Interview: Ralph Felix on Whitney Houston, Axtone and Clogs

By Jesse Pottinger, August 21, 2017

Formerly half of the electronic duo 'New_ID,' Ralph Felix went solo in 2014 and continues to established his presence as a major up-and-comer in the EDM scene. His most recent hit single 'The Heat' gathered praise from iconic artists like Avicii and Tiesto, and had collected over 10 million plays on spotify by July.

The Amsterdam-based producer continues to experiment with his sound, remixing work from artists like Robin Schultz, James Blunt, The Chainsmokers, Diplo and Fatboy Slim. Having previously joined Swedish House Mafia on their 'One Last Tour,' he now works under Axtone Records, alongside former Swedish House Mafia members Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso.

We caught up with the Dutchman to talk career highlights, future ambitions and his dream date with the late Whitney Houston. Check him out this month alongside fellow Axtone DJ Tom Staar at the W Guangzhou on August 25, or the Dragon-i Club in Hong Kong on August 26. Click here to find out how you can win tickets to his Guangzhou performance.

World-renowned DJs are one of the Netherlands' biggest exports, what are some of your favorite artists coming from your home country and why?
Yes, that is totally true. There are a lot of Dutch DJs representing our country all over the world. As there are so many I like, it's pretty hard to cover them all but I would say I’m a big fan of the new direction Martin Garrix has gone since about a year ago. I love how he takes amazing songs and brings them to a whole other level. Another great act I like is called The Him, they are very versatile in their productions and their music always sounds really fresh. They are actually from Amsterdam too!

‘The Heat’ had reached 10 million plays on Spotify by the beginning of July, how has the new hit affected your career?
Well it has been the first time one of my songs reached such a big audience. I’m getting messages from all around the globe that people absolutely love the song and are dancing like crazy to it. Apparently there are about 10,000 videos out there of people dancing to it! Last month I was at the wedding of one of my dearest friends, and as a surprise they did their first dance as husband and wife to 'The Heat.' It was such a special moment. All those great reactions feel like a warm bath for me to keep going and continue making music for you guys. Expect a whole lot more!

Describe your experience working under Axtone Records with industry legend Axwell.
I have been working with the Axtone team since 2012, and it has been an absolute blessing. After so many years, we know each other well and they have been really supportive with the new career and the Ralph Felix project. The same goes for Axwell, we have been working together for a long time now. He has been my mentor in a lot of ways and taught me so much about becoming a better producer. It’s a real privilege to have him as a listening ear for the new Ralph Felix projects that I am working on. He’s a big fan!

You formerly performed with fellow Dutchman Devi van der Horst under the stage name NEW_ID. Why did you decide to go solo?
For me it felt right to go separate ways as I wanted to do something more fresh and challenging. I felt stuck making the same groove sound for almost 7 years, so at a certain point I realized I wanted to push to new boundaries and widen my horizon as a producer!

Any new projects or collaborations in the works?
Always! I’m working on a lot of new material. Some are more in line with the sound of 'The Heat,' but others are totally fresh and some aren’t even house music. I’m also working on a collaboration with my friend Shapov. It’s a super special song that we both absolutely love, so keep your eyes peeled for what’s coming!

If you could collaborate with any artist in the world, who would it be?
I would have to say Lorde. I have seen her at Coachella twice now, and the energy and talent she has is from another planet. In my opinion, she is one of the only female singers that has that special character to distinguish her from the rest. If I could make just one song with her, my life as an artist would be complete.

Your hit track ‘The Heat’ has received support from icons like Avicii and Tiesto, if you could have a set of matching Dutch clogs for only one of the two, who would it be and why?
Although Tijs is Dutch, I would definitely choose some Dutch clogs with Avicii’s name on it. I love how he has been disrupting the dance music industry and going his own direction. We need more of that!

Tell us about the most legendary night you’ve ever had.
One the nights I will never forget took place in Ibiza, I believe in 2014. It was the night we played before Armand van Helden – one my biggest heroes – at Ushuaia. He played his classic New York house-style and closed off his set with 'You Don’t Know Me,' and Duane Harden sang the song live! 'You Don’t Know Me' is one of, if not the main song that got me in touch with house music and where it all started for me. Afterwards, I went backstage with Armand, Duane and the whole Axwell Ingrosso crew to party and drink Hierbas shots. Being part of that night was something pretty special!

Where would you go if you had the chance to take Whitney Houston on a date?
As she is such an inspiration and was such a talented artist, I would have to come up with something pretty damn special. I think I would take her to my country of birth, South Africa, and have dinner with her somewhere in the middle of a wine field, surrounded by mountains at a special wine farm I know.

Anything else you would like to share?
Yes! I just want to express that I absolutely can’t wait to head back to Asia and play my new music, I have been working in the studio for a long time so I can’t wait to show you people what is in store for the new Ralph Felix sound. It's going to be epic!