With a number of festivals already on our list to attend, it's always good to catch up with DJs that we will see throughout this year. We caught up with DJ/Producer Martin Jensen to find out how he turned his love of music into a career, how his production background assists him when he is in the studio or about to perform, who he has collaborated with and his latest release with Days Like This with Jay Sean.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with music?
MARTIN JENSEN: From a very young age, music was always around me and playing in my home growing up. I never knew what direction I wanted to take – if it was in the industry behind the scenes or even being a DJ or lighting engineer or whatever – was doable. It was only when I first started playing smaller parties that I really got the bug.
AM: In terms of working in the music industry, I know that initially you thought that you would be behind the scenes in terms of lighting engineering and stage design; however, what made you decide that you wanted to DJ?
MJ: That is true! I think it was just a passion for the music, that is something you can’t bottle or capture, only try your best to communicate through your music, whether that be in person at a party or through your productions that people can enjoy. I originally went to go into my fathers family business to work, so taking a step back from that to pursue music as a full-time career felt a little challenging at first but if anything, it made me strive to want to succeed even more as I knew I had the self-belief.
AM: Because of your production background, how involved are you in the design of your show in terms of aesthetics?
MJ: As much as I can be! I always have the final sign off on design, my logos, my press shots, how I want a live show to come across from the concept to the finished product.
AM: How do you describe your sound?
MJ: Feel-good, fun, ready for the party!
AM: What’s your creative process like when you are working on a song?
MJ: It really can vary, inspiration can first come from a melody or even a direction of genre that I want to go in – I might want to go big-room and bombastic one day, or work with a really cool vocalist or writing partner, and take a more house or radio-ready pop route. Its all relative and I let each bit of inspiration, both solo and with collaborators, guide me.
AM: You have collaborated with Nicki Minaj, ALOK, Jason Derulo and more. Do you approach these creative projects differently than those that are solo?
MJ: With Nicki Minaj it was a remix I did, but I have worked directly with ALOK and Jason on our track Don’t Cry For Me. Each project is going to be different, not just in sound but depending on each artists outlook, how we individually want to approach it, so yes. With collaborations its important to have your own signature sound present but for every artist to collaborate in a way that’s effective and brings new ideas to the table.
AM: Days Like This was released with you and Jay Sean. Tell us more about this song and what was it like working together on this with him?
MJ: We really wanted this track to be a feel-good, as we say on it “No one can fuck with me on days like this!”, so we wanted people to feel that essence exactly how we aimed to deliver it. Energetic, confident and unapologetic! It was so much fun to work with Jay, he’s a real veteran in the industry and has worked with so many great artists before so to have him jump on the track with a great collaboration.
AM: Tell us about Me, Myself, Online which was the biggest livestream worldwide as well as a mini documentary.
MJ: It was! It was an idea born out of the pandemic as it was originally meant to be ‘Me, Myself, Live’ where we livestreamed shows around the world but obviously, coronavirus put a stop to that. We decided to bring the shows to people online instead, we streamed on Facebook, Twitch and had some super cool brands involved from amazing locations. Our first edition was from the Telia Parken stadium which is the national stadium in Denmark and we were blown away by the response… so we kept going! It’s definitely something we want to continue on in another direction in the future.
AM: Are you working on songs?
MJ: Yes! I have a brand new single out this February with VAMERO and Gibbs called What A Night, lots more will be revealed soon and I’ll also be announcing more tour dates as we move out of the Winter and into Spring.
AM: You were the first judge that is a DJ to be on X Factor’s Denmark! What is it like to be on this show and to see the talent that hits the stage?
MJ: It was a brilliant experience, to be the first DJ/ producer to ever hold the role of a judge also blew my mind, it was such an honor. When it comes down to it though, it's a really crazy concept when you think about it. The music industry is for sure fast paced and for these young talents to go through such a fast process full or pressure is for sure difficult and I see a lot of those come out stronger, but some don’t. It’s a fine line you really have to balance in ensuring everyone can work together in harmony to do the best they can in their roles. But yeah, it was a crazy time for sure.
AM: Critiques are a major part of success regardless of the industry you work in. When you have your judge hat on, what are you looking for and how do you approach telling people what you liked and didn’t like for each performance?
MJ: Being a judge it is not so much about personal taste, its about breaking down the talent, the attitude, the work ethic and so much more of an act. Sure, one judge mightn’t be a huge rock fan, or another pop, another electronic and so on, but to be able to look at an artist on an elevated level as someone in the industry, helps you to then guide them with exactly what they need – even if that might mean good news or bad news.
AM: We’re looking forward to hitting the festival circuit what are your favorites to play at and where will you be performing this year so that we can keep an eye out?
MJ: I’ll be announcing all my tour dates nearer the time as we still have some finalizing to do but my social media is where you’ll be the first to find out!
AM: Do you have any routines that you do prior to or after a show?
MJ: Its not very “rock n roll” but, no! I like to relax, have a beer, think about what direction I might want to take my sound in during the set (depending on if I’m headlining a club or playing a festival, for example), but its important to also let the crowd guide me too.
AM: As someone who is always on the go and travels a lot for what you do, how do you take time for self-care so that you’re taking time for yourself and getting a bit of a reset?
MJ: I like to play sports, see a chiropractor when I can – 'cos it can be crazy on your body touring all the time! – and mostly just spend time with my friends and family, work on music. Just pretty normal stuff nothing too crazy.
PHOTOS COURTESY | Martin Jensen
Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see DROP THE BEAT | Martin Jensen in mag.
