Armin van Buuren opened his new A State of Trance residency at [UNVRS] Ibiza on Monday, 7 September, with the first of five Monday nights marking 25 years of A State of Trance. We were there for the opening night, with Ruben de Ronde, Hannah Laing and Armin van Buuren taking over the main room.
Ruben de Ronde played before Armin, keeping the dancefloor moving until around 1 AM. By the time Armin took over, the room was already busy and people were dancing as the night moved towards the main set. Armin then began his five-hour set, moving between his own productions and music from other artists. The sound changed throughout the night, with different tempos and styles appearing as the set developed.
There were plenty of familiar Armin tracks, alongside music from artists including Paul van Dyk and Charlotte de Witte, as well as a special live appearance by vocalist SACHA, who joined Armin on stage for their collaborative tracks. The selection gave the set a broad range while keeping its focus firmly on the dancefloor.
At 3:30 AM, Hannah Laing joined Armin van Buuren for the Face2Face set. The two shared the decks for a section that brought a different sound to the room, with the crowd responding as the music changed direction. After the Face2Face, Armin returned to the decks and continued with a vinyl set. Coming after several hours of music and the set with Hannah, the switch gave the later part of the night a different character.
The main room at [UNVRS] provided plenty of space for the extended performance, with its large dancefloor, sound system, lighting and visuals surrounding the DJ booth. As the night progressed, the production changed with the music while the focus remained on the performance.
The new A State of Trance residency runs every Monday from 7 September to 5 October, with Armin playing a five-hour set on each of the five dates. Each week features a different Face2Face partner, with the residency forming part of the celebrations for 25 years of A State of Trance.
By the early morning, the dancefloor was still busy and Armin was still behind the decks. A State of Trance continues at [UNVRS] every Monday until 5 October, with Armin returning for another five-hour set on each of the remaining dates.
