Martin Solveig has sharply risen from being a well-respected DJ, to one of the most formidable producers and performers in the world. His music has sold well into the millions, his music videos are renowned as by far the best in their class and his performances continue to electrify audiences in every corner of the globe. With his fourth studio album “SMASH”, Martin draws us into a world of pure and unparalleled fun…but just how did he get here, right to the pinnacle of crossover dance success? In some ways, the answer for many people is simple, “Hello”. It has singlehandedly become one of the biggest success stories of recent years. What started as a humble club track soon exploded into one of the biggest crossover dance records in the world. It has gone on to sell over 1.3 million copies, achieve platinum status in four countries and the accompanying music video has been viewed in excess of 35 million times and counting. “Hello” catapulted its creator towards immediate stardom, but there are years of work behind the man who made this record. Let’s indulge in L’histoire de Solveig. Like so many, Martin’s love affair with music began at an early age, influenced by luminaries such as Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder and Serge Gainsbourg. His eccentric taste and non-conformist attitude have been the backbone to what he is today – a multi faceted artist. He sings, he produces, he deejays, he acts and occasionally he dances too. Aged 21, Solveig started his own label called Mixture Stereophonic & released ‘Heart of Africa’. The track went on to sell 10,000 copies that offered a clear signal to Martin that a career in music was well worth pursuing. Martin’s first album, ‘Sur La Terre’ released in 2002, achieved critical acclaim and enabled the Parisian to work with Salif Keita for whom he remixed ‘Madan’, one of 2003’s biggest club anthems. The afro-disco bomb as well as Martin’s new funk driven ‘Rocking Music’ both helped to catapult his career to a whole new level. Next up came the Hedonist album, packed with a ream of hit singles such as ‘Everybody’, ‘Jealousy’ and ‘Rejection’, and indicating quite clearly that Martin Solveig had well and truly arrived. His most recent album “C’est La Vie” was his biggest album to date, selling in excess of 300,000 copies and winning fans over from far and wide. In 2009 Martin was presented with two of the most prestigious accolades any Frenchman could hope to win – the ‘Chevalier Des Arts et Des Lettres’ for his contribution to the arts, and the ‘Artiste de Musiques Electroniques de l’Annee’ award at the French Victoires de la Musique – further testament to his ever-growing popularity and truly forward-thinking music style and creativity. As 2010 was in its final months “Hello” became his biggest career landmark to date. The genius creation that is the SMASH YouTube series came to define a new breed of music videos, signalling Martin as a creative force much more powerful than most of his contemporaries – regularly described by many critics as being “in a league of his own”. First came the legendary Roland Garros stadium, then the incredible Stade De France, a rooftop pool in Singapore and upcoming episodes from Japan and Australia. There really is nothing to halt the series from going on to achieving so much more. And this is without touching on the soundtrack that accompanies each episode. Each video is accompanied by snippets of his latest creation, “SMASH”. A modern day masterpiece, bursting at the seams with pure fun, frivolity and all capped off with timeless trademark sounds. Involving the undeniable talents of Dragonette, Bloc Party front man Kele, up and coming UK sensation Sunday Girl plus US whirlwind DEV – it brings Martin to new and dizzying heights. Martin continues to be one of the worlds most in demand performers, whether it’s headlining festival stages, playing intimate clubs or performing on national TV for millions of viewers. Everything he approaches, he does with the same intensity and flare that has spanned his entire career; he has an innate ability to make each and every person in a room feel welcome, invited and free of inhibitions. At the end of the day this boils down to one thing, Martin Solveig is one of the most exciting and talented performers in the world. Are you ready to SMASH?