Feadz: Ed Banger’s man of little words

Lovers of French electro jumped for joy when it was announed that Feadz, right-hand man for Ed Banger princess Uffie and a renowned producer in his own right, had been added to the bill for November’s innaugural Global Gathering tour. The French DJ/producer has been on the scene since 2001, working both solo and with Uffie on tracks like Pop The Glock and Ready To Uff. He also worked with Mr Oizo on his seminal debut album Analog Worms Attack, and released EPs on Ellen Allien’s BPitch Control label earlier in his career.

While Feadz sure has an impressive resume to his name, there’s one thing he’s not quite so good at: opening his mouth. In the past, Ed Banger boss Busy P has had much to say whenever he’s talked to the press. Daft Punk are back in the studio. Justice are producing Red Hot Chilli Peppers. He doesn’t like Madonna. Possible collaborations with Nelson Mandella. And so on. Feadz on the other hand, get the man on the phone and it’s impossible to get him to say a thing. For instance, does he have a message for his Australian fans keenly awaiting the upcoming tour? “Ahh, no not really…” Righto then. It’s lucky then that Feadz is such a reknowned producer, because when you’re talking about a man of so few words, the fact that he’s a proven crowd rocker would sure come in handy.

ITM chats with Feadz ahead of Global Gathering firing up this weekend.

First things first, what have you been up to lately Feadz?

Uh… Ive been working. Finishing the album and making a few remixes and stuff for myself.

Whens is the album going to drop?

I don’t know when its going to drop, but I know its going to be finished soon. It was not easy this time to match up our schedules so I could make music with some of the people I’d already worked with before, but we managed to get some fresh stuff out of it… I don’t know when its going to be out, it’ll be finished very soon

What have you been listening to lately?

Ive been listening to a lot of Baltimore stuff, a lot of great music out there and a lot of interesting stuff from England and from Germany too.

I hear the electro scene in Germany is huge, with gigs and all?

Yeah…

Where is the best place to play?

Well, umm I really like Australia, so far from home, you feel as though you have fresh music out there too and they are very happy to hear you. Good crowd, Germany is a good crowd too, cause they really know about their music, you and can find some real music out there too.

I managed to catch your set out here in Sydney, amazing set

Thank you.

Thank you for bringing some real music to our ears. Any news from the Ed Banger HQ?

Uhh.. No. There is a SabastiAn compilation that just came out and besides that there’s a very good album of Justice from their concert, and besides that nothing else

Where do you draw most of your influences from?

Its just like some kind of memories that I have from when I was a child with energy, that’s were I was coming from like, soft electro or some hip hop turntable stuff; and I have tried to get this energy back with some of the melodies that I use, and sounds that make everything more than the music

Right, and who do you like in the hip hop scene?

Well, I like Lil Wayne and a lot of like old skool stuff like Houdini when the synths were really there a lot, and with the new scene they took away the synthezisers but now they are kinda coming back somehow to just synths and with the tempo too. But I love a lot of stuff, definitely not in the mainstream scene, like more underground jazz hip hop though, but I really love a lot of stuff.

Speaking of which, I hear the hip hop scene in France is pretty big at the moment.

Ye, it’s the second biggest country to buy hip hop, they play the most on the radio. There are a few artist who are very very good but most of them are like ‘easy access followers,’ not very great.

So they don’t try to do their own stuff?

Definitely not

Who’s been the best artist to work with so far?
Ahh I don’t know, I don’t usually work with artists, I only with my friends actually. Like uhh Spank Rock is my friend actually. So I didn’t have any challenge to work with somebody I don’ t know

Is there anybody you want to collaborate with?

There is a lot of people I love, but I don’t think I want to collaborate with them. You can always be disappointed if you meet up with them and they just do nothing, so know I don’t have any expectations I am just following life, having pleasure, and meeting good people

What equipment do you use?

Me, I’m a DJ for a long time, I was a DJ way before I was doing production; I used to use classic decks before I used a PC or got a computer.

Have you got any advice to anyone who wants to start making music?

Just have fun and find it were it is

You planning to head back to Australia?

Yes, November and it’s going to be my birthday too.

Sweet, Ill come check you out and shout you a drink.

My pleasure

Anyway to wrap things up anything you want to say to Australia fans, or fans in general?

Ahh, no not really

One more thing, Beatles or Elvis?

Beatles, definitely like the Beatles.

You can catch Feadz saying nothing, but playing really good tunes on the Global Gathering tour later this month…

Sat Nov 22nd – Global Gathering, Melbourne
Sat Nov 22nd – Harbourlife, Sydney
Sun Nov 23rd – Global Gathering, Perth
Sat Nov 29th – Global Gathering, Brisbane
Sun Nov 30th – Global Gathering, Sydney

For all the latest on Global Gathering head to ITM’s festival page – inthemix.com.au/globalgathering.