Tantalising TENets: EDM goes Dutch!

1 Earliest memory of music. How did you come to be a DJ and producer?
I started playing guitar at 4. It was 2004, I was watching the Olympics with my mother and Tiësto was playing there. That was the first time I got in touch with electronic music, the first time I actually saw a DJ. From that point, I started saving up money to buy my own DJ set-up, which I bought three years later when I was about 10 or 11-years-old.

2 How would you describe your current sound? And who are your influences?
A: I always try to evolve my sound — innovate, improve, be different but still Martin Garrix. For me, music is about emotion.

3 You’re one of the youngest DJs out there. What do you think worked in your favour?
A: I started from scratch with a lot of hardwork and commitment. It’s really great to start this way — go from smaller clubs to bigger clubs.

4 Your most challenging collaboration?                       
A: Ed Sheeran. It was a challenge for Ed and I to combine our roles and find a middle ground. He is super talented and super humble.

5 Who do you want to collaborate with?              
A: Pharrell Williams

6 You’re right now being touted as the #1 DJ in the world…
A: It’s weird because I’m ranked higher than my idols like Tiesto and Calvin Harris. It’s a great honour to win something like this at only 20.  When I saw my name at No. 1, I just went crazy!

7 Who in your family is your biggest fan?               
A: My parents. It’s very important that they join me a lot on tour, because they were already supporting me before everything went crazy like this.

8 How do you unwind?
 A: I sleep.

9 Do you get time to spend all the money you make? What do you spend it on?  
A: I don’t make music for money. I’m busy making people happy.

10 Have you heard of Bengaluru before?            
A: I know that there’s about five million people living there and that’s almost 1/3rd of everyone that lives in my home country Netherlands! I’m excited to play at Sunburn Arena.