WATCH: Martin Garrix Live at Ultra 2016
It seems like only yesterday Martin Garrix was the 17 year-old DJ with the super awesome and super overplayed smash, Animals. My defining moment of Garrix fandom came in 2014 when he absolutely killed it at his EDC Las Vegas Kinetic Field debut without even dropping the only song anyone really knew him for at that time.
Fast forward 2 years and Garrix is the youngest DJ to ever close out mainstage at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival. Ultra is known as the official preview of festival season — the spot where DJs release their new tracks and the tone for the summer is set. Garrix brought the goods, offering 10 new songs to his set filled exclusively of his own songs, collabs and remixes — something we don’t hear often in EDM performances.
And he wasn’t the only one. Hardwell tried it too with 12 unreleased tracks that translated into a one-note performance*. It’s that juxtaposition that proves just how dynamic Garrix’s sound really is. He’s made a career out of learning from and collaborating with the world’s best DJs and it creates a sound that can stand on it’s own.
Garrix recently split with his label and started his own, giving him complete creative freedom he clearly had a blast showing off. Ultra 2016 was his moment and it won’t be his last — this Animals artist is a straight beast.
*Sorry Hardwell, I still love you. And that new Craig David collab is sick!
By: Desiree Roughton Writer and Rhythm Chaser