Electronic Night Life is very impressed about Fedde Le Grands initiative to go Green, so much in fact... that we decided to interview him about it. Check out what Fedde has to say about ways that we all can reduce our carbon footprints.

What’s new in the life of Fedde Le Grand?

 

Everything’s pretty hectic right now, I’m just coming to the end of my Summer Takeover Tour which has been the busiest time for me DJing that I think I’ve ever done. I’m also enjoying a lot of success with my So Much Love single, it’s at the top of the Beatport charts which of course has made me really happy

 

 

Why did you recently take an interest in going green?

 

I had to hire a private jet for the summer because I had so many dates and it just worked out cheaper and more convenient to bypass all the airport traffic to make sure I got to all my gigs. But because it was just me on a plane, I wanted to check out my carbon footprint and when I did, I was like, WOW! It was pretty big. Everyone has to take responsibility including me so I checked out how I could offset it and decided to plant over 300 trees to make sure that I cancelled out all the emissions that the jet put into the atmosphere.

 

 

What does going green mean to you?

 

I think going green for me is the same as it is for most people – it’s the little things that each of us do that all add up into the bigger picture to protect the planet. It’s the only one that we’ve got and we’ve got to look after it for our kids, and our kids’ kids. If we don’t start making small steps as individuals, we’re going to really mess things up and we’ll get to a point when it’s too late. And that really isn’t worth thinking about, so we’ve each got to do our bit.

 

 

What steps are you taking to reduce your carbon footprint?

 

I’m now checking how much travel I do and making sure that I offset that with things like the planting of trees. We’ve also made sure that our lights in the office and studio are LED lights and eco-friendly bulbs that use a lot less electricity and they last longer too. And we separate the trash into recycling and also make sure all the lights and computers are turned off when we leave the building – we’ve actually been doing that for a lot of years. There’s a lot more you can do in all the parts of your life but you have to start somewhere, and it’s always worth starting somewhere so that you’re doing something. One little thing makes all the difference J

 

What part of going green do find hardest to overcome in daily life?

 

It’s definitely the travel. I think I travel a lot more than most people so I need to make sure that I put extra effort in there. But it’s a bit of a pain trying to calculate how many miles you’ve done, whether it’s in a car, or a plane, or on a train. Luckily there are some great websites out there that help you figure it all out so it’s not so much hard work. I used www.carbonify.com/carbon-calculator.htm.

 

How do you think we can encourage others to follow suit in your endeavor?

 

I think by talking about it in interviews like this, and letting people know what actions I’m taking myself, I can raise awareness and make people realise that it’s not that hard to do your own bit for the environment. It really isn’t, there are so many ways now that you can help, from your own recycling at home to growing your own vegetables, to offsetting your travel – it’s all at your fingertips and there really isn’t any excuse, it’s just really easy.

 

Which of your upcoming events are you most excited to perform at?

 

I’ve got a six day tour of the States and Canada coming at the end of this month that I’m really excited about. It’ll be insane because I’m doing six cities in six nights so I won’t have time to stop and think, but it’s been a while since I’ve been there so I’m looking forward to hooking up with people again and showcasing some of my new material.

 

 

What is the one city that you have the most fun in, whether you are performing or just traveling for leisure?

 

My favourite city to play in is definitely Sofia in Bulgaria. I normally play at Yalta and it’s hands down the best club for me. It isn’t one of the biggest but it’s definitely the best because they always let me play for as long as I want, as long as the dance floor wants me. I get to do six hour sets, sometimes even longer and the whole crowd gets into the groove with me. It’s a fantastic club, great city and amazing people, the Bulgarians totally know how to party with class.

 

 

Which top three tracks are in heavy rotation in your personal playlist?

 

1. So Much Love – Fedde le Grand (original club mix)

2. I Believe In Love ft. Jimmy Somerville – Joris Voorn remix
3. Waking up – Sinisa Tamamovic (original mix)

 

 

 

Your latest track “So Much Love” has been released on Toolroom Records. What were you thinking about when you came up with the title?

 

Well the title is obviously in reference to the Thomas Bangaltar and DJ Falcon version of the track, called I’ve Got So Much Love (To Give). But the original tune is a 70s funk track that I had on an old album when I was 13. I just loved it, it’s an awesome tune and I’ve always wanted to do something with it, they just got there first

 

 

Did you work with a vocalist for the vocals or was this a sample you used? If it was a sample, what was the original track that the vocal was sampled from?

 

Like I said, the original vocal is a sample, it’s by a band called The Real Thing and the tune is called Love Is Such A Wonderful Thing. Check it out if you want a slice of proper funk music.

 

 

Are you working on any other projects that you would like to tell us about?

 

I’ve got some tracks bubbling away in the studio but nothing that I can say about at the moment, you’ll just have to wait

 

 

Do you have any comments for our readers?

 

Keep it real, do it because you love it, and if you love what I do, then don’t forget to vote in the DJ Mag Top 100 – www.djmag.com/top100 J Peace, Fedde.

 

 

 - Interview by Zaneta Ortiz for ElectronicNightLife.com

 

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