Martin Garrix facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin Garrix
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Garrix in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Martijn Gerard Garritsen |
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| Born | 14 May 1996 Amstelveen, Netherlands |
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| Years active | 2012–present |
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Martijn Gerard Garritsen (born 14 May 1996), known professionally as Martin Garrix, is a famous Dutch DJ and music producer. He is also known by his other names, Ytram and GRX. He was ranked the number one DJ in the world by DJ Mag for three years in a row: 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Martin Garrix is best known for his popular songs like "Animals", "In the Name of Love", and "Scared to Be Lonely". He has played at huge music festivals around the world, including Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival, Ultra Music Festival, Tomorrowland, and Creamfields. In 2014, he became the youngest DJ to headline the Ultra Music Festival at just 17 years old. He also started his own music label, Stmpd Rcrds, in 2016.
Contents
Early Life and Music Start
Martijn Gerard Garritsen was born on May 14, 1996, in Amstelveen, Netherlands. His parents are Gerard and Karin Garritsen, and he has a younger sister named Laura. Martin showed a love for music from a young age. He started learning to play the guitar when he was 8 years old.
In 2004, he was inspired to become a DJ after watching the Dutch DJ Tiësto perform at the Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in Athens. Tiësto's song "Traffic" especially motivated him. This led Martin to download music software called FL Studio to start making his own music. In 2013, he finished his studies at the Herman Brood Academy, a music production school in Utrecht.
Music Career Highlights
Early Success and "Animals"
Martin Garrix was discovered by Tiësto, who he admired greatly. He began his career with songs like "BFAM" with Julian Jordan and "Just Some Loops" with TV Noise. He signed with the record label Spinnin' Records in 2012.
His big breakthrough came with his solo song "Animals", released on June 16, 2013. This song became a huge hit in many European countries. It made Martin the youngest person to reach number one on Beatport, a popular online music store for DJs. In 2013, he was ranked number 40 on DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs list.
In 2014, Martin worked with other DJs like Firebeatz on "Helicopter" and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike on "Tremor". He also played at Ultra Music Festival 2014, where he showed off many new songs. His first EP (a collection of songs shorter than an album) called Gold Skies was released on July 8, 2014. This EP included his first song with vocals, "Gold Skies", featuring Aleesia. By the end of 2014, he moved up to number 4 on DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs list.
New Sounds and Big Changes
In 2015, Martin Garrix started trying out different styles of music. He released "Forbidden Voices" as a special thank you to his fans. He also released "Don't Look Down" with the famous singer Usher. He even worked with Ed Sheeran on a song called "Rewind, Repeat It".
Later in 2015, Martin announced that he was leaving Spinnin' Records. He wanted to own his music, especially "Animals", which he made when he was 17. He later settled the issue, gaining back the rights to his music released before August 2015. This big change led him to create his own record label.
Starting His Own Label: Stmpd Rcrds
In early 2016, Martin Garrix launched his very own record label, Stmpd Rcrds. He wanted it to be a place for artists to share all kinds of music. His first song on the new label was "Now That I've Found You".
At Ultra Music Festival in March 2016, he played ten new songs, including collaborations with Bebe Rexha and Area21, his duo with Maejor. In July 2016, he signed a worldwide deal with Sony Music International. He said he liked their modern approach to music and their understanding of his vision.
On July 29, 2016, he released the hit song "In the Name of Love" with American singer Bebe Rexha. They performed it live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In October 2016, Martin announced he would release seven songs in seven days, with music videos for each.
On October 19, 2016, Martin Garrix was named the world's top DJ by DJ Mag for the first time. He was very surprised and thankful for his fans' support. He also won "Best Electronic Act" and "Best World Stage Performance" at the MTV European Music Awards 2016. He ended 2016 by playing "Scared to Be Lonely" with Dua Lipa for the first time in Myanmar. The song was officially released in January 2017.
Busy Years: Tours, Collaborations, and Awards
In 2017, Martin Garrix supported Justin Bieber on his tour in Australia. He also released "Scared to Be Lonely" with Dua Lipa, performing it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He became a resident DJ at the popular club Hï Ibiza for the 2017 season.
He released "Byte" with Brooks and "There for You" with Troye Sivan. Martin also became a model for Armani Exchange, making him one of the first DJs to do so. At Tomorrowland 2017, he introduced his new alias, YTRAM (Marty spelled backward). He also debuted "So Far Away" with David Guetta and his solo track "Pizza".
In September 2017, a Dutch judge ruled that Martin Garrix got back the rights to his music from Spinnin' Records. This was a big win for him. He continued to release new music, including "Boomerang" with Brooks and "Forever" with Matisse and Sadko.
Olympic Performance and Debut Album
On February 25, 2018, Martin Garrix performed at the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea. He played his new song "Like I Do" with David Guetta and Brooks, along with other hits.
He released "Ocean" with American singer Khalid in June. In July, he headlined Tomorrowland Belgium 2018 and released "High on Life" with Bonn right after his set. He also released five songs in five days as part of his Bylaw EP. In October 2018, he was ranked number one on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list for the third time in a row.
In 2019, Martin Garrix continued to headline major festivals like Ultra Music Festival Australia and Tomorrowland Winter. He released "No Sleep" with Bonn and "These Are The Times" with JRM. In October 2019, he was ranked second on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Martin played a special set from the rooftop of the A'DAM Tower in Amsterdam for King's Day. He released "Drown" with Clinton Kane and "Higher Ground" with John Martin. In 2021, he released "Pressure" with Tove Lo.
For his 25th birthday in May 2021, Martin released "We Are The People" with Bono and the Edge from the band U2. This song was the official anthem for UEFA Euro 2020. He also released "Love Runs Out" with G-Eazy and Sasha Alex Sloan, and "Diamonds" with Julian Jordan and Tinie Tempah.
In March 2022, Martin Garrix released "Follow" with Zedd and "Limitless" with Mesto. On the same day, he announced his first full-length album, Sentio, which was released on April 29, 2022. All the songs on the album were released as singles before the album came out. Later in 2022, he released "Loop" with DallasK and "Hero" with Jvke for the mobile game Marvel Snap.
Brand Partnerships
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Martin Garrix has worked with several big brands. In October 2015, he became an ambassador for the Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer.
In 2017 and 2018, he was the face of Armani Exchange's Fall Winter campaigns. He appeared in promotional photos and videos for their clothing and eyewear. His song "Game Over" was even used in one of their videos.
Martin also became an ambassador for Axe body spray. In 2018, they launched a special Martin Garrix limited-edition body spray. His music video for "Burn Out" was created in partnership with Axe. He continued this partnership in 2019, with his song "These Are the Times" helping to promote the brand.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
Martin Garrix uses his fame to help others. In November 2016, he held a charity concert in Mumbai, India, with over 62,000 people attending. The money raised helped educate 10,000 children in India through the Magic Bus organization.
In February 2017, he became an "international friend" for SOS Children's Villages in South Africa. This group helps orphaned and vulnerable children. Martin said it was "awful that so many children around the world don't have the support of a caring family." After the Mexico earthquake in 2017, he donated $10,000 from his performance fee at Ultra Mexico.
In February 2019, he visited the SOS Children's Village in South Africa and performed a special DJ set for 100 children. In September 2019, he held a show in the Netherlands where all the money went to the War Child Holland Charity, raising over €270,000 to help children in conflict areas.
His Book
On August 23, 2018, Martin Garrix announced his book called Martin Garrix Life = Crazy. The book features many photos from his career and personal life, taken by Louis van Baar. It was released in October 2018.
Music Releases
Studio Albums
- Sentio (2022)
Extended Plays (EPs)
- Gold Skies (2014)
- Break Through the Silence (2015, with Matisse & Sadko)
- Seven (2016)
- Bylaw (2018)
- IDEM (2024)
Compilation Albums
- The Martin Garrix Collection (2017)
- The Martin Garrix Collection (Deluxe) (2018)
- The Martin Garrix Experience (2019)
Film and TV Appearances
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
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| NCIS: Ibiza | 2015 | Himself | A short comedy film |
| The Ride | 2016 | A documentary by MTV | |
| What We Started | 2017 | A documentary about electronic dance music |
Awards and Nominations
Images for kids
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Martin Garrix at Midsummer White Festival 2013
See also
In Spanish: Martin Garrix para niños
