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Sun City Music Festival talent Armin van Buuren is always on the move – whether through creating music in his studio, or on his way to the next club or festival around the globe. This year certainly falls in line with his enduring momentum. His fifth and latest studio album Intense, released on Armada Music, features hit single “This Is What It Feels Like” which is fervently climbing up Billboard’s Dance/Electronic chart and is even crossing over to top 40 radio. “It’s not just love for music, it’s my passion. It goes beyond liking, and beyond a hobby, it’s about a way of living. Music is essential to my life.” We couldn’t agree with you more, Armin!

For over 15 years, Armin has been building his international success. A Christmas baby born in Leiden, Netherlands, he grew up in a musical family which ignited Armin’s passion for music at an early age. He spent all the money he earned on his paper route on records. And when his mom won a computer when he was 10, it was all over with. “So as a little nerdy kid I was writing my own basic programs, and learnt about the technology from there.”

Always a man with a plan, Armin thought it was wise to have a back-up plan to his goal of creating music for a living. So he began studying for a law degree. The final year of his schooling had to be stretched out, however, because he had to juggle studies with a hectic touring schedule. It was around this time that his early remixes and originals were gaining popularity. Though it may have taken him three years to graduate, it is his determination that made him succeed. He now has his Masters in law, but his love will always be music. “I see it as my responsibility to promote trance as a genre and I want to support it in every way I can. Music should connect us. As long as the music keeps evolving like it is, I will continue and I don’t see any reason to slow it down.”

And why would he slow down? His albums 76 (2003), Shivers (2005), Imagine (2008) and Mirage (2010) have all reached gold status in The Netherlands. Armin is now the five-time winner of the #1 position on the critically acclaimed DJ Mag’s Top 100 poll – no doubt, as the result of his ingenuity in the studio and unmatched humility. Even with the pressure that comes with being the world’s most popular DJ, Armin has always kept his focus on the music. And that’s exactly what keeps him going.

Husband and father by day; world’s #1 DJ at night. Armin has been quoted to say, “Don’t be a prisoner of your own style.” You’ll get to see the legend close out our Sun City stage this Labor Day weekend for the return of Texas’s largest dance music event, Sun City Music Festival. Buy your tickets today!

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As the month of August powers on, Sun City Music Festival draws nearer and nearer. Going down at Ascarate Park in El Paso, Texas’ largest dance music festival makes its return on August 31st and September 1st. Have you bought your passes yet?

Today, were clashing the sounds of two of our house artists. Though one dabbles in the Dutch and big-room varieties and the other in the tribal and tech varieties, fans of Deorro and Stefano Noferini can agree that the two talents are machines when it comes to banging out chart-topping hits with their signature sound – no matter just how different those two sounds may be.

Deorro

Los Angeles native Deorro began his DJ career at the ripe age of 14, but it wasn’t until he was 17 that Deorro would begin producing his own tracks. His early productions were under the moniker Ton!c. After he began uploading his music to SoundCloud, he was deemed a sensation by the musical platform shortly thereafter, releasing albums Fire and Voodoo which have garnered over one million downloads online. In late 2011, Ton!c signed one of his most popular tracks “Big Fat” to BIP Records, expanding his fan base. The single made its way up Beatport’s Top 20 electro house chart, along with tracks like “Bounce,” “Get Up,” and “Faster Horses” have all seen high rankings on the infamous music retailer.

Now as Deorro, the panda bear loving artist is quickly turning into one of the fastest rising talents in the dance music industry. Releasing some top quality Dutch electro and progressive influenced bangers, Deorro is influenced by many styles like drumstep, house, trance, heavy electro, and even some moombahcore elements, creating a sound that is uniquely his own. You can join the #PandaFam when Deorro comes to El Paso for the third annual Sun City Music Festival. Tickets are available online, purchase yours today!

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Stefano Noferini

Sun City talent Stefano Noferini has a golden touch when it comes to choosing dance floor destroyers. That’s probably because the Italian artist has been building an arsenal of great music for quite some time now. He first began DJing in 1996 and his first production was released in the same year. He scored his first official debut on an Italian independent label a few years later and the rest, is history.

As his production library expanded over the years, so did his fan ship. Stefano played a pivotal role in Italy’s burgeoning house music scene thanks in part to his national radio show Club Edition, forging a bond with his country that still resonates today. The show is currently heard by millions of people in over 15 countries worldwide. Even though his show aids in his expanding global reach, it is his incredible live sets that keep fans coming back for more. Often called a DJ’s DJ, Stefano has an innate ability to pick tracks that make you want to dance and mixes them with a technical prowess that is unmatched by most. Utilizing percussive poly-rhythms in his tech house grooves, Stefano’s signature sound is always very energetic and lively.

Stefano is a mastermind producer in almost every aspect of house music. Over the years, he has revisited the tribal influences of his earlier career but it is his balance between techno and tech house that dominates his current productions. A prime example of this Beatport main chart toppers “Mama” and “Burajava” released in 2010. But it was his collaboration with Matteo Marini and Sylvia Tosun on the track “Push ‘n’ Pull” that soared to #1 in the US Billboard Dance Chart and earned him the right to be called Beatport’s “Breakout Artist of the Year” in 2010, and be nominated as their “Artist of the Year” in 2011.

Armed with a deep crate of sexy tech-inspired tunes, get ready as Stefano Noferini makes his way to El Paso for Sun City Music Festival. Buy your tickets today!

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The long-time producing DJ Markus Schulz has had a dizzying year. He’s been nominated for five International Dance Music Awards and been voted “Best American DJ.” However, Markus is not one to sit on his laurels. Aside from running his widely successful Global DJ Broadcast radio show that reaches millions every week, he’s leading the way at his seven year old imprint, Coldharbour Recordings, one of the most respected trance and progressive labels out right now.

Markus’ story begins in Germany. “I was born in Germany but I moved to the US when I was 13. I still speak fluent German, but my vocabulary only goes up to the age thirteen, which means that in interviews in Germany I must come across as a bit stupid.” As the 90s started to pick up speed, Markus began DJing gay clubs, as they were the only venues where he could play his underground tracks. Expanding his talents, Markus moved to the Las Vegas where the rave scene was fully embracing the German techno in his crate.

For the past decade, Markus has crafted and fine-tuned his multiple trance and house music identities. His most notable identity may be his Dakota alias, which is his outlet for darker, deeper and more progressive sounds as seen on the Thoughts Become Things albums. His more recent identity is with fellow tranceman Ferry Corsten as the New World Punx. The name derives from Ferry Corsten’s massive anthem, “Punk,” and Markus’ hit, “The New World.”

One of the things we love about Markus is his fan-coined nickname the “unicorn slayer,” which describe his signature hard-driving productions. He briefs us on the nick-names history in an interview, “By ‘unicorn,’ people mean tracks with really fluffy melodies. I don’t do this; I’m more into square waves and pitch bends. Somebody tweeted a while ago, ‘Markus Schulz: the unicorn slayer of trance.’ I retweeted it and it trended. Then people started showing up at gigs with ‘unicorn slayer’ T-shirts. When I played at Avalon in Hollywood there was a giant life-sized unicorn with a gogo dancer on top!”

If you’re ready to slay some unicorns, then make your way to Sun City Music Festival coming to Ascarate Park this Labor Day weekend on August 31st and September 1st. Buy your tickets today!

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