Lost Frequencies Talks Music and Advice From YouTube Comments

We spoke to quirky Belgian DJ and record producer Lost Frequencies after his set at Glow Festival.

Lost Frequencies AIA Glow Festival Singapore — Photo: Joel Lim/ZYRUP

It was the final hour of the inaugural AIA Glow Festival, but the crowd only continued to swell: everyone was waiting for Lost Frequencies (real name Felix De Laet) to begin his set.

The Belgian DJ was in town as a headliner for the festival located on Sentosa island, which was touted as the “ultimate festival to unwind”.

Throughout the day, festival-goers participated in yoga classes and a charity run, and munched on healthy hipster noms that looked like they come from a beachside food truck in Los Angeles. Not surprisingly, the crowd was decked in their Coachella-best (think lots of floral prints and bandanas) and the atmosphere was, well, relaxed.

As the sun went down, attendees were treated to musical performances from acts like The Sam Willows, Nina Nesbitt and Rudimental. Lost Frequencies was the night’s scheduled closing act.

Finally, the crowd cheers as Lost Frequencies takes the stage. There is no doubt that the 25-year-old is a crowd pleaser: he’s all smiles, dancing along with the crowd as he breezes through his 75-minute set featuring his biggest hits, including ‘Are You With Me’ and ‘Crazy’.

ZYRUP spoke to the quirky, chill DJ backstage after his set.

ZYRUP: You just ended your set at Glow Festival, how are you feeling right now?
Lost Frequencies: I am so happy to be here in Singapore! It’s so far away from my home. To be here and to see people dancing, singing my tracks and just vibing with me – it’s just an amazing experience. I’m so happy to be able to experience this kind of event and be a part of it. I actually almost missed my flight due to a 6-hour delay. It was kind of tough but I arrived 10 minutes before my set. We didn’t tell anyone but it worked out fine. Everything was checked by my manager so it was all okay!

A lot of fans stayed back after the concert for a chance to meet you, and I’m sure you made their night by walking out to take pictures with them. Why was it important for you to meet them?
I always like to [meet my fans after shows]. In smaller clubs, I go straight after my set to the front to take pictures. But here, it is too big to go straight after so I waited for about 10 to 15 minutes before meeting the fans who really want to take pictures. When I go up to them, they are just so happy. It feels nice.

Since this is the ultimate festival to unwind, what is your best tip when it comes to taking the time to unwind?
The other day, I was with my girlfriend and I was kind of in a bad mood because I had so much work. And she was like, “Whoa, if you’re going to be in a bad mood, I’m also going to be in a bad mood,” and I’m like “Noooo, please don’t be in a bad mood!”. So [after that] I just took three deep breaths and drank a beer. (laughs)

Congratulations on the launch of your label, Found Frequencies. What made you want to start your own label? How has the journey been so far?
It has been so much more different than what I have expected. Like we have a lot of work to do though it is nice. Right now, we have a team of three working with us in the office and they have been working on [the label] every day. I think my team is pretty solid.

It’s so weird that I have released so much music by myself but now I can say, “Hey I can sign you on my label if I want you.” I’m so happy that it’s been working out and that people want to be on the label now. It’s such a cool opportunity.

The last few years have seen you travelling around the world. What’s the best part about being able to perform in different cities across the globe?
You can experience something intense like what happened here tonight. There are different types of people, some like crowded places while others like being alone. For me, I like [the parts where I’m] alone, where I can take a rest and no one is going to bother me on the plane for the next 12 hours and I can just work, do my music, listen to the new stuff, check out a new movie and be relaxed. That is something I really like, but I also like to write someplace where I can see a lot of people and see people singing along with the music.

Is there a song that every crowd, no matter the city, will always vibe with?
‘Malibu’ by Miley Cyrus, which I remixed two years ago. I’ve remade the remix recently. [For the first remix], I actually [only had] two weeks to do it, and I did the remix while I was on tour. But then I wasn’t really happy about that version; I liked the idea but it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. So I did it again and incorporated a longer build-up, more melody and better productions. Now when I play it in my sets, it works every time.

I believe that this is not your first time in Singapore. Are you excited to be back? Is there anything that you want to see or try this time around?
Yes, I have more time on this trip and this time, I will be sure to go and check stuff out. I mean, it’s beautiful here. I’ve decided to check everything out tomorrow. We want to see the airport because apparently, the airport is crazy. But I also want to see nature because I love nature so I hope I will be able to do both before my flight tomorrow.

The explosion of the Internet has changed the game for music artists like yourself. How has social media and streaming impacted you?
It’s funny because we can see different trends in social media. Some people will do stuff that are true to themselves and which are part of their profiles. And when you do so, you will grow. It is more impactful than just making little jokes which has nothing to do with the music.

It is hard to balance between being productive in [producing music] and also being active on social media. I’m kind of scared of the [whole] social media thing. I’m trying to be active but not too much because it can go sideways quickly. You say one word wrongly and people start to understand you in the wrong way and it can be bad. So I’m trying to be careful and to really push what I think about music. I’m not really politically outspoken because I am really just here for the music.

On social media, has there been any instances where fans have corrected you or given you new perspectives to how you see the world?
No, but what I have is people giving comments on YouTube and online, explaining why they did not like certain parts of the sets. I learn a lot from the comments and try different [things]. Although it takes me about six months to accept and then change.

It’s refreshing to hear that you consult YouTube comments, because a lot of the artists say they stay away from the Internet.
It depends on what they say and how they say it. When I see a comment, I see what they mean and I try to adapt it and see what I can do. I try to see if it works better, and sometimes it actually does.

A lot of fans discovered your music on Spotify, have you discovered anyone in particular that you find interesting?
Billie Eilish!

Would you want to work with her?
No. I really like her songs but I don’t think [her music] will match with me. For example, I am a super big fan of Flume but I don’t think I will do something with him because we are completely different. But perhaps if we meet and we have a really good connection then, why not? I want people that I can work musically with.

One last question. Is there anything that you can tease us about future music that is coming?
Tonight I played three new tracks from my new album like ‘The Truth Never Lies’. I also played the new remix and a new intro for the live show that I’m trying out. I hope my fans liked it. There is also some unreleased stuff from my label, so I’m also trying to do different sets. If you see me tomorrow, there are going to be some parts that are the same but there are also going to be parts that will be different so you will have a different experience every time.