Fedde Le Grand joined us at the Nexus Lounge for Miami Music Week, and we covered an incredible number of topics in our brief nine minutes together.
The Dutch DJ and producer is one of the biggest names in EDM, having produced hit original music, as well as remixes of everyone from Michael Jackson to Coldplay, since 2006. We discussed the dynamic nature of electronic music, his artistic approach, his current touring schedule, and some interesting stories from the road. When we asked about his greatest fears, he gave an unexpected answer from which we could all learn something:
“…back when I started out, I would play a lot in Holland, and I got a request from this place [called], if I were to translate it to English, “The Drunken Bastard” or something… So I show up there, and it’s a proper biker club—like, serious dudes: everyone dressed in black, nobody smiling, about five kids on the dance floor, and that’s it. Everyone just looked mean… [When] I had to get my cash, I was invited into this small office, and seriously, I was so afraid. If the guy had said anything like “there’s a problem with the payment,” I would’ve been like, “Alright! It’s all good… I’m out of here!” But the funny thing was, they were so nice. They were so grateful… it’s such an irrational fear, and it’s horrible that, just because people look a certain way, you judge them. So, in the end, it was actually a good lesson for myself.”
“I really think that the most important thing is that you compete with yourself, because that’s what keeps it interesting. The great thing about electronic music is, because it’s electronic and there’s always new stuff coming out on the market, the actual technical side moves forward quickly, which gives you more options. There’s always something to learn, which is great… I have a very simple method: I just go into the studio and make what I like, and I just decide later what to do with it. And sometimes I don’t do anything with it, but it kind of keeps your mind open. You feel free to do whatever. If you’re thinking, “Okay, this track is going to be for that,” that kind of limits the options in your brain. And I think that’s the most important thing.”
To learn more about Fedde Le Grand, listen to the complete interview below ↓
