Snagging Armin van Buuren as an electronic dance music resident was a no-brainer for KAOS. The planners behind the Palms megaclub needed to display diverse musical programming, and that’s what van Buuren has been producing his entire career.
Just last week the 42-year-old Dutch legend took a bold step in a fresh direction with the release of Moons of Jupiter, the debut album from side project GAIA with fellow trance-focused Dutchman Benno de Goeij. They’ve been collaborating since 2007 and developed the GAIA alter ego to explore even more exotic strains of sound, partially by creating tracks and arrangements live onstage rather than in the studio. They’ve even developed unique hardware and custom equipment to assist in their sonic mission.
Still riding high on the recent release of “Phone Down,” a collabo with Lady Gaga’s producer Garibay that spawned the even more recent drop of a four-remix mini-album, van Buuren returns to Vegas this weekend for a KAOS Dayclub session with special guests Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano.
What are some of the factors that played into your decision to accept a residency at KAOS at the Palms? Las Vegas is something else. Las Vegas is unique. Being able to step into a world like that is amazing. I was really blown away by the plans for the new club.
You've been playing Vegas for years at different venues. Do you feel like your style of music and performance fits in the Vegas club scene or is it difficult to find the perfect match? The club scene in Las Vegas surely is different from others around the world. As a DJ I always watch the crowd, I try to listen to them and make sure my set makes their night.
At this point in your career how do you feel about being an ambassador of trance? Well, trance music is the core of my career. These days I break away from trance every now and then to explore music further and to create music more freely. But trance is the backbone of my life, and therefore I will never leave it. Being a trance ambassador is a huge honor.
Why do you think trance is surging a bit these days in the EDM world? People will always love melodies, no matter what. I think everything goes in cycles. You see a lot of other genres flirting more and more with melodies, and I think it has raised more interest in trance as a whole.
ARMIN VAN BUUREN June 29, 11 a.m., $20-$35. KAOS Dayclub, 702-953-7665.
