When two powerhouses of electronic music, Armin van Buuren and Maddix, take the stage together, you know something special is about to happen. But their recent Face-2-Face set was more than just a collaboration, it was an entirely new DJing concept that pushed the limits of live performance. Unlike a traditional back-to-back (B2B) set, where DJs share control over the same mixer and CDJs, Armin and Maddix each had their own independent setup, facing each other with no direct access to the other’s controls. This meant they had to rely on trust, instinct, and even a system of hand signals to navigate the set.

In this exclusive interview, we dive into the challenges, the technical aspects, and the adrenaline-fueled excitement of their Face-To-Face set. From the initial idea to the crowd’s electric reaction, Armin and Maddix share their firsthand experience of a performance format that may very well change the game. Enjoy!

WWD: Where did the idea for the Face-To-Face set come from?

Armin van Buuren: It came from working together with my team from 250k. We wanted to do something different and figured it could be a great special ending for the night. Technically it was a bit of a challenge because you can’t see each others CDJ’s nor control the mixer from the other DJ but Maddix was also up for the challenge!

Maddix: This idea came from Armin, it was either gonna be a B2B or maybe a F2F. We decided on the latter!

WWD: For DJs in our audience who know about mixers and CDJs, can you explain technically how a Face-to-Face is working since you cannot control the mixer of the opposite DJ?

Armin van Buuren: I think there’s a lot of trust involved there. It can also help to know about some of the other DJ’s mixing habits, which can be discussed upfront, and using your ears. During the rehearsal we came up with certain hand signals to communicate when the other person should start mixing in the next track or wait a bit. Also, we had a seperate hand signal for bass changes etc. It was fun!

Maddix: The main difference is indeed that I could not control Armin’s sound in any way. So how it works is that both DJs play on their own setup, with their own mixer and CDJs, that directly outputs to the crowd. This means you can basically just go fully over whatever the other is playing. Armin and me decided to alternate mixing in tracks, so I would do one, then Armin, then me again etc. As an example, this means that when I start mixing in, at some point Armin should cut out the bass at the moment I want to add the bass of my track. And at one point he should cut the track completely. You also can not use effects on the master or on the track the other person is playing. We made a track selection as preparation, but we decided on the fly what to play which actually made it a lot of fun. I did have a small screen with showcontrol on it where I could at least see which track Armin was playing, and where we were in the track, which I think helped a lot.

WWD: Did you have any doubts about whether it would actually work?

Armin van Buuren: Well, I was nervous about doing it, because it was my first time and that means it takes some getting used to. But on the other hand, I had full confidence in Maddix’s skills, and you just have to rely on instinct and musical intuition again.

Maddix: I didn’t doubt if it would work, but it did make me question how exactly the setup would work!

WWD: How did you communicate with each other while playing?

Armin van Buuren: You can still watch each other’s body language, movement and gestures, but that’s really all you can do.

Maddix: We did a 40 mins soundcheck a few hours before the ASOT event, and that’s where we came up with hand signals to communicate. You can’t even talk to each other cause everything is so loud so I’m happy we decided to go this way. For example:a thumbs-up meant ‘you can start mixing in the next track’, this is useful as some tracks we played for just one drop, others we wanted both drops. Others were a bass cut signal, volume fader down, and speed up (bpm) signals. This for sure was super helpful!

WWD: What was the biggest challenge during the set?

Armin van Buuren: Not only is it hard to pinpoint exactly what the other DJ is doing, but you also have no idea of what tracks they’re going to be. So you’re required to anticipate very quickly.

Maddix: Timing everything was hard, and if you miss a hand signal what do you do haha? Plus I realized I couldn’t really go crazy with the crowd as much as usual, as I had to keep an eye on Armin’s hand signals and mixing as well haha.

WWD: What was the crowd’s reaction when they saw this unique setup?

Armin van Buuren: I think they loved it; the crowd was amazing and I think they’d love to see it again sometimes soon!

Maddix: I mean, the crowd was going absolutely CRAZY and I loved every second of it! I also saw a really good response online on the livestream and the YouTube video of people loving the setup. I really think it was something unique for this event!

WWD: Did the Face-To-Face format change the way you approached track selection or mixing?

Armin van Buuren: No, I don’t think it did. It just requires a more historic approach to DJing: more by ear and intuition, less by visual cues.

Maddix: Not really! I had to get in the flow a bit but after a while was feeling the vibe and knew how it worked. We didn’t mix in key though as that would make it even harder (usually I don’t but I know Armin does it).

WWD: Can we expect more Face-To-Face sets in the future?

Armin van Buuren: I hope so! I had a blast and would love to do it again!

Maddix: I would love to! It’s an interesting concept and a lot of fun while playing. As a DJ you’re definitely doing more stuff while playing opposed to a B2B. I liked it a lot!

WWD: Looking forward to the next one, then! Thanks for the chat 🙂