Al de Leon

In DJ Magazine's highly respected annual rankings, Armin Van Buuren sits comfortably in the No. 3 spot, no doubt a result of the huge fan base he's built up over the years playing epic trance sets that consistently pack danc floors. So you'd expect his new artist album, "Shivers," to feature club-ready stompers chock full of the customary synths, angelic vocals and buildups that define the genre of trance. And while there's enough formula on the album to please trance heads everywhere, "Shivers" delivers so much more, demonstrating Van Buuren's versatility as a producer and growth as a dance-music artist. With trance as his base, he explores electro, progressive house and breaks, while infusing elements of rock and pop. Hands down, the album's best tune is "Zocalo," which combines an airy guitar riff and pulsing bass line, and progresses from dark to melodic. Van Buuren wrote the surefire anthem with the acclaimed San Francisco duo, Gabriel and Dresden. DJs often dislike requests at clubs, but here's a shameless plea for "Zocalo" to find its way into Van Buuren's set on Saturday at Vision.

With resident DJs Spin and Sativa at Vision, 632 North Dearborn, (312) 266-1944, on October 15 at 10pm. (2005-10-11)

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