photo given by Jeff Martinez

By Nick Thompson (Whetstone Staff Writer)

Junior Jeff Martinez is a Physical Education major by day and an up-and-coming club DJ by night. Wednesday night to be exact.

In the fall of 2011 Martinez aka DJ Starstruk began his first residency as an in-house DJ at the Loockerman Exchange.

During his first night on the job he was unsure as to whether he would perform well.

“There was another DJ that opened that night up and I went on after him,” said Martinez. “I was nervous at first, but then I calmed myself down. Then a little while into my set, I really got into the groove and the crowd just went nuts.”

While the LEX may be his first consistent gig, Martinez has already been DJing at loft-parties in New Jersey for five years.

“I hang around a lot of DJ’s and producers, spending late nights in the studio or at their shows, so I just kinda naturally fell into that life,” he said. “And I got my DJ name from a friend of mine. I know everybody back home so he said I was a star, hence the name Starstruk.”

Martinez said he does not discriminate when it comes to music.

“I play a little bit of everything in my sets,” he said. “I play a lot of hip-hop, dubstep and this new genre called moombahton, which is basically Spanish music mixed with house.”

For him, performances are all about pleasing the crowd.

“My favorite part is watching the way the music I play controls people,” he said. “People get wrapped up in the sounds and it’s like helping them escape reality for a little while.”

In the future he wants to produce his own music with programs such as Abelton Live.

“In five years, I want to be making music, DJing and trying to take myself to the next level,” said Martinez.