Armin van Buuren News
Tensteps Talks With Us About His Beginnings As A DJ, His Experiences & More!
The road leading up to polishing skills on the mixing decks takes time, effort, and talent. Tensteps surely proves this showing why his name deserves to be on the list of DJs to follow; with impressive releases and even more remarkable collaborations with DJs like Standerwick and Andrew Rayel, his distinctive sound has already received praise from the likes of Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, or MaRLo, to name a few. We talked with Tensteps about his beginnings as a DJ, his experiences, and advice for upcoming artists.
Hey Tensteps! how are you?
I’m great! Freshly returned home from my bachelor party in the Dominican Republic so a little fried at the moment but ready to get back to real life haha.
Can you tell us about your beginnings as a DJ? When and where was your first performance and how did it go?
I started DJing when I was a freshman in high school, so I was like 14 years old. I was doing open format back then, not just dance music. My friend Evan and I used to throw parties at a local spot in our hometown so that’s how we got into it.
Is there a routine you follow to get ready before jumping on stage?
I’m super forgetful, so I have a checklist on my phone of everything I could possibly need during a gig, however unlikely – my USBs, headphones, laptop in case my USBs don’t work, laptop charger, external hard drive with my music, any possible adapters I’d need in case I did need to play off my laptop, things like that. I’m meticulous about preparing for any problem that could occur and making sure I have a solution for it. As strange as that sounds, that calms me down because I know I’m prepared to handle whatever gets thrown at me.
What do you usually look for in a track to add to a live set?
It has to support the vibe that I’m trying to create with that set. If it’s an opening set, it needs to groove and help me set a foundation for the night. If it’s a later set, it needs to have the proper amount of energy to correspond with the timeslot of my set.
What’s your favorite part about performing live?
The crowd reactions for sure. Nothing will ever beat having a crowd of people sing your own song back to you.
Can you tell us what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from mixing live?
Don’t trust ProDJ Link haha. Luckily, I didn’t have to learn this one firsthand, but after my set at Find Your Harmony San Jose, I was talking to Ruben de Ronde in the green room and he told me to always use a USB drive in each CDJ, never to trust linking them and running off a single USB. He got burned by a ProDJ Link glitch during one of the ASOT festival events, so I will gladly turn his experience into a teachable moment for myself haha.
Do you have a funny or interesting story involving a live show?
Not sure about funny, but nerve wracking I can tell you for sure. I played in Chicago with Andrew Rayel, and I was scheduled to be the opener. I spent weeks prepping my opening set, and the day before I was flying out to Chicago I found out that the direct support DJ had to cancel (this was still when there were a ton of logistics issues for DJs because of Covid so this was happening quite often). I got moved up to direct support, and had something like 12 hours before I left to make a completely new set that was double the length of the one I’d spent weeks putting together and was a completely different vibe due to my new timeslot. I was sweating bullets leading up to that show for sure, but it ended up being one of the most fun nights of my life.
What would you say is the perfect setting for a live performance?
Anywhere with a fully engaged crowd who’s open to receiving what you’re putting out there.
Which venue or festival would you like to perform at in the future?
EDC Las Vegas would be a dream.
What piece of advice would you give to a DJ that’s starting to perform live?
Learning DJ etiquette is almost as important as learning to DJ. The impression you give to the promoters and the other artists on the bill is a huge contributing factor to whether or not you’ll get booked again.
Follow Tensteps:
Website / Instagram / Soundcloud / Beatport
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Armin van Buuren announces two-day ASOT LA festival for June 2027, marking the first two-day A State of Trance event in the U.S.
For more than 25 years, A State of Trance has grown from Armin van Buuren’s weekly radio show into a global trance platform. Its events now span Europe, Asia and the Americas. Armin van Buuren has now announced its next major chapter in Los Angeles. The city will host the first two-day A State of Trance festival in the United States on June 11 and 12, 2027. The event will bring ASOT back to California on a larger scale, with further festival details still to come.
A State Of Trance Expands In Los Angeles
Armin van Buuren shared the news on October 8 during ASOT LA Unfiltered, an intimate pop-up in Downtown Los Angeles. Organisers invited a small group of attendees to the previously unannounced event. There, Armin van Buuren played a two-hour set before revealing plans for the 2027 festival at ACE*MISSION Studios.
While A State of Trance has held events in California before, including editions in Oakland and Los Angeles, 2027 will mark a first. It will become the first two-day ASOT festival in the United States. The format follows the larger editions already established elsewhere and gives the U.S. event two full festival dates.
A State Of Trance Hotel Joins The Weekend
Alongside the shows at ACE*MISSION Studios, the Los Angeles weekend will also include an A State of Trance Hotel. Previous editions have offered activities around the main festival. These have included pool parties, pre-parties, dedicated hotel events and early access for guests.
A State of Trance has not yet confirmed the exact package or activities planned for Los Angeles. Registration for A State of Trance 2027 tickets and hotel packages is already open. Lineup and further ticket information will follow.
A State Of Trance Celebrates 25 Years
The Los Angeles festival forms part of A State of Trance’s 25th anniversary, adding another major edition to the celebrations. Armin van Buuren launched the weekly radio show in 2001. Over the following two decades, it expanded into compilations, international events and large-scale festivals while remaining closely tied to trance music.
In May 2026, Armin van Buuren released A State of Trance 2026, the 23rd annual installment in the compilation series. The album features three mixes titled Pulse, Frequency and Energy. Artists across the project include Argy, Andrew Bayer, Joris Voorn, Amy Wiles, Farius, KI/KI and Lilly Palmer. ‘Always You’ by Armin van Buuren, Richard Durand and Dicosis also became the official anthem for the 25-year celebrations.
The anniversary celebrations have also extended to Ibiza. A State of Trance began a five-date residency at [UNVRS] in September 2026, running every Monday from September 7 to October 5. Armin van Buuren plays a five-hour extended set on each date alongside invited artists and collaborators. The accompanying A State of Trance, Ibiza 2026 compilation features Andrew Bayer, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Matt Fax, Solarstone, MaRLo, BLR and Richard Durand.
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ASOT Continues Into 2027
Before attention turns to Los Angeles, A State of Trance will return to Rotterdam on February 26 and 27, 2027. The event continues the two-day format already established in the Netherlands. Registration for the next Rotterdam edition is already underway as the anniversary celebrations continue into another year.
Four months later, Los Angeles will become the next major stop on the ASOT calendar. Several important details, including the lineup and individual day schedules, have yet to be announced. More information about the A State of Trance Hotel will also follow. Those reveals will complete the picture before the first two-day U.S. ASOT festival begins at ACE*MISSION Studios on June 11 and 12, 2027.
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A State of Trance reveals first artists for Rotterdam 2027 with Armin van Buuren five-hour set, exclusive vinyl show and new b2b performances
A State of Trance has announced the first artists for its Rotterdam 2027 edition at Rotterdam Ahoy on February 26 and 27. Armin van Buuren will play a five-hour set on Friday. He will then appear twice on Saturday with a solo set and an exclusive vinyl performance. The announcement also includes Aly & Fila b2b John O’Callaghan, Key4050, Giuseppe Ottaviani & Hypaton and Vini Vici b2b Space 92. More artists will follow.
First Artists Announced for Rotterdam 2027
At the centre of Friday’s four-stage program is Armin van Buuren’s five-hour set.
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Aly & Fila b2b John O’Callaghan also brings three established trance names together for one of the biggest collaborations announced so far. Friday’s lineup includes Alex M.O.R.P.H., Ben Gold, Billy Gillies, Ciaran McAuley, Dash Berlin, David Forbes and Farius. Modeā, Ørjan Nilsen, Push and Richard Durand will also perform on February 26.
The following night expands to five areas and introduces several more combinations across Rotterdam Ahoy. Giuseppe Ottaviani & Hypaton, Key4050, NRG2000 b2b SUPERSTRINGS and Vini Vici b2b Space 92 are among Saturday’s first names. The lineup also includes BLR, Driftmoon, Enigma State, Factor B, Mark Sixma, Olly James, onTune and Ruben de Ronde. Sarah de Warren, Talla 2XLC, The Rocketman, XiJaro & Pitch and Youna complete the names announced so far. Ferry Corsten will also play a b2b set, with his partner still to be announced.
Before the main Saturday program begins, Armin van Buuren will play an exclusive vinyl set. Guests with official hotel packages and Early Access tickets will have access to the performance. He will then appear again later for his solo set. This separates the vinyl performance from the main five-area program and gives Saturday two different Armin van Buuren sets.
A State of Trance Marks 25 Years
The Rotterdam 2027 announcement follows the 25th anniversary of A State of Trance, which began as a radio show in 2001. The weekly broadcast now reaches millions of listeners across 84 countries. Over the years, A State of Trance has also hosted more than 100 events across five continents. Rotterdam remains the flagship destination for its large-scale event and brings its international trance community together over two nights.
The first artists announced for 2027 reflect that history while introducing several combinations created specifically for the weekend. Long-established names include Aly & Fila, John O’Callaghan, Ferry Corsten, Ørjan Nilsen and Richard Durand. Pairings such as Vini Vici b2b Space 92 and NRG2000 b2b SUPERSTRINGS add less familiar combinations to the two-day event.
More artists and program details are still to come, while day and weekend tickets are now available for A State of Trance Rotterdam 2027.
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Armin van Buuren releases new [UNVRS] documentary exploring dancefloor psychology, human connection and the impact of his five-hour A State of Trance sets
For 25 years, A State of Trance has brought people together through radio, events and dancefloors. That shared experience is now the focus of Armin van Buuren’s new 10-minute documentary, The Psychology of the Dancefloor. He created the film with psychotherapist Rachel Giddings during his debut residency at [UNVRS] in Ibiza. It asks why music can make strangers feel connected and why a crowd can create a sense of belonging. The documentary also looks at why some moments stay with people long after the night ends.
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Inside The Psychology of the Dancefloor
Filmed during Armin van Buuren’s five-hour sets at [UNVRS], The Psychology of the Dancefloor follows the crowd as each night develops. Psychotherapist Rachel Giddings joins him in examining how people react when thousands hear the same breakdown, build or climax together. Their conversations explore the emotional response behind those moments and how a room full of strangers can begin to feel connected through music.
Each Monday gives that experience several hours to develop, with Armin van Buuren playing five consecutive dates from September 7 to October 5. The extended sets allow him to guide the room through different parts of his sound while the documentary pays close attention to how the crowd responds along the way. Those reactions become part of the story as the night changes from one moment to the next.
Speaking about the film, Armin van Buuren says the people in front of him are where “the real magic happens.” He also questions why music can affect people so deeply and why strangers can suddenly feel part of something together. That perspective keeps the documentary grounded in the people experiencing the night and the emotions they take home with them.
25 Years of A State of Trance
The five-week residency also marks 25 years of A State of Trance, which first began as a radio show in 2001. It now reaches around 44 million listeners across more than 80 countries, while more than 100 A State of Trance events have taken place across five continents. What started through weekly broadcasts has grown into a global community that regularly comes together in person.
Celebrating that anniversary through five-hour sets in Ibiza gives Armin van Buuren time to revisit what A State of Trance has meant to people over the years. The Psychology of the Dancefloor adds a more personal layer to that anniversary by asking what people actually carry away from those nights. After 25 years of bringing listeners together, the film looks beyond the music itself and into the memories, emotions and connections that keep people coming back.
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