[INTERVIEW] Marten Hørger Talks On His New Single, 'Sent From Above', Touring, + More

Not many artists in the electronic music scene have managed to climb to the top as fast as Marten Hørger. After getting off to a great start by forging his signature style of riveting house, Marten has been absolutely crushing it the last two years. With a constant string of releases on prominent labels, from Confession to Musical Freedom, he has collabed with Dr. Fresch, Tchami, and more.

On top of Marten's elite production skills, he is also a master behind the decks. Marten has brought his infectious stage presence and original heaters to flagship events and venues across the world, such as Burning Man, Shambhala, LA's Hollywood Palladium, and Ushuaïa Ibiza. Following up his sold out Stay Fly Tour with BIJOU in 2022, Marten has come out the gate with mesmerizing performances and invigorating releases so far this year. We linked up with Marten to break down these recent ventures and more.

Check out iEDM's exclusive interview with Marten Hørger below.

iEDM: The first time you played in Vancouver it was in a local club with intimate vibes. How did you feel after your performance at Insomnia Festival compared to your Vancouver debut? What does it mean to you to be able to come back to the city and play in front of a crowd that massive?

Marten Hørger: The truth is that it doesn’t matter if you’re playing to a crowd of 100 or 10,000. What matters is the love, the energy. And one thing that I have really felt in this city over the years is the love! That being said, it's amazing to be able to play to bigger and bigger crowds every single time I come back.

iEDM: What were some highlights from your Insomnia set? Which tracks do you think really hyped up the crowd?

Marten Hørger: I loved playing my David Guetta collab “The Freaks” as my intro. Seeing so many people screaming the lyrics gave me goosebumps. Shortly after, I played my new song “Get Real High” with Shift K3y, and it went off. What a moment!

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iEDM: What sparked the idea for the collab between you and David Guetta on your hit single, “The Freaks”? What was your favorite part about working with him on the song?

Marten Hørger: David is a really inspiring guy. I always wanted to work with him, and we ended up making A LOT of music together until we finally came up with the song that was “just right”. That song became “The Freaks”. I loved learning how he does stuff.  

iEDM: Are there any precise sound elements or effects that come to mind when analyzing what makes “The Freaks” a perfect festival anthem?

Marten Hørger: I love songs that are simple but still work. That song is an exercise in simplicity. I love it.

iEDM: What was the process behind creating the vocal in “The Freaks” and weaving it throughout the track?

Marten Hørger: It's my voice. The vocal just came to me while I was sitting in an RV at Burning Man. Waiting to go on stage.

iEDM: What are some major contrasts between how your festival sets and club sets are structured? 

Marten Hørger: They are very similar. Club sets are a bit longer, so it gives you more time to experiment and try new things. 

iEDM: Your latest single, “Sent From Above”, featuring LittGloss and Loud Tiger, is a change in energy and overall style compared to your other recent bass and tech house tracks. What inspired this shift in production?

Marten Hørger: I wanted to make a good vibes summer house song. And “Sent From Above” is just that. It makes me smile every single time I hear it. 

iEDM: What aspect of production when making “Sent From Above” challenged your creativity the most, and why?

Marten Hørger: The “songwriting” aspect of production is currently the most challenging and therefore an exciting part of making music for me. I'm still learning so much, and I got to learn a lot from Littgloss when we worked together too.

iEDM: In “Sent From Above”, how is there a sense of balance between your signature sound and LittGloss’s? What section or progression within the dance tune are you most proud of, and why?

Marten Hørger: I love house piano sounds and spend many hours on them. The pianos in “Sent From Above” are from me. Super happy about how they turned out!

iEDM: There are a ton of festivals and performances coming up for you across the next few months. If you had to pick one, which festival or tour date are you most excited about and why are you looking forward to it?

Marten Hørger: Let's make it two: EDC Las Vegas main stage & Tomorrowland at the second main stage. Deep inside, I'm still that little boy from the countryside in Germany. So playing on those gigantic stages is just so special to me.

iEDM: Where do you see yourself in five years in terms of your project? What long-term goals do you have and how do you plan on reaching them?

Marten Hørger: Without making this too complicated: I want to keep on doing what I love. And I now have the right people around me to make sure I achieve that. I couldn't be more happy and grateful!

Photos Courtesy of Marten Hørger

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