What were you doing at 18 years old? Most likely, it involved goofing off with friends while trying to prep for college, as opposed to moonlighting as an EDM superstar. Dutch spinner sensation Martin Garrix is no average teenager, however, as the DJ equivalent of Hannah Montana (in a good way) has spent the past couple years killing it onstage before heading to class the next morning.
Among the most prolific names in electronic dance music, Martin Garrix is a lightning bolt of success and fandom, having headlined most major dance festivals around the world. Has any DJ under 18 ever done this? Not likely. Thanks to his omnipresent electro-dance single “Animals” (which has garnered over 500 million YouTube views since being released last June), as well as major mentoring support from Tiesto, the young Garrix is entrenched in the upper echelons of dance music’s most adored figures.
A guitar player from age four and producer from age eight, the international spotlight came in short order once he signed with electronic label Spinnin’ Records in 2012. But Martin’s core inspiration came from Tiesto’s massive track “Traffic,” the catalyst for creating his own electronica sounds.
Gearing up for Miami’s now-legendary Ultra Music Festival, Martin is prepping for his hotly anticipated main-stage set with various appearances at the weeklong Winter Music Conference. It’s a grueling run for the most seasoned veterans, but a teenager’s energy knows no bounds – especially when you’re making unfathomable money and on the receiving end of near-hysterical adoration from legions of younger fans.
