Interview by Dan Prince
Martin a massive welcome to DMCWORLD, where on planet earth are you right now?
Thank you Dan! I’m actually back in Oslo! Just bought an apartment here and gonna turn half of it into a new studio! Exciting times in other words!
The best piece of new music you have heard since rolling out of bed?
Ooooh tough question! Must be Maggie Rogers – Alaska, Disclosure – Feel Like I Do or Tourist – Run.. Can’t choose! too much good music out there!
You hail from Snarøya, a tiny peninsular in the inner Oslofjord in Norway with only 3000 inhabitants. Not the first place you’d associate with electronic music! But it was hip hop that first grabbed your attention right
Hehe that’s right! And trust me, Snarøya is not the place you would associate with Hip Hop either! But I guess I grew up as a part of the napster generation and got exposed to a lot of influences through that! But my interest for electronic music actually sparked before turned hip hop and then back again! My mom worked as an aerobic instructor in the early 90s, when I was just 4-5 years old. She always made mixtapes for the classes and that’s how I got introduced to Snap, Eurythmics, Mr. President and more!
How old were you when the idea of a career in music start to form in your mind and what were the first steps towards that dream…?
I think music was always a big part of me. I have always listen and discovered a lot of music, and been very eager to share it with my peers. But as a teenager I was actually an alpine skier all the way in the top of my age group, so my plan and dream was always to make it to the national team and represent Norway in the Olympics! However, that’s not how it turned out!
I think the dream of working with music started as soon as I got into DJing at age 16, but it wasn’t before Axwell started playing my first release “The Message” in 2010 I actually thought that this could be my career! Carl Louis and I had just released it on Chris Lakes Rising Music, which was huge by it self, but to have Axwell, my favorite artist, to start playing it, really changed everything.
Your musical allegiance changed when you first heard a piece of Axwell production, what is the story there?
I don’t know if it’s much of a story really, but the first time I fell in love with house music was when I heard C-Mos – 2 Million Ways (Axwell Remix). It was just such a beautiful track. Immediately I was hooked. I just had to find more tracks like that one and I became obsessed.
Exciting times for you right now with the release of your new track ‘Phoenix’ feat. Frøder…please talk us through the history and sound of the tune…
Yes it is! Fantastic to work with Frøder again! We worked together on “The Stockholm Syndrome” which was one of my most successful tracks, so we just had to do it again! With this one, I had actually worked out the instrumental back in 2014, but never found the right vocals for it, so it ended up on a hard drive somewhere and was forgotten about. However, these days I’m actually working on a album, so I’ve been listening back on a lot of ideas and sorting through my music to see what fits together and what should be on the album.. This one popped out right away and I felt it really had something. That’s when I thought of Frøder. We got in the studio and well…I guess the rest is history as the say!
Your track ‘Dust’ has just hit 10 million streams on Spotify. Did you see that one coming when you made it?
I think its impossible to predict something like that! the response on it has been incredible! I never know which of my tracks that will work or not. I think I’m too attached to the work, therefore most of the time I just take chances with the releases. That being said, Astrid S is one the best songwriters I know…and let’s be honest, her voice is pure ear candy.
The general feeling of the record is of ‘don’t fuck with the passion’. Why was this theme important to you when you were making the track, what was flying around your head?
At the time, I was working on the track, I had very low self-esteem when it came to creating music. Carl Louis had left CLMD a year before, and I had released two singles without getting much reaction of them. I felt stuck, kind of felt like I was finished. I had a lot of doubt if I was even good enough to pursue and continue on my own. That’s when I picked my self up and really pulled my self together and decided I wanted to create a track that represented the struggle and the fight to survive, to show there is still fight in me and that I know I can do it. It meant incredibly much to me that the track became what it did, especially on a personal level.
What is the biggest risk you have ever taken in your life?
Getting into music.
What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend…
Eric Prydz – The Matrix
One of my favorite tracks from one of my all time favorite producers! Specially if you like arpeggios as much as me!
Lifelike & Kris Menace – Discopolis 2.0 (Fehrplay Extended Remix)
Dicopolis was one of the tracks I discovered early on, I just simply loved it from the first listen. The music video might have contributed the liking of the track as well. But to have my good friend Fehrplay, put his touch on it, is the perfect way to take it in to the next decade!
Joris Voorn – Dawn (Green Mix)
This is just so classic. Even if its new of the year, it really takes me back to the early ages of house music. Amazing tune.
Yotto – Aviate
Such a nice, warm and dark track! love it!
CLMD ft Astrid S – Dust (Adrian Lux & Savage Skulls Remix)
I sent Adrian a message after hearing his brilliant tune “Torn Apart” and asked him if he would be interested in remixing “Dust” as it was similar vibe in both tracks. Who in the world is better than Adrian, when it comes to acoustic guitar and lovable female vocals? But, clearly Adrian and Savage Skulls had an other idea in mind. I was shocked and surprised when I heard the direction they had taken the track. Most of all, I loved it!
Which famous person would you most like to see play you in a film?
Kanye West! Just because I would love to see him act, specially as a white boy from the suburbs of Oslo, who loves to ski…
I love the fact that you listen to a lot of ambient music and study the way the tracks are created. How do you take on board these sounds/production methods and utilize them with your own music?
I think that ambient music and progressive house (real progressive house, not the Nicky Romero, Galantis, R3hab, Dannic type that Beatport calls progressive), is build on the same structure. It’s all about layering and making the music float. The music takes you on a journey and the highlights feels very natural. The climax sort of slides in, rather than being forced. I love to try make the same for my music, using layering instead of a hundred sweeps and drum rolls into the drop. I want it to feel as natural progression.
What was the reaction of your roomie in Los Angeles when you told him you were covering the Justin Beiber track that he had actually written?
Hahaha I think he thought it was really fun. My version ended up pretty far from the original, so not sure if he got offended or just thought it was cool!
Some of the DJ gigs you are looking forward to this summer?
I’m looking forward to all of them really! I just love to play! However, this summer, I’m doing fewer, since I’m building a new studio. But there’s a bigger tour coming this fall! Can’t wait!
What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given?
Be dumb enough to try, but be smart enough to succeed!
Best Hip Hop song ever made?
Oh wow hard question! I’m gonna go with Kanye West – ‘Fade’, since he samples Mr.Fingers and the beat is pretty housey! And also everyone have to check out Armand Van Helden ft. Common – Full Moon.
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
I’m dropping a new release on Armada/Trice in July! Keep an eye out for that! And also trying to finish this album…
