Another new entry joins the Top 100 DJs poll, this time hailing from Norway. Martin Tungevaag — known by just his surname to his legions of fans — has been a household name in Scandinavia since 2014, when he first broke through with his Kontor Records-released hit ‘Wicked Wonderland’ and follow-up ‘Samsara 2015’ — the latter of which topped the charts in Finland and came close to doing the same in Norway and Sweden. This earned him nominations in the Spellemannprisen and Grammis (the Norwegian and Swedish equivalent of the Grammy awards). ‘Samsara’ was produced together with Swedish artist Robbin Söderlund under the moniker Tungevaag & Raaban, and Tungevaag went on to collaborate with his own countrymen Alan Walker and K-391, with whom he put together the 2019 rework of Mangoo’s millennium smash hit ‘Eurodancer’ — now called ‘Play’.

“I have been as creative as possible, shot some music videos, made a lot of new music and spent much time with my family,” says Tungevaag, when asked what he got up to in 2020. To cap all that off with a placement in the Top 100 certainly can’t be a bad thing.

What three things have most helped you through Coronavirus Lockdown?

“Family, FL Studio and my headphones.”

 

What lessons should the industry learn from this crisis?

“Think about creative solutions and to always have a backup plan.”

What steps need to be taken to address the racism in the dance music scene?

“The dance music scene, as with every part of society, has to play a role in making everyone feel included. Us DJs need to address the topic openly and communicate the values of the dance music industry, which always have been about including all people no matter what background you might have.”

What industry changes are you personally pushing for to make the dance music scene more inclusive?

“I make my fans feel they are part of this journey with me and that nothing is impossible to accomplish.”

 

What’s the greatest dance music track of all time?

“Eiffel 65 ‘Blue (Da Ba Dee)’.”