position in such publications gives a boost to an artiste's career, Burren said that although he doesn't want to comment on the results being legit or not, the magazine does help.
"I think a good ranking in the DJ Mag could actually boost an artiste's career. A ranking in the DJ Mag could be proof of an artiste's popularity. This could mean that this artiste gets a lot more bookings throughout the world, at least when booking agencies consider DJ Mag a valid unit of measurement for popularity (and potential ticket sales)."
"I'm not sure if this has really changed things for me and my career, but it's still something I am thankful for," he added.
Talking about the Indian audience, he says that it is very different from the one in the Netherlands.
"I love the Indian culture. The all-around vibe is just amazing and has me coming back every time," he said.
"Just that when you guys (Indians) hear a song you like, you let me know in the best way possible. A lot of crowds in the world can learn from the enthusiasm and it always reminds me to seize the moment whenever I can," added the DJ, who is open to work with Indian talent.
(Kishori Sud can be contacted at kishori.s@ians.in)
