The superstar from the Dam…Showing us love…
Interview by Dan Prince
Sam a massive welcome to DMCWORLD…where in the world are you right now?
“Hey guys, thanks so much for having me! Right now I’m in my studio in Amsterdam, dealing with a small hangover after playing a cool gig involving more than 1 shot of Jaegermeister in my home country.”
What was the first piece of music you heard this morning after crawling out of bed?
“Good question! To be honest once I get myself out of bed I always try to listen to new music and I just start playing my SoundCloud stream to check if there’s any new good stuff in there. Cannot remember which track was played first, but at the moment I’m listening to a cool remix of James Bay – Hold Back The River by Ofenbach. Good stuff!”
A great start to 2015 for you with another tune doing major business on the world’s dancefloors. Please talk us through the history and sound of this stunning remake of house classic ‘Show Me Love’. DMCWORLD love that melody!
“First of all, great to hear you guys like the track! Obviously, taking on a huge house anthem like Robin S – ‘Show Me Love’ is risky business because there are a lot of people that might say you cannot touch a classic like that. So when my label first came to me with the vocal and told me I could use it for a track I knew it was going to be a challenge, especially because it has been remixed so many times already in a lot of great ways. For my version of the track I decided I wanted to create something that was completely different from the versions already out there, making it a melodic and emotional dance track instead of a clubby one. Looking back at that decision I feel like it was the right one because a lot of people seem to really like the tune, even people that didn’t really like any of the previous versions and remixes.”
It has been called a “future classic” by many…would you agree?
“Because almost everyone knows the lyrics to the track already, I feel like it’s not really hard for people to get into the track, like it, and perhaps sing along. Combining these recognizable lyrics with a emotional, tropical instrumental tune, I can see why it moves people. The original track by Robin S simply IS a classic and I can only hope for my version of it to come anywhere close to the success the original version had. Fingers crossed!”
You made your debut in Canada a couple of weeks back, Toronto and Vancouver obviously got the full Feldt treatment! How did the trip go, what were some of the highlights…?
“Definitely! Canada was an awesome experience! Cold – but awesome, haha! I played in Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton and all of the shows were great. I especially liked playing at the Hoxton because it’s such a cool venue with a great atmosphere. Another highlight was playing at Frequency festival on the main stage for thousands of people. I never played a show like that in my life before so it made me feel so good to see so many people enjoying this new wave of music. After the festival I got so many Tweets from people about how they enjoyed my set which was great – after all, that’s what makes it all worth it.”
What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend, please give us a few words on each…
“The first one is a track by 2 friends of mine called Finally by Mr Belt & Wezol. I really like how they took a classic dance track and revamped it for the modern day dance floors, using the “future house” sound but still keeping it original (which can be hard these days). Playing that track in every set lately. Another one I play every set is my new original track with The Him called Midnight Hearts, coming out on Spinnin’ end of the month. It’s a bit more uptempo than for example Show Me Love and bridges the gap between deep house and progressive. It’s been getting early support from a lot of big names and I saw that even “big room” DJs like Martin Garrix, Blasterjaxx, Firebeatz etc. are playing it – which is really cool to see. Other tracks I play a lot include the remix of Pretty Ricky’s Grind On Me by SNBRN (the recognizable vocals work so well with the deep bassline), Sir Felix’s Hope in the Nora en Pure Remix (a bit old already but always creates such a unique atmosphere when I play it live on stage) and the Robin Schulz remix of Guetta’s “Dangerous” (instant classic).”
3 bucket list adventures you wanna do in your lifetime?
“I know it might sound cheesy but I really want to go skydiving sometime, just because it I get terrified only thinking about it and I feel like approaching your fears is a great way to grow as a person. I’m also really into good food so I really want to experience different cuisines from all around the world (ranging from trying In ’N Out burger in LA to authentic Indian tandoori). The third one is not really an adventure but is something that is on my bucket list, and it’s learning new languages. I speak 4 at the moment but really want to push that number up to around 8 or 10 before I die, simply because languages are the key to communication, and communication is key.”
The last time you pressed rewind on a track to listen to it again because it was damned good?
“A couple of days ago when I was putting together my new mixtape Flinstering, I stumbled upon a remix of ‘Wonderwall’ by Hannes Fischer. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a way to download it in high quality so it didn’t end up in my mix but I think i streamed it like 20 times so far already. Such a soothing track!”
An up and coming producer to watch out for in 2015?
“Matoma.”
What festival has really got you excited later this summer?
“That’s a tough one! Playing so many cool festivals this summer. I think Creamfields would share the #1 spot.”
Best ever festival experience?
“This summer will actually be the first time I’m playing bigger festivals, so I don’t have a lot of festival DJ experience yet. I visited a lot of festivals though, and if I had to pick one I’d choose Laundry Day in Belgium to be me favorite so far, because of the diverse lineup, great weather every time (I don’t know how they do it) and awesome vibe overall.”
What is on a Sam Feldt rider in 2015?
“Beer, some shots, water and a clean towel.”
An album we would be surprised to find in your collection?
“All albums by Owl City.”
Where can we catch you in Ibiza this summer
“I wish I could tell you guys, but a lot of my summer gigs including these in Ibiza still have to be announced. Stay tuned on my Facebook page for any show announcements.”
What was the last GREAT studio toy you bought yourself?
“To be honest, my studio is fairly simple and I don’t have too much studio gear or toys. I work with my iMac running FL Studio through Parallels, a Scarlett 2i2 sound card and a pair of KRK Rokit 6 monitors. Hardware-wise, that’s mostly it.”
Let’s skip forward 12 months – what do you want to achieve in your life by this time 2016?
“I think it would be a great achievement if by this time next year I’m hearing one or more of my tracks in the rotation on worldwide radio stations. My tracks have been getting more and more airplay, but I feel like it would be so amazing to just flip the radio on and hear your track passing by once in a while. Looking at my bookings, I really want to take the sound that I’m making to the main stages. I feel like there is a shift happening in the style of music that is being played and is popular at festivals and I feel like the whole melodic house movement fits in there perfectly.’
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
“I’ve got a new original with The Him called ‘Midnight Hearts’ coming out end of the month on Spinnin’ Records that I’m really excited about. It’s been getting major support by all the big guys in the industry so I’m looking forward to the release a lot! I’ve also got a bunch of cool remixes coming out pretty soon and am almost finished with the follow-up to Midnight Hearts already. Lots of stuff to look forward to!”
