Photography // Martin Jensen – press.
The Danish DJ and producer Martin Jensen quickly made a name for himself on the international dance and pop scene as one of the most exciting new acts in the industry. His discography counts multiple official remixes of some of the most popular tracks released by big names such as Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran. Jensen grew up in a small town in Denmark and is now performing on the world’s largest stages and can call himself the most-streamed Danish artist.
The Fade In caught up with the DJ and producer to talk about his latest release, “Running Back To You” – a collaboration with Alle Farben and Nico Santos, his judging debut on the X-factor, and much more.
Congrats on your new single “Running Back To You”! How has the process of creating and collaborating on the track with Alle Farben and Nico Santos been during a global pandemic?
Thanks guys! Alle and Nico are great artists so to be able to collaborate with them was a pleasure – with music, we’re all usually on the road and although we couldn’t connect in person with the current climate and restrictions, we always adapt. When your creative borders and not being together doesn’t stifle anything, we just adapted to create this release differently – a lot of late nights and emails!
Speaking of the creative process, where does your immediate inspiration usually come from when working on a new track?
It really depends but I do like working with vocalists and musicians to get inspired by a certain mood or melody, I like the connection that working with other artists and acts can create. It’s also my own mood and outlook that can really dictate the way a track goes, whether that be more emotional and slower, or more feel-good, even in these uncertain times!
You’ve previously mentioned that you don’t feel DJs receive the same level of acknowledgement compared to other performing artists. Could you elaborate on this, and do you think the culture regarding this is changing, if not in general, then in your own case?
I think people who don’t understand what DJs and producers do can easily jump to conclusions, presuming that we only press buttons or that it’s an art form that doesn’t deserve as much respect or praise as typical musicians that play instruments or perform. Production takes a lot of time, both to hone in your skills and even learn what workstations and hardware work for you before refining tastes and finding your own style – not to mention how much dance music and nightlife (which are at the root of what we do) boost economies all over the globe.
Musicians need producers and producers can have so many pockets of specialty to dive into, so I think respect and acknowledgment for the craft should be appreciated. I think the culture is changing with events, bookers and producers being able to cross over into pop music and really tap into radio, as well as bringing the vibe to parties, so although recognition is growing and there in some spaces for some artists, we really should support producers as musicians wherever they are in their career.
How did you experience the change from mainly being active in Denmark to being acclaimed internationally as one of the world’s best DJs? What was that like?
Haha, thank you! To be honest, I have always had a desire and a passion to make this work as my career as it really is what I love and the fact I get to do this every day isn’t lost on me. The change has been pretty quick in the grand scheme of things but I embrace it and continue to do so, I think it’s important to be humble, surround yourself with loved ones and always have gratitude but it’s also super important to celebrate your own success! I’m super proud of where I’ve come from and how lucky I’ve been, here’s to hoping of many many more years of Martin Jensen music.
You’ll be joining the judging panel for the new season of the Danish version of the X-factor. What’s that role like for you? And what do you look for in a talent?
Oh yes, and I’m super excited! For me, it’s a raw talent that I want to find, someone that just has an electric voice or skill and to help them in harnessing that talent into something creative and impactful – plus, there has never been a DJ/ producer judge on X-Factor before so I’m super stoked to fly the flag!
With live shows being canceled or postponed – what’s next for you?
Lots of new productions, partnerships (more info coming soon!) and of course, music! I, like the rest of the world, cannot wait til we can all party together but for now, I’m staying positive with projects and keeping the good vibes flowing. I released a track with vocalist RANI called “At Least I Had Fun” which I tried to capture the feeling that although we can’t be together right now, at least we can have fun in our own ways!
And with my new single with Alle Farben and Nico Santos, on ‘Running Back To You’, we wanted to bring a positive, feel-good track to our audiences and we hope everyone enjoys the track and finds some energy in it with these times – I can’t wait to hear what you all think!
