Martin Garrix: First Things First

First Venue You Performed At?

P60 at Amstelveen – that’s my home town. It’s a really small club and there were these teenager parties. In America – Pacha! It was great.

Growing up, your first favorite artist you can remember?

Tiesto.

First time you heard Animals on the radio or club?

We were in the car and we were listening to a radio station, Radio 538, and suddenly my friends like ‘Dude! Your track is a 'Dance Smash!’." Out of nowhere my WhatsApp started blowing up so we switched to the radio station and then we heard it was the ‘Dance Smash of the Week’. For me… I was like ‘Holy Shit! I’m getting played on the radio’… I’ll never forget it!

First album or record that you bought?

That is something I’m not happy about [laughs]. At that time it was really fun – Dragostea Din Tei ‘O-Zone’ (The Numa Numa Song). When I bought it actually I was so happy with the CD. You’re probably going to use a sound byte of that or something [laughs].

First piece of equipment that you purchased?

A guitar… Just a normal guitar and the first electronic equipment that I bought was this CD player. It was really one of the cheapest DJ settings – it was cool.

The first record you released under Martin Garrix?

That’s a remix I did for a friend… I think two years ago now. I don’t like the remix at all. In the beginning all my tracks were for free and the track that really got me in touch with the bigger Dutch DJ’s and Spinnin’ Records, was bootleg I did of Enrique Iglesias’ ‘Tonight’.

First major recording artist you are hoping to put something out with?

I’m working on a track with Usher. It’s going to be my first vocal track and it’s going to be kind of like a club record with more of a festive melody.