Interview: Felix Jaehn – A pair of hit songs are opening doors for this emerging talent.
Artist Direct – Felix Jaehn has been responsible for two of the hottest records in the world this year. His remix of OMI‘s “Cheerleader” is completely inescapable, confidently earning the unofficial honors of “Song of the Summer” in every club, at every pool party, and on every beach worldwide. You’ve heard undoubtedly, and you love it. He’s also got his single for Casablanca Records an incendiary reimagining of Chaka Khan and Rufus‘s “Ain’t Nobody.” He breathes a new spirit into the song, bridging eras and creating a new dance classic for the 21st century. Felix has emerged as one of the most important new talents in electronic music, and he’s about to take over. In this exclusive interview, Felix talks about “Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better),” “Cheerleader,” his influences, and so much more.
You really added a piece of yourself to that melody for “Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better)” feat. Jasmine Thompson, creating something new in the process.
That’s perfect I managed to match my approach [Laughs]. It’s great to hear that.
What’s the story behind the song?
The original by Chaka Khan and Rufus is such a big tune that everybody knows it because parents play it, and you hear it whenever you leave the house at any place. I always liked the song, and I thought, “It’s time for a new take and interpretation.” At the time, I had some original songs that were going to be out soon on some different labels. I wanted to do a remix or a cover, so I decided to do that one. At the same time, I discovered Jasmine Thompson on the internet. I found her via some blogs with a cover of Passenger‘s “Let Her Go.” I also fell in love with her voice. I thought it was crazy that she was only 14-years-old. I was 19 at that time so we connected via the internet with Twitter, etc. We just went ahead. First, it was just online on Soundcloud when it was done. It became so big on the internet with HypeMachine number one and everything that our teams had the idea to make it an official single. Luckily, we could even clear it on the publishing side. We were really happy to have the song out officially now.
It’s a modern approach to a classic song.
It’s really crazy! To be honest, I didn’t think about it that much when we did it. I just went ahead. I’m glad people like the song, because it’s such a legendary song to do a new take on, I was afraid some people might not like it. You know what I mean? The main feedback has been really positive. I’m grateful for that.
Watch the music video for “Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better)” from Felix Jaehn featuring Jasmine Thompson:
Did it inspire you to make more original music?
Yeah definitely! I’m working on a lot of new music, especially original songs now. I’m working on my first studio album. On the hand, it inspires and motivates me to have the success, travel the world, and be able to play a lot of DJ shows. From all that, I can take inspiration and do original music. Both “Ain’t Nobody” and the remix of “Cheerleader” are opening up many doors for sure. People are listening to what I put out, and I have to prove I can do it by myself.
What’s your vision for the album?
It’s going to be similar to what I’ve put out already. Sound-wise, it won’t be completely different, but I also want to make an interesting album. There might be some songs that are even a lot slower or even a bit rougher and more club-based. I’m going to try mix it up a little bit, but stay in my genre of course.
How did “Cheerleader come about?
That was early 2014. I was putting out songs online at that time mainly bootlegs. I just remixed songs I liked and found online. Record companies started to contact me to do official remixes, and one of those songs was OMI’s “Cheerleader.” They sent into me in the original version which was reggaeton released in 2012. I felt the vibes, had a great vision, and thought I could do something with it. So, I asked for the acapella. Then, I took the vocal, made it a lot faster, almost 20-30bpms faster, and I built the new track remix around the vocal. It was originally released in May 2014. By now, it grew a lot. It’s crazy.
Watch the music video from OMI for “Cheerleader” (Felix Jaehn Remix):
What artists inspired you to play music?
I have a classical background. I played the violin as a kid. When I was 15- or 16-years-old, I got into DJ-ing at birthday parties and things like that. At that time, I was listening a lot to Avicii who was still releasing songs under his real name. That was one of my main influences. He’s still an artist I really like. He has a great approach to electronic music, while doing proper music that’s song-based. It’s about the vocals and melodies, and I really like that.
Would you ever want to incorporate the classical elements?
Unfortunately, I myself don’t play the violin anymore, but I’d love to incorporate it a lot more. On the remix I did for Ed Sheeran, “Photograph,” there are a lot of strings there, so I think I am doing it sometimes.
Have you been having fun in America so far?
It was amazing. It’s literally my first North American tour ever. I’m really excited. They were all great shows. I played amazing venues like Webster Hall and Avalon in Los Angeles. The people were really enthusiastic and into the music. I feel like there’s a hype coming for my genre, and I’m excited to be back more often.
— Rick Florino
08.24.15
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