Reading the Room, Not Shuffling a Playlist: Martron’s Take on Live Energy
Martron isn’t playing characters or chasing flash. He’s building connection. Whether it’s with his audience, his collaborators, or the emotional backbone of a track, the LA-based producer has a rare knack for staying grounded while leveling up.
His latest EP, Resurgence, blends cinematic textures and genre-bending energy with a message of personal reclamation—and that same balance shows up in how he talks about DJing. In this conversation with Magnetic, he shares stories from the crowd, reflects on the rituals that keep him centered, and reminds us why energy—not ego—is what really drives a set.
Do you ever think of DJing as something ritualistic or sacred—or does that language feel too heavy for you?
I wouldn’t say that kind of language is too heavy because I find DJing to be a sacred thing.
The way I look at it, DJing is not only an opportunity to perform music but an opportunity to share music. It gives me the same feeling as whenever I kick it back with my friends and we’re all listening to an album together or shuffling through a playlist. It’s a unique bonding experience woven together by a common love for music.
Has there ever been a night where the energy in the room felt bigger than music—something shared, even spiritual?
I remember flying up to Seattle as a special guest for a friend’s set a couple years ago. We had two collabs that we played together, one we premiered that night.
The energy all night was awesome. From the moment I was on stage to when I got off it, it was electric. Seattle doesn’t mess around, they LOVE their music up there and the crowd was so into it. I can’t wait to get back up there again and play.
What do you think people are looking for when they come out to dance—escapism, connection, catharsis?
Everyone’s got their own reasons for going out to dance. I think those reasons you listed are some among plenty of others.
Sometimes it’s as big as wanting to celebrate something, sometimes it’s as small as wanting to change up how they spend a night. Sometimes those nights are the moment that changes a person’s life, like when I went to see Skrillex in 2012 and decided to start producing and DJing because of that night.
That’s what I think is great about dancing and dance music as a whole—it’s infectious and unifying for so many different reasons.
Do you have any personal rituals—before a set, during, or after—that help you tap into the right headspace?
I don’t do it as much anymore but sometimes I eat a banana before performances to lower my adrenaline levels. I used to get really nervous to perform flute pieces in college to the point where my body would start to lightly shake because my adrenaline levels were so high.
The banana trick is something my flute teacher at the time told me about and it’s stuck since. Otherwise, I definitely like to pace around the room and take some time to silently lock in, almost like a football player in the locker room ready to hit the field.
I make it sound so serious, but I always want to have fun and make sure the audience has a good time, and that starts with me being in the right headspace to do my part.
How do you see your role in shaping collective energy during a set?
It’s so important. Anyone can go out and dance to someone’s Spotify Playlist at a house party, for example. That’s all good and fun as a listener. But as a performer, it can’t just feel like a shuffled playlist. To me, you need to be able to read the room and bring the energy—that takes skill and patience.
A great example is two of the best DJs I’ve seen live: Knock2 and ISOxo. The way they both get a crowd to move and keep the energy going is masterful.
Have you ever witnessed something on a dancefloor that made you see DJing differently?
When I was at Hard Summer a couple years ago, I watched as two sides of the crowd, separated by a blocked path down the middle, took an inflatable pool toy airplane and threw it back and forth to each other throughout the set. And of course, the person who brought the plane was dressed as an airline captain.
It’s such a silly thing, but it helped me understand how into these shows people really are. Shows are a place where people come to dance, enjoy the music and their favorite artists, but it’s also a place to let loose and have fun in unique and creative ways with both friends and strangers.
I mean it when I say that dance music isn’t what it is without the crowd and how it’s evolved over the years.
When you look back at your most powerful nights behind the decks, what do they have in common?
Energy. They all had consistent, powerful, and fun energy. I love bringing energy to the decks and to the crowd. I love seeing people connect with the music and letting loose.
It’s so cool watching the visuals and the lights go off, creating this unique and fun world all in this one space. Energy is a massively important part of performing to me and I will always bring it.
