Interview: Fedde Le Grand

Hannah Davies talks to Fedde Le Grand on his take over of Space this summer and what he loves about Ibiza.

Spotlight: What gigs are you most excited about this summer?

Fedde: I’ve got so many over the summer so it’s really hard to pick just one or two, but I’d probably say that of course my residency at Space has to be up there. As well as the first ever Sensation party in the UK which is going to be really massive and very interesting because they’ve never had a Sensation party there before. Also I’ll be playing at Yalta again in Sofia, Bulgaria, which is my favourite club to DJ at so that’s one that I’m really looking forward to as well.

You’ve not long released your track Metrum; do you have any more releases on their way?

I’ve literally just released my remix of the Goldfish track Soundtracks & Comebacks. I’ve been playing it out since Electric Zoo Festival in New York last summer and it’s gone down really well, although of course no-one knew what the track was so everyone kept asking me but I kept quiet! The original track is superb, and I’ve been closely following Goldfish since I caught them in Ibiza in 2008, they’re really talented young producers from South Africa and their live DJ set is just sick. The remix is out on Beatport and I hope it does very well; it’s totally made for the summer season.

You’ve returned to Ibiza this year to play several dates for Be at Space, what is the crowd reaction like?

Just incredible, I’ve played Space and the Terrace before of course, but this is my own Takeover party which you hope people won’t just like but love. That definitely seems to be the reaction so far from people that have come so I’m really happy with how it’s going.

Have you got any other gigs lined up during your time in Ibiza?

Just one and it’s at Space as well, I’m going back to back with Mark Knight for 8 hours for the Toolroom Knights party out here. It’ll be something I think people will really enjoy, we’ve gone back 2 back quite a few times, we definitely bounce off each other and we can get a bit competitive too, so it makes for an amazing set.

How does Ibiza compare to other destinations you’ve played at?

I do think there’s something special about Ibiza, there’s something in the air that you can’t quite put your finger on, but it seems to affect everyone and take their party level up a notch for some reason. Everyone is here to have a good time, they’re in the sun and the heat, they’ve normally been partying all day long on the beach or by a pool and then they’re ready for the night time to be something really special. As a DJ I find that really infectious.

You’ve drawn inspiration from all kinds of music from hip-hop to electronic, but where does your true passion lie?

My passion lies with house music otherwise I would be creating different style of music, but I’m also a true funk lover. George Clinton is my funk hero and of course Bootsy Collins for the bass lines. I don’t know all the ins and outs of funk like I do with house music but I grew up with it and I simply love it.

You did a remix of Missing by Everything but the girl, have you got any more remixes up your sleeve?

Like I said, I’ve just put out the remix of Goldfish, and I always carry my own edits of my favourite tracks in my CD case. I always remix songs, whether they’re for release or not, it’s just something I love to do, and to take songs that I love in their original format, and then change them so they fit in with my set. Whether they get released or not that’s a different story. Sometimes I like to just keep them for my own sets.

What DJ’s should we look out for in 2011?

Skrillex is the one for me who is really impressive right now, he’s an outstanding producer, the music that he’s making is incredibly inspirational and fresh. I think he’s just going to get bigger and bigger as 2011 moves on.