Like any other eight-year-old, Martijn Gerard Garritsen, who was already playing the guitar by then, one day stumbled upon a role model who inspired the musician in him. When Martijn saw Dutch music producer Tiësto performing at the Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Athens in 2004, he instantly became a fan and knew that he too had to become a DJ and thus began his journey. “I remember getting such an adrenaline rush from the music by just watching it on TV,” he shares. Today, 26-year-old Martijn, now better known as Martin Garrix or GRX, is a two-time MTV EMA winner and an artiste who has time and again snatched the #1 DJ position on various music platforms.
The Dutch DJ and music producer arrived on the music scene in 2012 and gained fame after the release of his solo track Animals. The song came out in 2013 and not only became a hit track in several European countries but also made Garrix the youngest artiste to achieve number one position on Beatport, an American electronic music-oriented online store. Over the years, the musician went on to make music with artistes such as Usher, DJ Khalid, Bebe Rexha, Dua Lipa, Tiësto, David Guetta, Afrojack, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Avicii and Troye Sivan.
The young musician took his career up a notch when he headlined the first edition of Ultra South Africa in 2014 and became the youngest DJ to do so at the tender age of 17. There was no turning back for the artiste as he continued to amaze the world with his performances at world renowned music festivals like Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival, Ultra Music Festival, Tomorrowland and Creamfields.
Amidst all of this, the DJ, in 2016, announced that he now owns a record label company through a Dutch TV show and his YouTube miniseries, The Martin Garrix Show. The label titled Stmpd Rcrds was inspired by his father’s stamp auctioning company. The musician released Now That I’ve Found You, as the first song of the label, which features vocals of John Martin and Michel Zitron. That’s not all; he also co-starred alongside British DJ Carl Cox in the EDM-themed documentary, What We Started, directed by Bert Marcus, which premiered at the LA Film Festival in 2017.
Martin, who is well-known for songs like In the Name of Love, Summer Days and Scared to Be Lonely, announced his debut album Sentio in 2022. Spanning 11 tracks, Sentio features numerous big names including Matisse & Sadko, Julian Jordan and Justin Mylo among others as collaborators. Once the dust around his new album settled down, the artiste dropped another big piece of news that no one saw coming. One of the biggest collaborations of his career to date came to be with the cinematic universe/comic giants Marvel. The DJ was handed a task to curate an official anthem along with American singer-songwriter JVKE for their upcoming Marvel Snap video game. The anthem titled Hero went live in December and the track is all about the trials and tribulations of falling in love. The music video offers special animated clips of Marvel’s most iconic pairings like Spider-Man and Mary Jane, Vision and Scarlet Witch and Storm and Black Panther.
Garrix, who visited India in 2018, returns to the country for his most expansive tour ever in association with Sunburn Arena. The Dutchman will kick off his tour today in Bengaluru followed by Hyderabad before heading to Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi. His Indian tour will culminate in Ahmedabad on March 12. Ahead of his India tour, we catch up with the artiste and learn more about what the audience can expect from his performance, lessons he has learnt by being a part of the music industry, his love for Formula 1 and the camaraderie he shares with racers Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Excerpts:
This is your sixth visit to India. Apart from the fans, what keeps you coming back?
For me, it is such a special and unique country. Every time I am here, I get inspired by the people and the culture and also at the shows; there is so much energy and love from the fans. That’s definitely what keeps bringing me back to the country.
Besides your performances, what are you looking forward to from your visit? Are there any places you would like to explore?
My India Tour travel schedule is quite hectic. I will see if I can fit in some visits to landmarks or at least try to stroll around a bit. I love to experience the culture of the countries I visit.
How did you end up becoming a DJ?
It all started for me when I saw Tiësto perform at the Olympics. They aired it on TV and I remember getting such an adrenaline rush from the music by just watching the performance from our living room. After that, I started experimenting with electronic music purely as a hobby. I never thought that it would get me this far.
You recently released Hero in collaboration with Marvel and JVKE. How did that project come about?
Marvel Snap approached us to create a song for their brand-new game. I love exploring new territories with my music and creating music for a game is a different process. Working with the superhero theme we created Hero and I am super excited we had JVKE on the song as well. He is an amazing vocalist.
In the last five years, how would you say your music has evolved?
I always like to experiment and explore when it comes to my sound. I have reached out and tried other styles and genres but there is still so much I would like to discover. It might sound crazy, but I still feel like I am at the start.
Which genre do you enjoy the most?
I don’t have a favourite, to be honest. I like the different dynamics you can add to your set by playing different genres.
What kind of tracks can the audience expect at your performances during this tour?
The Garrix hits will be featured in my set of course, as well as some new music. I always have to make sure I play songs the crowd wants to hear and combine those tracks with some exciting new music.
As a young artiste, how challenging has it been for you to keep up with the benchmark year after year?
Even though it’s a huge honour, of course, my main goal with my music is not to get into lists or charts but to make people happy. I am grateful for all the support I get and to be able to play my music and do shows all over the world.
Besides being a DJ, do you have anything else on your radar that you wish to achieve?
There’s a lot in music I would still like to do. For example, I would love to be able to produce all the music for a film.
What is the one lesson you learnt by being a part of the music industry?
I have learnt that you always need to stay true to yourself and be kind to everyone you meet.
You are seen very often on Formula 1 tracks. Tell us about your love for it and the racers you cheer for.
I love the atmosphere and adrenaline that Formula 1 brings with it. The dedication of the F1 fans is a beautiful sight to behold. I am cheering for my friends of course!
What are some of your other hobbies?
I love sports such as skiing, snowboarding and windsurfing.
Name three artistes who you are following currently?
Vluarr, Nuzb and Citadelle are artistes you should keep an eye on!
What other projects do you have in the pipeline?
I have been working on music for a new series that I am very excited about. And in addition to that, loads of new Garrix music is in the works, as well!
₹1,000 onwards. March 3, 4 pm. At Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru, Kannuru.