Martin Solveig

Although his early years included vocal performances in the church choir and formal classical training, French DJ Martin Solveig, born Martin Picandet, obtained his first turntables by age thirteen and immediately began displaying his mixing talents to friends. While employed at a neighborhood record shop at eighteen, he encountered the intricate layers of electronic music, which soon led to regular sets at Paris’s leading clubs. Solveig teamed with Bob Sinclar for the 2001 Africanism project, supplying the track “Edony” that became a chart success and prompted him, after completing college, to prepare his debut full-length album. Released in 2002 on his own Mixture imprint, Sur la Terre blended live instrumentation with electronic production and drew on African rhythms, inspiring a subsequent remix of Malian singer Salif Keita’s “Malan.” Shifting direction in 2004 toward American funk and rock, he issued the Jay Sebag–sung single “Rocking Music,” then followed with the 2005 album Hedonist. A third effort, C’est la Vie, appeared in 2008, yet mainstream breakthrough arrived only with his fourth release, the 2011 album Smash. Featuring multiple singles with Dragonette, Smash contained the chart-topping hit “Hello” with the Canadian group, whose popularity drew the attention of Madonna. She invited Solveig to contribute to her MDNA album, and the pair formed a strong mutual regard along with an intensive studio partnership. After MDNA, Solveig sustained his collaborative output with the 2012 The Night Out EP, the 2013 single “Hey Now” alongside the Cataracs, and 2014’s “Blow” featuring Laidback Luke. He returned in 2015 with “Intoxicated,” a joint release with production duo GTA, and the house-infused “+1” that featured vocals by Sam White. The following year brought “Do It Right” with Tkay Maidza and “Places” with Ina Wroldsen, while 2017 saw the arrival of “All Stars” featuring Alma. In 2018 he released “My Love.”