The Nocturnal Times Exclusive Interview: Morten

Morten sat down with The Nocturnal Times for an exclusive interview

Morten Breum—known by electronic dance music (EDM) fanatics as Morten—hails from Denmark and is now living in Los Angeles. Inspired by acts such as Daft Punk, Justice, Prodigy, Deadmau5, and Eric Prydz, Morten exploded onto the scene when he headlined Sensation in 2009.

DJing from the young age of 13, Breum His debut album Drop!, which included the smash single “On It,” reached platinum status and #1 on the Danish charts. Leading to nightclub gigs at some of the world’s most sought after venues, including: LIV (Miami, FL), XS (Las Vegas), Lavo (NY), Pacha (NY), Avalon (LA), Ushaia (Ibiza), Insomniac’s Audiotistic Festival (USA), Wall (Miami), Golden Cut (Hamburg), Asphalt (Berlin), Rose (Stockholm), Hollywood Club (Milano), Palm Beach (Turkey), and Ministry of Sound (London), among others.

Find out more about dream collaborations with Jay Z and Rihanna, playing the flute, his new single “Body Down,” and where he sees himself in five years, in this Nocturnal Times exclusive interview with Morten.

THE NOCTURNAL TIMES: How old were you when you decided to get into music as a career?

MORTEN: I started DJ’ing when I was 13 years old, in a youth club in Denmark. I was DJ’ing for a long time before I knew it was going be a career. I always dreamed about it when practicing, but it was not until my early twenties and I had my first hit in Denmark and I knew this was my path.

What artists are your inspirations, both past and present?

MORTEN: I grew up listening to West Coast hip hop, like NWA, Tupac and Dr Dre, I always loved that vibe, but at the same time Bob Marley always been there as well. Later when I got into house music I was really inspired by guys like Deadmau5, Eric Prydz. Then as things progressed I was very inspired by how David Guetta brought every electronic genre together and made it work on a commercial level.

Do you play any instruments?

MORTEN: Yeah, I actually play the flute! My dad used to play piano so we played a lot together, but I really don’t like the sound of the flute to be honest. I also play the drums. I got my first pearl drum set when I was eight years old.

Are there any artists you wish to collaborate with in the future?

MORTEN: There are so many, but to collaborate with Jay Z or any of these hip-hop legends still killing it would be amazing! Or Rihanna, where you at girl??!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given thus far as an artist?

MORTEN: Probably to not to give up, keep dreaming and be patient. It’s also important to think internationally and not limit your aspirations. Today music travel across borders faster and easier than ever before through the internet.

We really enjoyed your single “Beautiful Heartbeat” with Frida Sundemo. What can you share about your experience developing the track?

MORTEN: Thank you so much. I’m happy to hear that, The process of getting Beautiful Heartbeat released was a long process. My manager Nima and Ash from At Night worked really hard to make it happen the way it did with the remix package and all that. I actually started creating the song five years ago in Denmark. I sent the instrumental to Axwell, who really liked it and sent it to Frida, who then agreed to sing on the record. I love what she did, I could not have ask for a better and more beautiful vocal for the track.

Many fans have been anticipating the release of your new single, ‘Body Down,’ which comes out in April. What insight can you give us about it?

MORTEN: To me it’s a beast! If you listen closely you can hear where we got the inspiration to the melody from. I think it’s a fun release and I’m happy to be back with a powerful release that really get’s people moving, I’ve been playing a lot in my set’s and the response has been massive, so I’m super excited bout it.

Any ideas or plans for an album in the future? What do you see in store for you in the near future? 

MORTEN: I have not really thought about an album to be honest, I’m working on so many projects now, so for me it work’s better to release one track at the time. In the nearer future I want to focus on Body Down, as this feels like a big one for me.

What’s one place you haven’t traveled to yet and wish to tour?

MORTEN: I’ve never been to Asia, but I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the place. I really want to go!

How was your experience playing live for the first time? What can you recall about your first ever show?

MORTEN: I can’t remember the first show, but I remember enjoying it as much then as I do now. Being able to connect with so many people behind the decks is an amazing feeling. It doesn’t matter if there’s 500 or 50,000 people in front of you, there’s this connection that you don’t really get from any other experience.

Seeing as though you started producing from such a young age, what advice would you give to to fans who aspire to follow in your footsteps?

MORTEN: Work hard and work for something you are passionate about. When you love what you do you naturally put your soul into that work without even thinking about it. Self belief is also very important. It’s not just about validation from other people.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

MORTEN: Touring the world, including Asia 😉 Thank you guy’s for having me!

Morten is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.