Ahead of his performance in Mumbai, the Dutch DJ and record producer spoke to Mid-day Online about returning to India, dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, being called the No 1 DJ in the world and being open to experiment with Indian sounds
Martin Garrix, who is on a nation-wide tour, returns to India for the first time since 2018 and will be performing in Mumbai on March 8. Photo Courtesy: Louis Van Baar
The year was 2013 and ‘Animals’ was becoming a really popular song not only in clubs but also in college festivals and house parties in Mumbai as people were held in a different kind of trance that kept them hooked. By then, the song had already become popular around the world, and it didn’t take long for people to know about Martin Garrix, who was only 16 years old at the time. Today, he is one of the best DJs in the world and his work speaks volumes.
The Dutch DJ and record producer returns to India for a country-wide tour yet again but for the first time since 2018 and the Covid-19 pandemic. Coincidentally, this year also marks 10 years since he released the song that propelled him to fame around the globe. Over the years, the 26-year-old has released many tracks after ‘Animals’ including 'In The Name of Love' (2016), ‘Scared To Be Lonely’ (2017) and most recently 'Hero' (2022). The two-time MTV EMA winner, who has been ranked as the Number 1 DJ around the world right now, has played at some of the best music festivals including Tomorrowland, Coachella and Ultra Music Festival to name a few.
Garrix comes to Mumbai after starting off his tour in Bengaluru on March 3, followed by Hyderabad on March 4 and Chennai on March 5 before coming to Pune and now Mumbai to celebrate Holi before he heads to Kolkata on March 8, followed by New Delhi on March 11 and finally Ahmedabad on March 12.
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Mid-day Online spoke to Martin Garrix ahead of his performance at the MMRDA Grounds in Bandra. Garrix dwells on his India tour and new music.
Here are edited excerpts:
You have performed at some of the biggest festivals around the world. What makes you keep wanting to come back to India? How does it feel to be back after 2018?
I’m super excited to be back in India. A lot of my most loyal fans are out here and they always give me so much energy at the shows, so I had to come back of course.
Even since you first came to perform in India and Mumbai, do you think a lot more people have grown to like electronic music since you first started out and released ‘Animals’ 10 years ago?
The scene definitely seems to be expanding in India and it’s exciting to see.
Have you been inspired from sounds that you have heard in India, and do you plan on incorporating them in your tracks?
I haven’t made a track with Indian sounds yet, but I’m definitely open to it.
You have been ranked as the Number 1 DJ in the world. How does it feel to receive the title, and do you believe you still have a long way to go?
It’s a huge honour of course, especially since I’m on the list with a lot of artists I look up to myself. It may sound crazy, but I do feel like I’m still at the start somehow. There’s so much more that I want to do and achieve.
You started out really early as a teenager. What advice would you give to aspiring teenage DJs in India today?
Never give up on your dreams. Work hard to create something that you’re proud of and most importantly don’t forget to enjoy the process.
It is impossible to ignore how the last three years of the pandemic have affected people’s lives. How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect you? Did you work on any new music during that time?
In the beginning it was a huge shock of course, but it did give me a lot of time to rest and explore a different part of my creativity because I had so much time in the studio. I do have to say that it took way too long, and I couldn’t wait to get back on stage and perform in front of a crowd again.
What can fans expect from you this year? Will you be releasing new music?
Absolutely. I have been working on a lot of new music. I also have exciting projects coming up that I can hopefully share very soon.
You and Afrojack were recently in the studio together. Can we expect some collaborative music soon?
Who knows…
Also Read: Prateek Kuhad: I was very uninspired during the pandemic
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