Do not produce because you want to become famous

Ruslan | Hi Martin! First of all, congratulations on the release of your new documentary with MTV – The Ride! Can you tell us something about the process? How did you guys come up with the idea of doing a documentary with MTV? Why is it called: The Ride? How long did it take to shoot the documentary?

Martin | Thanks! MTV approached me to make a documentary for their music series The Ride. It is called The Ride because it actually gives the viewer a look into the ride of my career, showing the most game-changing moments that brought me where I am today.

Ruslan | In March you released your latest track ‘Now That I’ve Found You’. How long did it take you to make this track? What makes this track different from your other tracks? Can we expect a new album from Martin Garrix soon?

Martin | I am constantly trying to create a new sound and I think ‘Now That I’ve Found You’ really differs from everything I have made before. And yes, a new album is coming this year! You can expect a lot of unexpected collabs, styles and sounds!

Ruslan | You recently launched your own label ‘STMPD RCRDS’, why did you decide to start your own label? What do the letters stand for? What kind of music will be released on STMPD RCRDS?

Martin | The Letters stand for Stamped Records. My dad owns a stamp auctioning company so I wanted to use the word ‘stamps’. We left out the vowels since it looks cooler and makes people guess about the actual name.

Ruslan | We all know that you have a very busy touring schedule. Isn’t it tiring for you to travel to so many different places? How do you recover after a tour or performance?

Martin | It’s difficult sometimes dealing with the jet lags and going in and out of the airplane, but I’m not complaining! After a tour I try to take time off to work in the studio and to hang out with my friends and family.

Ruslan | At what age did your passion for music start? What was your first experience with electronic music?

Martin | I grew up in a musical family, so music was all around me. Before I saw Tiesto playing The Olympics on television I had never been interested in electronic music. After watching his performance, I was hooked! I started listening to trance and then slowly moved to house music.

Ruslan | Are you familiar with Russian Dance Music? Which Russian DJs do you know?

Martin | Arty and Zedd are good friends of mine!

Ruslan |Who has inspired you the most?

Martin | Definitely Tiesto. If I hadn’t seen him perform at The Olympics, I might have never started listening to dance music and would be doing something completely different right now!

Ruslan | A lot of artists argue about how music will change in the upcoming years and which genre or style will be popular. What is your opinion on this matter?

Martin | I like making all kinds of music, for me it really depends on the moment and what song I feel like making. I think music always changes and evolves which is so cool about it. I’m looking forward to seeing new genres and new artists develop the coming years.

Ruslan | Do you recall any interesting or funny situations with your fans during your performances?

Martin | There are always crazy fans out in the audience when I’m performing! I love it when they made funny signs for the show.

Continue the phrase: Music is.. everything to me.

Which city would you call the dance music capital of the world?

I would say Amsterdam since it hosts Amsterdam Dance Event every year, which is still the world’s biggest dance related program.

Which performances have been the most memorable so far?

Closing out the mainstage at Ultra this year was really special. Playing all these new tracks and seeing the crowd reacting so positively to them, crazy!

What would be your advice for young artists and DJs who aspire a career in music, just like you?

Don’t produce because you want to become famous but produce because you love to do it. Keep improving yourself and keep believing in it. Have fun, don’t give up!

Author: Ruslan Batykov
Interpreter: Pavel Molchansky
Photographer: Piper Ferguson