Fedde Le Grand

Having been touring the world with a camera crew in tow, Fedde Le Grand remains as big as possibly made-up his name suggests. His series of Fedde le Grand Takeover Experience nights have seen him commandeering a private jet to keep up with the demand while his award winning online community is currently in the process of picking one lucky remixer to win a release on his new single ‘Rockin' High’ alongside Benny Benassi and Nicky Romero.

Hi Fedde, how has 2010 been for you so far?
"Hello. It’s been amazing so far. I’ve had a massive year of touring. After spending so much time in the studio last year with Output it was good to get back on the road again - it’s really inspirational for me. This summer’s been mental especially, I’m actually in the middle of another US tour right now, plus I did all the European festivals. I think I’ve done about 50 something dates in two months over July and August!"

You recently offered the prize of winning the release of a remixing of your new single ‘Rockin’ High’, which already has remixes by Benny Benassi and Nicky Romero. The entries are all now in and can be listened to at feddelegrand.com. Do you have any favourites so far and what do you look for in the remix?  Is it something similar to your own sound or completely different? Have there been any dubstep entries, for example?!
"I haven’t got any favourites so far, just because we have so many entries and I’ve only just started to listen to them.! What I’m looking for is originality, quality and structure, those are the main things I’ll be listening for. We’ve got a lot of tracks to go through but from what I’ve heard so far there’s definitely a lot of new sounds and originality coming through, and yes there are some dubstep entries in there!"

You’ve been on the road with a camera crew recently for FLG TV. What’s it like having your every moved shadowed?
"I’m kind of used to it now. Charley my camera man is a really good friend and the stuff he does for FLG TV is outstanding. Maybe it feels a bit strange now not to have him there! For me, FLG TV is just a really great way to connect with fans and give them a look inside my world. It’s almost like Reality TV. Plus you get to see clubs and festivals in places maybe you don’t get to visit. We try and make each episode really different, talking about different things that are going on. At the moment we actually have a 30 minute film which is an in-depth look at what’s been happening to me since ‘Put Your Hands Up For Detroit’ came out. It’s called ‘From Detroit To Ibiza’ and it’s only available to members of my online community so if you join up or you’re already a member you get to have it."

Can you tell us a little bit more about the Fedde le Grand Takeover Experience?  What have been the highlights?  And is it true that you have your own branded private jet to take you around as you’ve been touring so much?
"Ha, yes it is true, although it’s not as flash as it sounds! Like I said, I think I’ve done around 50 gigs just over two months so it actually worked out a lot cheaper for all the promoters for me to get the jet and go from place to place rather than having to book a load of individual flights. Plus I don’t have to hang around at airports, which makes me happy! The tour’s gone really well, I’m very happy with the response from everybody. I’ve got Takeover residencies at Pacha in Ibiza and at Ministry of Sound in London where I’ll be on Saturday September 11th if you want to check it out. The guys from Vlight.to have done a massive visual show. We’ve got the best DJs comingon with me and it’s just how I want to throw a party. I’m really lucky that I’m in a position to do something that I’ve wanted to do for a while, and take it to some of the best clubs in the world."

Having recently won the Dutch Interactive Award for Best Online Community, you seem to be keeping on top of modern technology. What makes your site so progressive? And can you tell us about your iPhone app?
"The award was a major thing for us. It’s great to be recognized for the work we’ve put in to the site. It’s really different to most other DJ sites, it’s a lot more interactive - we want people who are members to be heavily involved in it. We’ve got forums where you can upload your own productions on there which other members can listen to and rate, your tracks can go into charts we have and I always take time out to listen to the ones people are buzzing over – in fact if I like a track enough there’s always the chance we could sign it to Flamingo Recordings. Members get news first, they get special things we put together like the 30 minute film, there are always offers to gigs, and I can connect with people on the site – it’s more like a social network than just a standard online platform. We’re always making changes and updating it to keep it as up-to-date with technology as possible and of course the iPhone app is there - it’s pretty much the same as the website, you just have me in your pocket! The feedback from fans has been incredibly positive and it’s nice to have a Fedde family."

What else is coming up on Planet Fedde?
"A holiday! I’m busy touring all the way through September and ‘Rockin' High’ is also out at the moment and doing really well - the remix competition has been a massive success. I’ve got some more studio work in the pipeline which will come out soon with some fantastic collaborations. Of course, it’s the DJ Mag Top 100 coming up as well so I’ll be looking forward to seeing the results when they come out."

For details on how to acquire an exclusive free Fedde Le Grand live set visit his site here.