Running Away With It… Welcome Fedde to DMC, an old Hip Hop head we hear before you got into House music, what sort of artists were you spinning back then as a teenager?
“Talking about old school, well, Cypress Hill, Wu Tang Clan, NWA, Ice-T, Public Enemy, DeLa Soul, Snoop Dog, Black Sheep, A Tribe Called Quest, Beasty Boys, just to name a few.”
What made you switch your musical style to House?
“To be honest, it was the groove of house that did it for me. I spent a lot of time crate digging through different record shops back then and of course you listen to lots of new music coming in all the time, and there was a lot of great new House tracks that I really got a feel for. For me it was easier to play underground records with House than with Hip Hop and the flow in the mix was just more natural with House than with Hip Hop and as I bought more and more house records my mixes became more and more predominantly house.”
You are in the middle of another massive tour, 35 dates this summer, 57 in 87 days last year on your Takeover Tour – what were your favourite memories of last year’s trip around the world – other than finally getting home!
“Oh man, getting back to my own bed after last summer was just the best thing ever! But I think that my residency out in Ibiza was one of my favourite things, even if it did mean jetting back from wherever I was in time to play on a Tuesday night. I love Ibiza and having my own ‘Takeover’ party there was the nuts, a very special feeling to walk into somewhere that’s dedicated to your vision of a party, and seeing so many people wanting to be there with you and support you. The festivals I got to play at as well, the crowds everywhere I went were just sensational, so much energy, so much enthusiasm to see me play. I think that’s probably my best memory, the crowds everywhere being so up for a party every single time. It made it a lot easier to spend so much time on the road having that kind of passion thrown at me every time I got behind the decks – it kept me going throughout the whole summer, without a doubt.”
So a great new remix out right now of Goldfish’s ‘Soundtracks and Comebacks’, it’s been described as “Spongebob Squarepants goes raving!” Great remix, do you like the video?
“Ha ha, it is definitely very different to my usual videos! Actually the video is from the original Goldfish track and we remixed it for the new version. I think it’s awesome, really very creative and a little bit off the wall, but also kind of funky too. Although the evolution scenes with the hairy legs are a bit random!”
Goldfish are of course these very talented South African guys, how did you hook up with them?
“I’ve had my eye on Goldfish ever since I saw them play in Pacha back in 2008. They were warming up for me but they were so amazing to watch in the mix. They don’t just DJ – if you’ve ever seen them play live you know that they have keyboards, saxophones, flutes, it all goes into the pot and they push out this highly funked up house sound that blew up on the dance floor. I love what they do together, their energy and their passion and their natural understanding of house so I was really pleased to remix ‘Soundtracks & Comebacks’, it’s an awesome song.”
So back in the day your mum used to take you to your gigs before your got your driving license, is your family still involved in your career?
“Actually very much so. My step-dad Marc is my manager and he’s always there behind me helping me make decisions, taking some of the strain from me so I can concentrate on the music and the DJing which for me is so vital. My sister helps as well, she works part time in the office”
Why did you want to become a DJ in the first place?
“Because I suck at playing football !”
What’s the strangest place you’ve ever DJ’d?
“In a hot air balloon about 1 km above ground – definitely an adrenaline experience and really windy too, but it’s certainly one for the scrapbook.”
What are the big 10 tunes you are playing at the moment?
“At the moment I’m loving…
1. Goldfish – ‘Soundtracks and Comebacks’ (Fedde le Grand remix)
2. Deniz Koyu – ‘Tung’
3. Dave Spoon, Patrick La Funk – ‘7,20’
4. Florence And The Machine – ‘You’ve Got The Love’ (Mark Knight remix)
5. Niels van Gogh, Daniel Strauss – ‘Emergency’ (Manuel De La Mare remix)
6. Fedde le Grand – ‘Metrum’ (Manuel De La Mare remix)
7. Gum Me – ‘Burnin’
8. Inpetto – ‘Hit Back’
9. Jay Lumen – ‘Here Comes That Sound’
10. Green Velvet, Russoul – ‘Millie Vanillie’
DMC are the proud owners of the Back To Mine series, if we came back to yours after a club, tell us 10 tunes we’d be chilling to or carrying on the party…
“Probably something like this:
1. Oliver $ – ‘Doin’ Ya Thang’
2. DJ Danila, Belocca – ‘Let The Music’ feat. Gosha (Belocca remix)
3. El Mundo & Satori, Audiojack – ‘Around You’ (Audiojack Twister remix)
4. DJ Tonio, Olivier Giacomotto – ‘Get The Funk’ (Olivier Giacomotto remix)
5. Olivier Giacomotto – ‘Zoomanity’
6. Gabriel Rocha – ‘Cars & Girls’
7. Nihil Young, Alex D’ella, John Acquaviva – ‘Good Music’ feat. Dan Diamond
8. Marien Baker – ‘Stomp’
9. Inpetto – ‘Hitback’
10. Produse – ‘Flak’
Which DJs from around the world do you admire and why?
“For me it’s got to be Carl Cox, the big man himself. He’s a legend anyway for everything he’s done for dance music but the fact that he’s still so relevant today, so forward thinking and so behind the music that he believes in is a real inspiration for me. I’ve been lucky enough to play for him a couple of times in his arenas at festivals and the love that he gets from people, it’s on another level, it’s like he’s this person that everyone feels that they know because he’s been so involved and so present in our own developments through dance music over the years. Or Laurent Garnier. He’s always innovative and always on the edge of things and always pushing the boundaries technology wise. He’s just a legend overall”
What is the cheesiest record you own?
“Chubby Checker And The Fatboys – ‘The Twist’. I bought it when I was 9 years old. I’ve still got the vinyl. I just love it because of the nostalgia, it reminds me of being a kid and at the time, it was a really cool tune!”
What is the best club in the world right now?
“Yalta, in Sofia which is the capital of Bulgaria. That club is amazing, it’s my favourite anywhere in the world. It’s the kind of club where, if you get on a roll and you want to stay on the decks, they don’t care, they’ll just keep going if you can. I’ve been on the decks for six or seven hours at a time and that’s such a rare opportunity for any DJ these days, you can really push yourself in the mix and do things that you don’t get the chance to with shorter mix sets. If you ever get the chance to go, do it, you won’t be disappointed.”
What’s the weirdest request you’ve ever had whilst DJing?
“I was asked once to play Andre Hazes (a Dutch folk singer). The guy who asked me this offered a 1,000 Euros to play it. I didn’t play it. I don’t think it would have fit…”
Best festival you ever played at and why?
“I think it would have to be the Exit festival this year. I was so excited about playing, it’s a first for me so I didn’t know what to expect but of course you hear everyone that’s played there talking about it and really bigging it up. I was a little bit worried that the hype had maybe been too much but it actually was even better than I thought it would be. The setting is so magical, it’s an old fortress which makes it special, the crowd were awesome and the sound system was spot on perfect. I hope I get to play there again because it was, for me, how a festival should be.”
What is the finest record you have ever made/remixed?
“For me, I really love ‘Running’ which I brought out this year. It’s really melodic with lots of instrumentals in there, Mitch’s voice sounds amazing on the vocals and I just love the whole piano part, I think it gives it real depth and warmth.”
What did you think of the D12 take on ‘Put Your Hands Up For Detroit’
“I was really honoured. I thought it was really impressive that they just put the lyrics over it without changing much of the track. Simply amazing.”
Where you surprised by the global fever on that track?
“Of course. I totally took me by surprise and it all happened so fast, looking back on it now it seems like a haze because I felt like I was in the middle of some sort of whirlwind. I’d had success at home but all of a sudden everyone everywhere wanted a piece of me. My bookings went totally through the roof, the track was on radio and TV everywhere I went, press wanted to talk to me and find out who I was and of course the track itself went to number 1 in 6 different countries including the UK which was a very big step for me, cracking the UK market”
You threw away about 7 versions of Detroit, how did you finally get your killer bassline?
“I was making coffee in the kitchen and that bass line popped up in my head so I ran upstairs to the studio I had back then, and the rest is pretty much history. Maybe that’s why I drink so much coffee…”
Have you actually ever been to Detroit?
“Everyone asks me that – I actually have been there once!”
We know you love Michael Jackson and ‘Billie Jean’, but what’s the best album ever made?
“For me it’s still Michael Jackson – Thriller, I’m such a massive Michael fan, he’s a real legend and such a hugely gifted pop artist and musician, he could do things with music that other people couldn’t even begin to touch”
And finally, what’s next from the mighty Fedde studio?
“There’s a lot coming up actually. Now I’m really busy touring Europe so I don’t have much time to spend in my new studio but I’ve got a couple of remixes, some collaborations and some of my own work on the shelf. I just have to find the time to work on all of it, so after the summer season is over, I’ll be able to get back into it and get them finished and out there.”
Check out Fedde’s remix of Goldfish ‘Soundtracks & Comebacks’ at {youtube}CeS56hNUJwY{/youtube}
