Get To Know…Dutch DJ and Producer Sam Feldt
Sam Feldt isn’t your typical DJ and producer. He is a humanitarian, an ally, and an ‘uplifting’ artist that should be on your radar. Being surrounded by music at an early age, he was introduced to an array of influences that led him to start taking music lessons. Over the years, he continued to hone and master his musical prowess, which resulted in him traveling the world and being signed to Spinnin’ Records. In 2014 he made his debut with his track Bloesem– an upbeat and positive dance record. Since then, he has continued to release music that creates a safe and comforting environment for listeners all around the world.
Along with releasing music, Sam has created a resource – Fangage – for emerging artists to pursue their craft and make a name for themselves. With his carefree new single Post Malone feat. RANI making the rounds, Sam Feldt is continuing to be an artist that leads by a positive example, both musically and professionally.
We got to chat with Sam about everything, including his latest single, inclusive video for the track, Fangage, and more…
Your track Post Malone feat. RANI is making moves on the charts. How did this track come to be?
I met RANI in Amsterdam through a mutual friend – he introduced us and said it’d be cool to work on something. I thought her voice was great as soon as I heard it, it reminded me of Rihanna. We got into the studio, worked on the initial idea for a day, let it rest for a while and decided after a week or so that it was still good! The process was quite fast in the end. We finished the production and put it out as the final track on my ‘Magnets’ EP.
The video for the track is absolutely amazing!! Can you go into the inspiration and idea for the visual?
The idea behind the video is the never-ending after party. It matches the lyrics and vibe of the track, so you’ve got sports cars, champagne, bottles. It was pride month when we launched it too, so we wanted to include some LGBT dancers. I’m happy you guys liked it!
How did you get your start in music?
I’ve been DJing since I was 11 years old and started producing when I was 17. I made everything from hip-hop to hardstyle, trying to find my sound along the way. About five years ago, I launched as Sam Feldt to focus on listening to myself and believing in the music I wanted to make and release. I got signed by Spinnin’ Records in Holland soon after and released ‘Show Me Love’, which gave me a stepping stone to a full-time DJ and music career.
What were some of your early musical influences?
I still remember looking at the Tiesto Olympic performance when I was a little kid. It was such a ‘wow moment’ to see a Dutch guy playing to an international audience on that scale. I’d say going to the club for the first time too. I was in Portugal, I was 17 and saw the DJ in the booth and thought ‘I want to be that guy’. I’m not a great dancer but I wanted to show people a good time, so I knew DJing was definitely for me from that moment.
You created Fangage. What’s the purpose and goal of the platform?
Fangage is a start-up that I launched two and a half years ago. I noticed when I was posting on social media, I wasn’t really reaching all of my fans – it was usually five or ten percent. I wanted to reach everyone, all of my fans, so we launched Fangage, a platform which helps artists and influences to reach 100% of their fans through various social media and communication channels. It allows me to reach my own fans without having to rely on Facebook and sponsored posts. It gives control back to the artists, rather than relying on third parties.
If you weren’t pursuing music, what would you be doing instead?
I would still be an entrepreneur; I launched my first e-commerce store when I was 13! I’ve always been a designer, web developer – I’m a big time nerd really. I’d have my own advertising agency or something I think. DJing was always a hobby initially, but obviously that’s changed now!
What type of impact do you want your music to have?
For me, Sam Feldt music is about a few main ingredients. One is melodies, one is emotions and the other is strong vocals. I want my music to be uplifting but it doesn’t always have to be happy. ‘Show Me Love’ is by default a sad song, but it became a feel-good anthem. That twist gets people thinking and that’s where I always try to go with my music.
What’s your creative process when you are in the studio?
Usually when I sit down to write a song, I start with chords. I put them on an infinite loop, start to hum melodies with a voice recorder and go from there. I’ll usually be working with songwriters too so it becomes a creative session – we will spend a while getting an idea right and once it’s there, we start looking for other elements but the song has to be right first. I incorporate a lot of live instruments in the studio too and often perform live with a band, so that forms an important part of the process too.
Outside of music you are heavily involved in bringing awareness to climate change, what groups and activities are you involved with? How important is it to spread this message?
Last year, I launched the Heartfeldt foundation at ADE in Amsterdam. It tries to raise awareness of climate issues through reaching out to influential people – artists, athletes, influencers – and encouraging them to use their influence to help inspire people to create a greener planet. It’s all about awareness and being conscious of your behaviour and I think the best way of making that happen is through influence; if people see their favourite DJ or footballer behaving in an environmentally conscious way, it will hopefully encourage them to do same.
Check out Sam Feldt latest track Post Malone below!
