Danish DJ/producer MORTEN, currently living in the USA, has been making waves in the dance music scene for years. His most recent accomplishment is achieving the award for the highest newcomer in the famous DJ Mag Top 100 list at 39. Most of you will know him for creating the amazing movement of ‘Future Rave’ together with the reigning DJ Mag Top 100 no. 1: David Guetta.
Is it the first time you’re visiting ADE this year?
It’s my second time here actually. Last time I was here I felt a bit sick, only played at a Dim Mak labelnight and went straight home after that. So, this is the first time that I really get to experience everything and I’m really looking forward to it all.
Have you heard about ADE from other artists? Do you think it’s important to be here for your career?
Yeah, my brother has told me a lot about it. He has a company in the tech-industry and he came here to meet up with industry folks. Obviously, I always see a lot of DJ’s posting on social-media about the event.
What have you been focused on to get ready for your performance at the DJ Mag event?
In the recent months, I’ve been really focused on creating new music and I’ve been touring a lot as well. I’m super happy to be here and thrilled that the Future Rave movement is doing so well.
We’ve looked into your discography and noticed you’ve released music in several other genres besides Future Rave. When did you actually start DJ’ing and producing and why did you think that would be a nice career choice?
I started DJ’ing many years ago. I did back-2-back sets with a Danish DJ called Rune RK, we created a track together and that became a hit in Denmark. Since then, I started focusing a lot more on producing which made me a pretty big name in Denmark. I decided to move to Los Angeles and there I got inspired by many different genres and my productions were all over the place.
Is there a big difference between the dance market in Denmark and where you live now in the States?
Of course, even though music is a global phenomenon nowadays, the markets are super different from each other. The market also evolves a lot. The music that I’m interested in right now compared to 10 years ago is very different. Every creative period of my career has been bound to a different kind of genre. I want to create what I’m really excited about and that can be anything. I feel that it was important for where I am today that I had to take this creative journey, I’ve made hip-hop beats, pop music and so much more.
We didn’t know you’ve tried hip-hop beats as well, is that something that you sometimes still do in order to trigger some inspiration for a new song? I mean, it’s impossible to feel inspired and creative 24 hours a day every single day, right?
Not really, it was just the creative flow that I was in at this period of my life. When I was in the studio with hip-hop producers like 808 Mafia we focused on creating a sick beat and when we were pleased with it we just released it.
Alright, of course, we need to ask you about your collaborations with David Guetta. You’ve been producing for many years, but David is honestly an industry veteran. Have you learned a lot from working with him?
Yeah, I’ve definitely learned a lot from David. He’s got such a strong musical DNA. When you hear a David Guetta chord progression you can instantly tell: wow, this is going to be a hit! It’s no coincidence he has had some of the biggest topliners in the world on his records, he’s very involved in the production process and all parts of it. David’s work ethic has been very inspirational for me.
Do you have any specific career goals in let’s say the next 5 years?
Well, one of my goals is kind of already coming true, because I’m so happy that the Future Rave movement is growing so well and we’ve been able to inspire other producers to create something with this type of sound. Then again there’s not really a definition of future rave, because the whole point is to keep exploring and challenging yourself to create an interesting new sound. Obviously, I’d love to bring my sound all across the world at the mainstage of all the amazing festivals out there.
What else are you passionate about in life, besides making music?
I got my own clothing line/brand called BBA which I put a lot of energy and time into besides music. Fashion is important to me and I really enjoy putting BBA out there. In addition to that, I enjoy doing fitness, taking care of myself, thai-boxing. In my opinion, living a healthy lifestyle is very important.
Any good advice for upcoming young producers?
For me it always has been key to create music that I really enjoy, so that would be my advice, to focus on some type of music that you’re really passionate about. You can tell that when I perform, I really love the music that I’m playing and I feel that’s very important to get a good relationship with your fans and the crowd when you’re playing at an event.
That’s good advice, thank you very much for your time!
No problem!
Connect with MORTEN:
https://instagram.com/MORTENofficial
https://facebook.com/MORTENofficial
https://soundcloud.com/MORTENofficial