Martin Gerard Garretzen (Amsterdam, 1996) is a global megastar of electronic dance music (EDM) and at only 28 years old has been crowned the world’s best EDM DJ thanks to his enormous talent for creating songs with beautiful lyrics and excellent harmonies, his handling of technology and instruments, his impressive staging, his vibrant way of playing music and remixing songs, and his collaborations with world-famous artists such as Bono and The Edge of the group U2 or solo artists such as the American Usher, the British Dua Lipa, the French David Guetta, among other number 1 in his genre.
This summer, Garrix celebrates at the famous megaclub of Platja d’en Bossa Ushuaïa Ibiza his tenth year of residence every Thursday of the summer, with a show designed especially for this commemoration, called ‘X’, which summarizes his musical career and brings outstanding innovations in production with lush cinematic projections, psychedelic, special effects chain synchronized to the minute with lasers, pyrotechnics, dazzling effects …. This celebration of his residency at Ushuaïa Ibiza presents a grandiose show based on his greatest hits, remixes of famous EDM songs and new songs for two hours of intense, frenetic and vibrant dance music.
Perched on his original stage ten meters off the ground, the world’s number one, according to DJ Magazine, keeps the audience on their toes, chanting his songs and dancing to his spectacular show of incredible visuals and mesmerizing lighting that leaves fans and attendees in awe.
“There is no place in the world like Ushuaïa, every show is an experience”
Martin began twelve years ago to DJ as an opening act for David Guetta and Avicii and his first international show was in 2012 on the island. Since then he has grown as a global artist to become number one in the world alongside another Dutch DJ, Armin Van Buuren. His work as a producer has also been remarkable and increases with the years and experience in collaborations with great world famous artists such as U2, Dua Lipa or Usher. He has his own record label, STMPD Records, and shows the life of a dj behind the scenes and on a personal level with a documentary series called ‘The Martin Garrix Show’ in which he shows the dedication and effort that moves each show: “I always dreamed of sharing my experience and travels around the world with the fans and this series recapitulates the most special moments of the last ten years of concerts and massive festivals around the planet,” says Garrix.
Another of the virtues of this global EDM superstar artist is to bring new initiatives and original experiences to the world of electronic music, such as live streaming from a boat in motion through the canals of Amsterdam at sunset accompanied by dozens of boats playing ‘Higher on Life’ in the Martin Garrix Live on Dutch Waters or celebrating the 5th of May, liberation Day of the Netherlands, for the city that adores him or celebrate his birthday in his Amsterdam penthouse with a big party that included a big stereo and even fireworks.
An EDM superstar
How do you rate your ten-year residency at Ushuaïa Ibiza?
It’s been an incredible 10 years of residency. There is no place in the world like Ushuaïa, every show is a new experience. With this summer’s ‘X’ show we present a concept that pays homage to a decade of explosive performances, euphoria on the dance floor and key moments in my career. It’s surreal to be in such a spectacular and ironic club, it’s very special to perform there, I feel a lot of adrenaline and excitement every time I step on this iconic stage.
Close-up of Martin Garrix and two moments of his performance at Ushuaïa Ibiza. | 19659010]What has changed in music in this decade?
There were less cell phones, people in general were dancing more, I didn’t have my own night or residency as I was opening for Avicii’s party. I like both eras because they have been my evolution as an artist. The production now is incredible with a remarkable advance in visual effects, sound and staging.
How is your world tour going?
Today I’m in Ibiza and tomorrow in Las Vegas, it’s something incredible, I have a lot of shows and travel, but I’m so excited that it’s worth it. I like to play new music and try innovative ideas and mixes. I have to travel a lot but I like it. The show we are presenting in Ibiza is very different from all the others, it’s a stage designed exclusively for my performances at Ushuaïa, which is an added motivation.
What do you like more: festivals, clubs or other kind of parties or entertainment?
I like festivals a lot because of the production, the fireworks, the audience is different, but also clubs because you can play longer and more varied sets. I’m interested in any kind of performance in front of the public.
The day of the King of Nederland’s holiday you throw a super party in Amsterdam, last year it was spectacular in your penthouse with fireworks included.
It’s a very special day in Nederland and in the city of Amsterdam because everyone is partying, on every corner there is an event or a performance and it’s a lot of fun. On that day I have a party at my house with friends and guests, with music and fireworks.
Is EDM evolving as a dance music style?
The last few years it has become more spectacular. I personally prefer music with more groove, emotion, melody and vocals. There is a part of electronica that I don’t like so much but in today’s global dance music scene there has to be everything, I do my thing and everyone does theirs. There is a part of electronic music in general that catches my attention, there are collaborations, which makes it very varied.
How do you define your global show?
It’s like a concert, almost all the songs I play are produced by me. I am a producer as well as a dj. I try to keep a fast pace for two hours and make the audience vibrate with a very high energy. My style is more melodic electronic-pop within the current electronic music, with melodies that transmit emotion and there are beautiful songs and more aggressive tracks.
The tenth anniversary show called ‘X’ is an exuberance of visual effects, pyrotechnics, lasers, with a powerful presence of the artist. | FTHE NIGHT LEAGUE
Why don’t people dance well anymore?
I don’t think people don’t dance like they used to because I’m recording, but in my show the audience dances a lot. It’s a new experience and there may not be as much enthusiasm for dancing.
How do you see the future of electronic music in general?
There are great producers like Fred and pioneers like David Guetta, Tiësto or the now legendary Daft Punk. The fact that so many artists are collaborating together with the ‘back to back’ format and others means that we are living a unique moment for electronic music. The production is more accessible to everyone, it makes me give my best but also helps other people to do the same.
What projects are you working on?
I’m producing new music, collaborating with different bands as I like guitars a lot and now I’m more influenced by rock. My work in the studio is intense but fascinating, I always do what I feel, with total freedom and experiment a lot.
AI is changing the standard concepts of music and production. Will it change the way we listen and feel it?
Music is about connection and emotions. The use of technologies like artificial intelligence in music is a little scary, but I think it’s going to be regulated in some way, because it’s necessary. People know how to distinguish
between something that is created by a human being or by a technological element, these are interesting times where you have to find a balance to keep the creativity of the artist.
“There is no place in the world like Ushuaïa, every show is an experience”
Where is the future of the music industry heading to survive with platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music and others?
Vinyl is going to come back and it will raise its production even more although it is the opposite of streaming. I don’t really know where it’s going to focus, but I’ve seen how it’s evolved over the last ten years and it’s impressive, who knows how it’s going to change? I wish I could predict what’s going to happen with the industry and music.
What does Ibiza mean to you?
It’s like my home, the place where I’ve spent many unforgettable moments. My parents live here, which makes it even more special and I’m always relaxed. It’s a very meaningful place for me for many things. 19659038]What do you dream of? 19659039]Everything possible. I would like to do a lot of collaborations with great artists and someday do less shows and spend more time in the recording studio which is my real passion.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.