We sat down with one of Columbia’s leading DJ’s Martin Trevy, who’s a fast-growing force within the electronic scene. He’s widely recognised for his emotional, danceable and catchy melodies which have received support from industry tastemakers including Tiësto, Sam Feldt, Lost Frequencies, Nicky Romero, and Alok. The multi-talented Columbian-Italian artist recently released his brand new single ‘Love For You’ which flexes his ability to produce, sing and craft poignant lyrics, creating an emotive progressive house anthem that was met with acclaim from fans and industry heads alike.
We managed to chat to him about his origin story into electronic music, his production process and what’s in store for the talented artist for the rest of this year.
Hey Martin, thanks for taking the time to chat to us today!
- How did you first get into producing?
Since I was a kid, music has always been one of my passions. I started playing piano when I was 12, but got into producing later after going to a concert of Dash Berlin. When I saw him on stage I knew I wanted to do exactly that. Something clicked inside me showing me the way. That night I went into YouTube and searched ´how to make electronic music´. Ever since then, I have been hooked.
- How would you best describe your sound?
My sound is characterized for being catchy, euphoric and emotional. I am also the vocalist on my songs so it’s definitely something unique that I enjoy.
- You’ve just released your new single ‘Love For You’, a beautifully emotional progressive track. What was your inspiration behind the piece?
‘Love For You’ is a musical testament to the profound connection and attraction between two souls. The chorus was something that was in my head for a while now, but I was waiting to find the right song for it. Since there are many shows coming up, I wanted to make a high energy tune that could be played at clubs and festivals.
- Along with the production of the track, you also recorded your own vocals for it. What came first for in the song, the vocals or beat?
What comes first is the melody. I hum the melody and at some point it just ´feels’ right. Many times I have already said a couple of words here and there and it becomes a puzzle trying to find words that go well together. To break things up, I do have some days that I just make instrumentals since they can be very helpful on writing camps etc.
- What about you, were you a singer/songwriter or a producer first? Do you play any other instruments?
I learned to play the piano first and later became a producer. Starting out, it was very hard to get vocalists on my tracks. That was one of the reasons I decided to learn how to sing and later be the vocalist on my records. It has been a very exciting ride, I think it´s always important to keep learning and evolve as an artist.
- Can you talk us through your production process in general? Does the magic happen solely in the studio? Do you follow the same structure in that one part of the song comes first?
Actually most of the time the magic happens outside of the studio. For me, the most important thing is to have a memorable, emotional or catchy melody. I get most of the melodies during walks, doing exercise or just being outside. That´s why I always have my phone to record voice memos. I usually get a couple of them recorded per day. When I know a melody or idea is good, I get into the studio and turn it into a song.
- Do you have a specific environment in your head when producing, such as creating tracks that work on large speakers for festival crowds and events?
I definitely have this on mind but try to flow with the creativity. If on the day I am flowing more with festival tracks, I go towards that. With creativity most of the times, it is not what you want but what the song itself wants. I believe we are just channels of songs wanting to be manifested.
- Where do you find most of your inspiration?
Life itself is my inspiration. I can get inspiration from everything such as a conversation with a stranger or after sitting in silence. I try to be open to be on a ‘receiver´ state most of the times.
- What are your studio essentials? This could be anything from production equipment to essential studio snacks.
After some years producing I can say I have a spending habit on VSTS, I love them haha. But to be honest you don’t need much, you can make the next hit with stock plugins. I am a big fan of the UAD plugins. I think no other company has been able to replicate their analogue sound. For synths I mainly use Serum, Diva and some Arturia stuff.
In the studio, I like to have essential oils near me. They help me get into a more relaxed mood. Lavender oil is great.
Finally, what’s the rest of the year looking like for you? Any exciting projects or events to look forward to?
Wow, a lot of stuff actually. On September 20th, I had my Ushuaia debut at the Tomorrowland event supporting Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike. We have a Latin America Ultra Music Festival tour going on in October and November later this year. At last, a lot of new music. We have 2 EP´s lined up and big collaborations on the way!
