Some artists grow into greatness. Martin Garrix detonated into it.
One track. One drop. One teenage producer from the Netherlands who turned an experiment into the sound of a generation. If you have ever felt bass take over your body on a festival floor, there is a strong chance Garrix had something to do with it.
Who Is Martin Garrix
Martin Garrix is the stage name of Martijn Gerard Garritsen, born May 14, 1996, in Amstelveen, Netherlands. He is a Dutch DJ, record producer, and label founder. He has been ranked the world’s number one DJ by DJ Mag five times — in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024.
Music found him early. He picked up the guitar at age eight. Then, in 2004, everything shifted.
Watching Tiësto perform at the Athens Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, a young Garritsen felt something lock into place. He downloaded FL Studio that same year and began producing. He later trained at the Herman Brood Academy in Utrecht, graduating in 2013. He signed his first label deal with Spinnin’ Records in 2012 — at age sixteen.
The Sound of Martin Garrix
Martin Garrix built his name on big room house and progressive house — wide, anthemic electronic music engineered for stadiums and festival main stages. His signature style layers soaring melodies over earth-stopping drops and a heart-pounding subsonic pulse that you feel in your chest before you hear it in your ears.
Over time, he evolved. Deep house, electro house, and future bass entered his sound. He did not abandon what made him great. He expanded it. That balance between accessibility and artistry is what keeps his music on dance floors a decade after its release.
Animals and the Rise to the Top
In June 2013, Garrix released “Animals.” It hit number one in Belgium and the United Kingdom. It made him the youngest artist ever to reach number one on Beatport. It spread across Europe instantly and never really stopped.
That single track made him a global name at seventeen. By 2014, he became the youngest DJ to headline Ultra Music Festival. DJ Mag placed him at number four on their annual Top 100 DJs list that same year — a remarkable climb from his debut entry at number forty just twelve months earlier.
Then came the record label dispute. In 2015, Garrix left Spinnin’ Records in a high-profile split over the rights to his own music. He fought back legally. In 2017, a court ruled in his favor, returning full ownership of his catalog. He did not just build a career — he protected it.
He founded Stmpd Rcrds in 2016 as a direct expression of that independence, signing with Sony Music the same year. The label became a creative home for artists across genres.
Collaborations and Discography
Garrix’s collaborations read like a summit of the electronic music world. He released “Don’t Look Down” with Usher in 2015. He worked with Ed Sheeran on “Rewind Repeat It.” He co-produced Avicii’s iconic track “Waiting for Love.” He released “In the Name of Love” with Bebe Rexha and “Scared to Be Lonely” with Dua Lipa — both massive crossover hits. He later collaborated with Bono and The Edge of U2, as well as Khalid and Macklemore.
His debut full-length artist album, Sentio, arrived in 2023 — a more melodic, introspective record that showed a mature producer unafraid of artistic risk. In 2024, he released the IDEM EP, including fan favorites “Carry You” and “Empty.”
His debut EP, Gold Skies, launched in 2014. The five-song Bylaw EP followed in 2018. Hundreds of singles, remixes, and collaborations fill the decade in between.
Festival Legacy and Historic Performances
Few DJs have performed on more consequential stages. Garrix has headlined Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival, Coachella, and Creamfields. He held residencies at Ushuaïa Ibiza and Hï Ibiza. He headlined the first-ever Ultra South Africa in 2014.
Beyond festivals, he performed at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. He was named the official music artist for UEFA Euro 2020, producing the tournament’s anthem for one of the largest sporting events on earth. Every one of those stages is a different world. He owns all of them.
Martin Garrix Frequently Asked Questions
Martin Garrix is the professional name of Dutch DJ and record producer Martijn Gerard Garritsen. He is one of the most decorated electronic dance music artists in the world, holding five DJ Mag number one titles.
Martin Garrix was born on May 14, 1996, in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
Martin Garrix is from Amstelveen, a city in the Netherlands.
His music spans progressive house, big room house, deep house, electro house, and future bass. He is widely recognized as one of the defining voices of modern electronic dance music.
He has headlined Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival, Coachella, and Creamfields, among many others. He also performed at the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony and served as the official music artist for UEFA Euro 2020.
His debut full-length album Sentio was released in 2023, followed by the IDEM EP in 2024. Earlier standouts include the Gold Skies EP (2014) and the Bylaw EP (2018).
Notable collaborators include Bebe Rexha, Dua Lipa, Usher, Ed Sheeran, Avicii, Tiësto, Afrojack, Khalid, Macklemore, and Bono and The Edge of U2.
He has been ranked number one on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list five times — in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024.
His 2013 single “Animals” made him the youngest artist to reach number one on Beatport and broke into the top ten in over ten countries.
“Animals” remains his signature track. “In the Name of Love” with Bebe Rexha and “Scared to Be Lonely” with Dua Lipa are among his biggest crossover hits.
He founded his own label, Stmpd Rcrds, in 2016 and signed a worldwide deal with Sony Music the same year. He distributes through RCA and Columbia.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Garrix
By: Night Streak Staff
Published: May 9, 2026
Updated: May 11, 2026