.png)
"It’s never been about having the best of everything, but simply making music which has your soul"
Dok & Martin (otherwise known as Victor Salvador and Adrian Martinez) have an honest and raising career. Their musical selection and good judgment has dared borders. Their productions and dj sets are a powerful statement of their no holds barred musical approach. We take the opportunity of their upcoming release: Raw Metal.
Hi Dok&Martin! Where can we find you right now? How did you start off your day?
Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you. We are very well - it is a radiant day, August has been so hot and sunny in Spain!
Are you from a musical family? What music do you remember playing around the house when you were young?
In both our families there are no professional musicians but there is a lot of great musical culture. Our parents spend the 80s listening to music when synths were being introduced to all the songs, and I can remember by Father listening to Queen and Michael Jackson, as well as dancing around the house to compilations like Maquina Total 4!
What was your introduction to electronic music? Was it your first real musical love or were you a keen listener of all sounds when you were younger?
When I was young (Viktor) I went through all the different genres of music. I loved Marilyn Manson with all the synths and samples being so unique. I loved Hip Hop, as well as Eminem and the Spanish artist Violadores Del Verso. It was later on in my teenage years that I discovered Trance and Progressive music, and then started to buy some of my first vinyl records and then equipment. That's when we started our journey as DJs. We really love all music when its well done.
In and out of the electronic music circle, who is an inspiration to you and why?
The world is full of geniuses, we are always inspired by the great fighters who come from fighting against the wind without surrendering, such as Steve Jobs, the genius Nicola Tesla or if we are talking musically then our dear friend Andres Camp. He has reinvented himself and has always fought without surrendering. It's all about attitude, no matter what you do, what matters is how you do it.
What is the balance for you between DJing and production? Do you prefer one to the other?
Well, as you say – it’s all about looking for balance. In our case, being a duo means that we can divide tasks and take some of the pressure off one another. We both very much like DJ’ing and producing, they bring different things. Everything related to music is a passion for us both, as well as this interview, as we get to talk about what we do with you!
What does your studio look like? And what type of hardware/software do you like to work with?
Our studio is based on the DAW but would like to be able to add some analog sounds from some hardware synths in the future. As the masters say however, its important to know your tools and be creative with what you have. We believe that no -one needs a huge studio packed with tons of gear to be able to make your music special. It’s never been about having the best of everything, but simply making music which has your soul.
Your new EP is released on EI8HT? Can you tell us a little about it? What did you want to transmit? What inspired you?
We are very proud to be releasing an EP on EI8HT – we have followed what the label has been doing since Andres and Dan started it. We hope this is the start of many more releases to come with them. With this release we wanted to give our most rebellious side I guess and wanted to create a playful sound – I think we achieved it, and are happy with the final results!
What do you admire most about Andres Campo? Do you identify with its sound?
The good thing about having Andres so close is that we have known him for many years, he previously produced more progressive music, under his alias DJ Kuki (which many people may not know!) so we have been following his musical journey for many years. It’s been nice to see how he has changed and evolved. Perhaps what most identifies with us, is his attitude to everything. He has overcome everything, and always come out the other side a positive person.
Spain has been a hotbed for electronic talent for some years now. What key factors would you attribute the success down to?
I think it comes down a lot to how we grew up. Many years ago, electronic music was so important in Spain and even our TV shows and governments were all in favour of it and supported the scene. There were even shows like Musica that showed all the latest music releases on prime-time TV, so I guess this all attributed to us being exposed to it from a young age and provided inspiration. We miss those shows.
Have there been any go-to albums or producers helping you get through the crisis with their music?
Yes of course, we can always be found listening to albums like Plastikman's ‘Exhale’ - an LP that has marked a lot for many and that we admire, as well as a lot of admiration for Richie Hawtin's career in general. We also admire all of the work by Enrico Sangiuliano, who we believe is one of the most important contributors to music today.
What are you most looking forward to doing when the corona pandemic is over?
The only thing we can't do now is play at events as all venues and clubs remain closed. I think that what we want to do the most, just get out and play to a real crowd, see our fans and take all those trips to new and exciting places. We love to travel and enrich ourselves with new cultures as much as possible, and that's just something that might have to wait for some time yet,
What’s next on the agenda for Dok&Martin? What projects are you working on at the moment?
We never talk about our future releases really, as we like to surprise our audience, but we always work on improving our sound, our image and growing both musically and personally. We feel it’s also important to stay current, with all the latest acts, news and trends, whether we are all at home during lockdown or not.
Do you have any final words of wisdom?
The most important thing is not to abandon your dreams, never let anything influence your thoughts. Do sport and take care of yourself and the people around you. Life is attitude, it’s every thought – so try to never think in a negative way. We have to ensure the scene and its young producers all have a positive and encouraging future.
Comments