Fedde Le Grand on how success is measured in the EDM industry, and why he envies Batman

Editor’s note: In a new series called ‘Brain Freeze’, our contributor R Prashanth Vidyasagar puts musicians in the spotlight, seeking quick answers to an eclectic set of questions. Fedde Le Grand is synonymous with house music. His passion towards electronic dance music has taken him places. In his career spanning over 15 years he has headlined and performed at festivals such as Tomorrowland, Ultra Music festival, Coachella, Exit Festival, Creamfields, Electric Zoo, EDC, and Future Music, among others. He has churned out dance floor bangers such as ‘So Much Love’, ‘Sparks’, ‘Don’t Give Up’, ‘Let Me Think About It’, and ‘Keep On Rising’. He has also remixed the biggest artists around, from Coldplay and Madonna, to Shakira, Rihanna, and even Mariah Carey. Through his radioshow called Darklight Sessions, he gives upcoming artists a chance to be heard across the world. His live show concept called ‘Grand’ is inimitable, as it combines live theatre with dance. Fedde’s dedication to music shows in his work and live performances. Oh, and not to forget his massive biceps, thanks to all the air pumping!

We caught up with the blue-eyed boy of house music for the latest edition of Brain Freeze. If you had to create a resume, what would its title be? Awesome at everything, with a few specifics mentioned below. When was the last time you wrote a letter (snail mail), and who did you write it to? I actually just wrote a greeting card to congratulate a friend. How do you like your eggs? As a veggie omelet. What is the craziest rumor you’ve heard about yourself? The most persistent one for sure is that people are a 100 percent convinced that my actual name is something like Fred de Groot, which would be a Dutch translation of my name, but my passport actually really reads Fedde Le Grand. You’re in your early 40s. How do you still manage to keep your energy levels so high? (considering how much you tour and play) I like the other questions better! Without sounding too corny, I think it’s all a state of mind. There’s a lot of things I want to accomplish and I’m enjoying my career to the fullest, so apart from the regular working out and minding my food, which is a necessity when living the tour life, there’s not much that’s changed. What is your favourite childhood memory? The holidays and vacations, spent in the South of France with my parents and sister. What website do you visit often, and why? Google, it’s so diverse, definitely my favorite. How is success measured in the EDM industry today? That’s a tough question. I think it should be a little bit of everything you’ve done and achieved throughout your career. When did you go on your first date? In high school, and it definitely wasn’t all too spectacular. Just the regular way: Too nervy and slightly awkward. What song would you say you’ve listened to the most number of times in your life? I’d say Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’. Name five fellow DJs whose phone numbers you have. I think all of us pretty much have each other’s contacts. Oliver Heldens, Hardwell, Dimitri Vegas, Nicky Romero, of course Dannic. I mean, especially among the Dutch guys, we all live within an hour’s drive of each another, so we definitely keep in touch. What was the last thing you lost? Nicky Romero’s USB stick. I got him a new one though! What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever put in your mouth? Headphones. Who is the one person you envy, and why? Batman, because he gets to say [tough voice] “I’m Batman.” What’s your favourite grooming ritual? My beauty sleep, a long bath — I don’t know to be honest. If you could be an animal, what would you be and why? A puppy or a cat for sure! There’s a dog at my office and she’s got the life! She pretty much only gets up when we’re having lunch, targeting me as the weak link to probably spill something, and apart from that, she’s just chilling, waiting for everyone to come give her daily cuddles. That’s the life, man! What the three things you must have with you (apart from musical/studio equipment) while making music or while playing live? When playing live I have to have at least one–ideally two–ventilators. I’m way too energetic when playing, so cooling-down measures are a necessity. Towels, for the same reason. And ideally, I prefer to have my MC with me, as my fans will know, I’m a DJ and that’s where I want my focus to be, leaving the MC’ing to an MC.