Armin van Buuren and Maddix went “face-to-face” for the first time at A State of Trance 2025, and now you can bask in the full live set!
DJs have performed back-to-back sets for decades, creating unique moments where styles can be melded to create dynamic sonic journeys. While these B2B performances have become relatively common in recent years at festivals, Armin van Buuren and Maddix wanted to flip the script for A State of Trance in Rotterdam this year. They opted to perform “face-to-face” instead.
The legendary trance artist and one of the hottest names in the scene had never performed F2F before, and questions loomed about how the set would go. Because the two artists weren’t side by side behind the decks, there was no easy way for them to communicate about when they planned to bring new tracks in. Instead, they used the time during soundcheck to figure out some hand signals to use. After the incredible set, it was clear they had figured out how to make some magic happen while on opposite sides of the stage.
“This was a completely new experience for me, and honestly, I was pretty nervous—playing a F2F is quite different from a B2B,” said Maddix. “And of course it was in front of a huge crowd and with the legend Armin van Buuren himself. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out though and I loved every second of it! Our hand signals for every transition worked perfectly.”
I had an amazing time playing face-to-face with Maddix. I’d never done it before, so it took us a little while to find our groove with the hand signals, but once we did, I had an absolute blast. I’d do it again in a heartbeat! Can’t wait to release our collab.
Armin van Buuren
Armin van Buuren and Maddix kicked off the performance with plenty of energy by dropping an ID before running through tracks like “Direct Dizko” and a mashup of “Computers Take Over The World” and “In And Out Of Love.” There was a solid balance of trance and techno for some pure rave vibes throughout as tracks like T78‘s “Plur,” Maddix’s “Sound Of The Underground” and “Open Sesame (Abracadabra),” and Lilly Palmer’s remix of Armin’s “Blah Blah Blah” rang through the venue’s speakers. Additionally, the two teased their debut collaboration, “Mouth Go Lalala.”
Check out the full set from A State of Trance on YouTube to experience the magic for yourself. Follow Armin van Buuren and Maddix on social media to stay informed about their upcoming tune and more!
Watch Armin van Buuren F2F Maddix (Live at A State of Trance 2025) on YouTube:
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