The Knockturnal sat down with French DJ, singer, producer, songwriter Martin Solveig just moments before he took the stage at Electric Zoo on Friday evening in New York City.
The artist has performed all around the world spinning some of his great collaborations with artists like Madonna, Dragonette and Kele of Bloc Party.
This is his third time returning to Electric Zoo and if you’ve missed his set, you are in luck because it seems he will be back two years from now playing at the hottest way to end the summer on Labor Day weekend.
Have you performed at Electric Zoo before?
“Yes, it’s my third. I come every two years, more or less, which is a nice space. It’s one of my favorite moments in the year in NYC. September is always fantastic, the mood is just perfect. So I’m very excited for today.”
Now that you are here are you going to do anything else like US Open or NYFW?
“I’m on the plane three hours after my set, so yeah I’m just straight back to Ibiza for a huge weekend with a cruise between Ibiza and Barcelona. It’s actually the very end of my crazy summer. I’m starting to slow a lot next week, but this is the last big one.”
You have many collaborations, like Madonna. Are you currently coming up with any other collaborations?
“Yes, but nothing exciting that I can share unfortunately, but yes there is definitely a lot of conversations now. I’m super proud of my last collaborations, one with Ina Wroldsen for Places, and she’s one of the greatest artists that I’ve ever worked with. She is so talented, I love to write songs with her and I really hope I can write more songs with her very very soon. Even if it’s for other artists, I think we make a great team. We have a couple of live appearances in Europe.
Any in New York?
No nothing in the USA, as the track is still quite new, it grows a lot faster in for me in Europe now. But hopefully after, yes.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
“My first thing was to become a diver. I think when I was a little boy I was fascinated by documentaries about sea life and when I grew up I hate cold, I am very uncomfortable in the water, I got bitten by some bizarre fish in Australia in The Barrier Reef when I got to snorkel because I can’t dive. But my aquatic life I think can be summed up by the movie Nemo, that I’ve seen it a couple of times. It’s great, I like that.”
Who do you look up to for inspiration?
There are so many people, I obviously look up to dozens in the music, obviously Madonna, Julian Casablancas, The Roots. I’m a very athletic guy, I am also inspired by sometimes tennis players. I get inspired by everything.
