With four consecutive chart-topping hits on Beatport, and being added to the ranks of 1001 Tracklist’s Top 101 producers of 2020, Marten Hørger has established himself as one of the most prominent acts in the global Bass House scene. Having won multiple awards, he is widely known for his unique Brand of Festival friendly, Feel Good Bass House, and is now officially one of Beatport’s Top 10 most successful Bass House artists of all time.
Marten has also become one of the artists to have launched their own NFTs. He announced his next release ‘Trust’ as a part of a crypto art piece along with a special cover art and animation on rarible available exclusively for the highest bidder. The track features his own voice as the lead vocals and you have the chance to place a bid to get the only ‘original’ copy of the release.
Check out our exclusive interview with Marten Hørger below.
- Hello Marten, how are you? We are glad to have you here.
Hey. I’m doing excellent. Thank you. Excited to talk to you! - You have just announced that you’re releasing a new song, but there will only be ONE Copy of it. And you’re auctioning it as a part of a Crypto Art Piece. Maybe you can explain to our readers what exactly that is and how these so-called NFTs are working?
When I grew up I loved to collect records and mixtapes. I used to hunt down those rare vinyl copies of certain songs or original tapes of DJ mixes cause owning them made me feel incredible.
And I’m bringing back this feeling… as the 2021 digital version of it.
Imagine it like a crazy rare Vinyl, a collector’s piece that was created just once. And it comes with a sick, one-of-a-kind cover art by ravingraptr (who does all the animations for Tchami’s Confession records). We’re auctioning it on rarible.com/martenhorger. If you win the auction you own the piece and the exclusive, unreleased full-length song that comes with it. The only copy of it.
You can listen to it, play it in your DJSets, in a Live Stream, put it on a virtual shelf, and sell it to anyone you want in the future. As its incredibly rare it will ideally go up in value too. Just like with vinyl the copyright still stays with me. So no one can upload it to Spotify, Beatport etc. Blockchain technology and Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) make all of this possible and 100% save. It’s wild! - How did you come up with the idea to use the crypto network for your branding and what are the benefits for your fans?
I’ve always been obsessed with futuristic things. And this feels like the future to me. I wanted to learn about it. And the best way to learn is by doing! I love the thought of creating something special. To create value with what I do.
Usually, if you have a music file on your computer it feels like just one of many (cause ultimately it is). If you lose it you just get another copy. But if you have something that is unique, rare, and special… and no one but you has it, then it makes you feel all warm and amazing inside. And together with the animation it suddenly becomes a unique and valuable piece of art. You now feel amazing about owning it. And making people feel amazing is what I’m here to do! - Your last EP became your fourth number one in a row to top the Bass House charts on Beatport. Take us through ‘Øut øf the Wørld’. What was the inspiration for the EP?
Haha. YES! I wanted to make a song that works on the dancefloor, and on Spotify but still make it bad ass… and make it sound different to all the other stuff that’s out there at the moment. Most of the song is done with all old school analog gear as well. So it became super crunchy.
- ‘Dead (Marten Hørger Remix)’ was one of your favorite remixes that you did for Apashe. Can you tell us how the project came together?
I met Apashe while I was on tour in Australia a few years ago. It was Christmas and we played a festival together in Perth. I straight away connected with his vibes, music, and personality. So we eventually had to do something together. And yes, it ended up being one of my fav remixes ever. - Can you dive into the production itself? What was your creative process like in the studio?
I’m trying to be super organized with my time so I have this routine where I hit the studio every damn day at 06:30 am. Most of the time is spent on developing an idea. Thats how I start every single project now. Because I learned that whenever I start with a solid idea it turns into something awesome. Filling that idea with sounds afterward is the easy part.
I feel like great ideas will always win over good sound design and solid mixdown & master. - You recently bagged a spot on 1001 Tracklists ‘Top 101 Producers 2020’, as well as a feature in Forbes. How does it feel to be getting global recognition for your music even with the pandemic restricting the live performance opportunities?
It’s amazing and weird in the same way to be honest. When the pandemic started I realized that even if I would be the last person on earth I would still hit the studio every damn morning cause I love it so much. Which is a weird thought for someone who always saw himself first and foremost as a DJ, and not a producer.
Being home so much really helped me to fuel my love for the studio so much more. And once shows are back my live performances will profit so much from all the music I was able to make. CAN’T WAIT ❤️️ - Who are your early influences?
I love classic Dance Music. The big House legends like Armand Van Helden & Mousse T, but also Breakbeat & Big Beat acts like the Prodigy and Fatboy Slim. That whole aggressive, sample-based, upbeat House & Broken Beat vibe is still in my music today. - Where do you see your sound going after this?
I try to constantly evolve and it usually happens gradually and naturally. So I’m not sure where it will go. But I feel like once shows are back I’ll feel like making big, bad bangers 🙂 - Do you have anything special in the works for 2021 as things return back to normal?
I have never had more music ready in my whole life. It’s too early to talk about it but there will be many releases that I’m already really damn proud about. - There are many people out there who are just starting DJing and producing music and are big fans of your music. What’s your word of advice for them?
Routine is everything. Work on your craft every day, even if it’s just a short amount of time. That will give you way better results than doing it in big sessions just every weekend. And don’t give up! Frustration is baked into the process. Feeling it means you’re on the right path. - What do you do in your free time that makes you happy?
Friends, food, books, sleep, and family ❤️️ - We’ve all seen the consequences COVID-19 pandemic had on the music industry. How do you think the music industry will recover and then, evolve? Do you see any major advances in the industry, like technology becoming a bigger and bigger part of it?
The live Industry will come back bigger and better than ever and it will be glorious. People will later refer to this as the golden age of Partying! And we’ll all be proud to say that we’ve been part of it. Mark my words. - This is all for now, thank you for being here and answering our questions. We can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for us in the future to come, and hopefully see you soon at festivals, when the world comes back to normal.
Thank you so much for having me ❤️️
Follow MARTEN HØRGER on Social Media:
Spotify | Beatport | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube |
Image Credit: Marten Hørger (for EDMNomad)
