Listening to Martin Waslewski is like taking a journey that blurs the boundaries of electronic music: with groovy tracks, between house and melodic techno, he tells musical stories without saying a word too much and thus always and immediately hits the nerve of the crowd in his sets. To the point! Martin discovered his love for electronic music in 2010 after growing up in hip hop. And so he is now at home with labels such as Bar 25, Get Physical, Stil vor Talent, Monaberry, Exploited Ghetto. But he’s also no stranger tothe international scene -from New York, Bogota and Ibiza to the Amsterdam Dance Event and Sonar Festival in Barcelona – he’s already made a lot of people happy with his music. DMCWORLD dives in…
Hi Martin, welcome to DMC World! Where are we speaking to you from today?
Hello, I am in my hometown Halle (Saale).
For those of our readers that are not familiar with you, could you tell us a little bit about your journey and how you came to be a producer?
I have been a producer in the electronic field for about 13 years now. My roots are in hip hop, I have dubbed and produced it. However, at some point electronic music caught me and I have developed here then now over many years.
Congratulations on the release of your track, Nrgy, coming out as part of Purified Records’ Fragments XII compilation. Can you tell us a bit about this track?
The idea was born during my vacation in Italy in 2021. the track origin was one day after a beautiful thunderstorm and is also dedicated to this inspiring moment.
Have you had the chance to test it out on the dancefloor? What have the reactions been like?
I have been playing the track for about a year now and have always received good reactions. Therefore, I am very happy about the release and that he can now play and listen to other people.
You have released on an amazing array of imprints including Stil vor Talent, Monaberry, Get Physical and more. Do you ever get used to the feeling of having a track signed to these massive imprints?
That’s what keeps me going and I want to continue to prove to myself that my music can make it on other great labels no matter how big they are.
Do you have any advice for up-and-coming producers when it comes to getting tracks signed?
It’s not always easy to get feedback, especially from the big players. But never give up. Sometimes it’s okay not to sign with the big names in the business but to sign with great “smaller” labels and generate attention. But you should definitely be clear. Does my music even fit on this label and please never send your demos to 100 labels at the same time. Pick your options, send them to one first. Give the label time to answer. Please ask again and only then send the track to the next label.
You have played some of the world’s best clubs, but is there a certain place that has stood out to you, or you feel has connected the best with your style and sound?
I don’t have a special place or club. I really love the different vibes. Every club and place is totally different and I like to embrace that. I also just like to not just kind of play and go. I think it’s important to look as well. How is the vibe right now and where can I do something to pick up the people. You should always be flexible. Of course stay in your style.
Are there any venues or cities you have yet to play that you’d like to play soon?
I’ve been to a few places but I have a few places I haven’t made it to yet. London for example. I also still have an Australia tour in mind. I would love to do that. South Africa as well. I haven’t been to Paris yet either, but that wish will come true in 2023. There are still many places that tempt me.
What are the best and worst aspects of being a music producer / DJ?
As an individual producer, it is not so easy to free yourself from the pressure. Pressure inhibits creativity. I also had to learn that with increasing age. It’s nice to see at the end that your tracks are played around the globe. That makes me proud. As a DJ, the travel can be very exhausting and I have learned not to drink so much or at all. It just makes everything more uncomfortable with a hangover.
What is one piece of advice you wish you could give your younger self?
Read your contracts with labels carefully! This has already deprived me of a lot of money. It’s just not good when you are deprived of your wages.
Any last words for our readers?
Stay tuned to see what else is coming. I will release another EP on Monaberry in 2023. Adriatique have signed a track of mine on their label Siamese, also coming soon. I am curious what 2023 still so everything waiting for me. See you on the dance floor
Thank you for speaking to us today, Martin! All the best with the release.
*****
Links –
https://purified.lnk.to/PurifiedFragmentsXII
Facebook.com/martinwaslewski
Instagram: martinwaslewski
Spotify: shorturl.at/bcIS8
Soundcloud.com/martinwaslewski
