Martin Solveig on Madonna: " I’m a bigger admirer after having worked with her than before"

From releasing radio megahit “Hello” to working with Madonna, DJ Martin Solveig discusses success and more ahead of November 15 Sandance performance. 

You might not know his name yet, but you’ve likely let his sounds into your home on more than one occasion. Returning to the UAE after a five-year absence with his electro-pop mastery is DJ Martin Solveig, the down-to-earth fellow behind radio megahit Hello featuring Dragonette, and Madonna’s last album release, MDNA. “I’m really pleased about performing a bit more in Dubai,” Solveig told us over the phone, making time for tabloid! between filming a music video for his fake brand, Blow, and jetting off to Miami. “It seems that this is going to be a big one.”

Martin Solveig talks to gulfnews.com...

Gulfnews: How was your experience working with Madonna in 2011?

Martin Solveig: "It’s the best experience because it’s a real collaboration. It’s really sitting in a studio for a few months and collaborating on an album. Almost, I would say, a little bit old school: you’re in the same room, at the same time, and you’re working on the same song."

Gulfnews: Was Madonna what you’d expected?

MS: "No. I was expecting her to be a lot harder — a lot tougher on me! I don’t know — she’s super cool. She’s my friend now. We’re still in touch, we talk a lot. It’s great. I’m a bigger admirer after having worked with her than before."