Wednesday 13 April 2011

Exclusive interview with Fedde Le Grand

International Dutch Deejay/Producer Fedde Le Grand has been on our radar since his smash hit Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit stormed the charts in 2006.
Born in Utrecht, Netherlands on 7th September 1977, Fedde started Djing with his school friends on their mobile disco, & his passion for the decks progressed from then on.
As well as remixing tracks for big names such as Robbie Williams & Madonna, Fedde produces his own material & collaborates with talents such as Will-i-am, Ida Corr & fellow countryman Dj Funkerman, who shares the same record label as Fedde: Flamingo Recordings.

So can we really get inside the brilliant mind of a Deejay? Well, I set out the questions below & asked Fedde to answer them for us, which he kindly agreed to do. So lets see if we can find out what really makes Fedde Le Grand tick :-

  • Firstly, thank you so much Fedde for taking time out of your busy schedule. I want to ask you about your musical influences. I know George Clinton is one of your big influences for his funk style, but who else has had an impact on you through the years & also are there any new acts that have caught your attention recently?
FLGHiYes George Clinton has always been such a huge inspiration for me. I think another artist who had a big impact on me growing up was Michael Jackson. Such an amazing musician, artist, dancer, singer – everything that he did seemed to make everyone else pale in comparison. I also love artists like Timberlake, Missy Elliott, people that reinvent the way beats are created – using the rhythm as an instrument which I think is carrying on what George Clinton did. For new artistsSkrillex of course it’s dub step but I think his production level and his DJ skills are really good.
  • Put your hand's up was such a phenomenon & had a massive impact on me, & still means a lot to me to this day. Is there a particular song that means something really special to you? 
FLG: It sounds cheesy but Micheal Jackson with Billy Jean one of the simplest but most brilliant songs ever.
  • You have played to huge audiences all over the world. Is it more exciting to you to play to an audience that size or a more smaller, & intimate one?
FLG: I wouldn’t say that it’s more exciting, but it’s definitely a different experience. I love getting into a more intimate club, being right there on the dance floor, sometimes you find yourself merging with the people and the music and it’s like you’re one body traveling through the flow of the rhythm. That’s something very special. Having said all that, when you’re on a main stage at a huge festival and there’s a sea of tens of thousands of people in front of you all going mental as you drop huge tune after huge tune – that’s something that’s really hard to describe, it’s an awesome feeling and it can really blow your mind sometime. I’m playing next weekend *UMF has already happened by the time this was completed* at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami on the Main Stage and then in Carl Cox’s tent and I’m so looking forward to it, it’s just a wild experience, huge amounts of energy coming at you.
  • Music is obviously your passion, but is there anything else that you equally enjoy? 
FLG: I really love going to the gym and keeping fit. It’s strangely addictive plus it’s great getting into shape and admiring yourself in front of the mirror haha ;) But it’s a great way to keep myself focused and zoned and on top of things. I also love to just hang out with my friends and family and watch films and play computer games. But if I’m being honest, there’s nothing like getting inside my brand new studio and getting lost in making music – I think if my manager didn’t drag me out of there I’d probably stay there forever! 
  • I am planning to do a skydive this year & hopefully another abseil to raise money for my favourite charity's. What the most daring thing you have ever done? Or do you prefer to keep your feet firmly on the ground!
FLG: Wow, I’m impressed! I’m not much of a dare devil, but I just recently played in a hot air balloon 1km above ground for WarChild, maybe not the most daring but it was definitely spectacular. But while you’re on the subject of charity I thought it might be a good opportunity to mention my favourite oneIf you have chance, check out the Dance 4 Life organization. There are a lot of DJs who are part of the scheme, including me, which aims to educate young people about AIDS awareness and how to spread that message to their friends and communities around the world. It’s an incredible charity and well worth you having a good look at to see the work they do. 
  • Missing was a massive success for you last year (congrats) & I love both your remix & the original by Everything but the girl. How do you decide what classic track you are going to remix? Are they favourites of yours or do you just have a gut feeling about them?
FLG: Basically, most of my remixes that get released are actually just ones that I’ve done for myself to play in my sets. I have a pretty eclectic taste in music and there are lots of tracks that I think, I’d just love to drop that one after this track, and that melody would work really well here, or that would just explode after a breakdown. But with most tracks, the way they are originally, there’s no way they would fit with the music that I play. So I take the tune and then remix it so it’ll work with the music I play out – and of course I make sure it’s a banging remix in its own rightThen sometimes the artist or the record label who own the track like my remix and agree to let me release it which is always a real compliment for me as a producer. 
  • When you get any spare time to yourself, when you are not touring or working in the studio, what is your most favourite thing to do? Hanging with friends? Going out for dinner? Maybe catching a movie or going to a concert?
FLG: Yeah definitely hanging with friends. I travel so much around the world – pretty much every weekend I’m away somewhere and don’t forget that it’s not just the gigs that I spend away, it’s all the traveling there and back as well that all adds up. So whenever I’m home and have any free time I like to remind my friends and family what I actually look like! ;)
  • If you were stranded on a desert Island & only had one item (something you just cannot live without) what would it be?
FLG: My laptop with iTunes on it so I had all my music, and all my production programmes so I could keep on making my own. Obviously the laptop would have an eternal battery so it would never run out! Failing that, I’d take a mobile phone so I could call home and get rescued ;) 
  • I have had a heated debate with Laidback Luke on Twitter about who is the best superhero, Batman or Spiderman. He says Spiderman, I say Batman. I think you agree that it's definately Batman don't you? If you could have any super-human power what would it be & why?
FLG: Haha! Well everyone does know that Luke loves his superheroesI’d have to side with Luke to be honest, Batman is cool of course but how much cooler would it be to be able to walk on walls and ceilings and shoot web from your wrists so you could swing from place to place. “Your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman he’s got humour.If I could have any superpower? Hmmm. I know it’s quite common but I’d really like to fly.
  • And lastly, my son Cj (8) thinks Djing is cool! What advice would you give to the next generation of budding deejays?
FLG: Well CJ is obviously an intelligent guy ;) I’d just tell him to do it for the love of the music above anything else, if he wants to do it as a job then he’ll have to work very hard and be prepared to give a lot up to chase his dream, and I’d also tell him to listen to as much music as he can from as many different genres and eras as possible. There’s so much good music out there, it’s not just about the top 10 tunes that are big at the moment so don’t limit yourself. 

Editors note: Fedde you let me down! Batman rules lol! See video for confirmation that you liked Batman better ;P (Pacha interview 2008). Seriously though, thank you so much for answering my questions, and I commend you on the balloon stunt....it looked so exciting, & of course all in the name of a great charity, so well done to you & Erick E!
Good luck with all your future projects. I for one will be there every step of the way =)

And here's some stunning pics of Fedde & Erick in the Hot air balloon for Warchild :-



Check out Fedde's new track 'Control room' :- 
 

2 comments:

  1. Amazing! Fedde comes across as a really down to earth guy with a gr8 sense of humour =)

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  2. Fedde The Boss! :)

    ReplyDelete