Every party has its end. However, Felix Jaehn only took a brief breath and is now more present than ever. The beats are faster, the look louder – but the love of music is unbroken.

FACES: It’s been a while since the world has heard from you. Welcome back! How did you spend your break from the limelight?
Felix Jaehn: I was offline quite often and took some real time out. A bit of gardening, a few trips, a few raves – and of course I also worked on my music. I tried to live in the moment and always did exactly what I felt like doing – without having to think about my calendar. I lived by the motto: I don’t care what I do the day after tomorrow. I can just do whatever I want right now.

FACES: Many people return from their travels changed. Does that also apply to you?
Felix Jaehn: I definitely feel more self-confident. I am more focused and know better who I am and what I want. I also used the break to reflect on the past ten years of my career and think about how I want to approach the next ten years.

A whole new sound

FACES: We can also hear this change! What inspired you to change your sound so much?
Felix Jaehn: Over the past few months, my music has generally become faster and faster. The fact that I went out a lot and went to parties without having to work influenced and inspired me. I also spent a lot of time on Soundcloud and discovered new trends and artists.

FACES: Can you name an artist that you’ve been particularly excited about on Soundcloud?
Felix Jaehn: I discovered Butschi from Leipzig in Germany. Leipzig is currently scoring with numerous trance DJs and producers. Butschi particularly inspired and amazed me. When I was sitting on the beach in Mexico, I listened to his music over and over again. Without further ado, I got in touch with him and we created a track together. I am very grateful for this collaboration and this experience.

Working with distance

FACES: You were in Mexico, Butschi was in Germany. How did you work on your song “Atme Ein (Atme Rauch Aus)” with this distance?
Felix Jaehn: My first message to him was something like: “Yo, what’s up? I like your sound. Let me know if you need any help or just want to chat.” Butschi was really happy that I had contacted him. Our first phone call lasted two or three hours, during which we talked about life, music and the music industry. It’s his dream to be able to make a living from music. I said to him: “I can help you with that. Let’s go! I’ll share my experience and knowledge with you, so let’s go on a journey together.” And that’s exactly what we did.

FACES: Compared to “Atme Ein (Atme Rauch Aus)”, your new single “All For Love” feat. Sandro Cavazza very typical of you. Will you continue to switch back and forth between these two musical worlds in the future?
Felix Jaehn: Yes, of course – and probably many more. I am a very versatile person, and my taste in music is just the same. I want to incorporate as much of this as possible into my Felix Jaehn world. As well as the fast, racy stuff, I also like the slower dance-pop songs.

FACES: Tell us about “All For Love” feat. Sandro Cavazza. What does the record mean to you?
Felix Jaehn: Well, I just love “All For Love” so much, and I’m also a big fan of Sandro Cavazza. I am so grateful that we are doing this together. I love the energy of this song and that Sandro almost shouted out the lyrics. In the studio, I’ve often heard singers sing very quietly – sometimes you can hardly hear them. In production, the vocals are then amplified so that they sound good. But Sandro really goes full throttle and literally screams out the lyrics – what energy! In terms of production, “All For Love” really sounds like a typical Felix Jaehn song, which for me is above all a combination of a dance production with electronic elements, combined with the strings and the live cello and live violin. I think mixing all this together with Sandro is simply wonderful.

United musical worlds

FACES: What will that look like from now on as you combine your musical worlds?
Felix Jaehn: You get the best of both worlds. In previous years, I have already experimented with speeding up the pace a little towards the end. However, the end will now be a little longer. My plan: I start slowly, around 128 BPM, and then go up to 155 trance music. It will definitely be super cool to start with the earlier “fast” and then turn up the pace again.

FACES: You are both already back on stage. Where can we see you in the future?
Felix Jaehn: In the summer, I played on the big stages all over Europe. In Ibiza I supported David Guetta and Robin Schulz and was at festivals in Finland, Latvia, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. I’m limiting myself to Europe at the moment because I really want to make sure that I don’t do too much too quickly again. That’s why I avoided intercontinental travel in the summer. My first show in Brazil will take place in October 2023 and I will probably do a small tour through Central, Latin and North America.

The thoughts revolve

FACES: What are you thinking a lot about these days?
Felix Jaehn: One thing that really concerns me at the moment is the issue of awareness in the clubs, which is still lacking today. This includes various topics such as racism, sexism and homophobia. Unfortunately, many people do not currently have the privilege of feeling safe in a club or festival environment. I’m really thinking about it and educating myself in the hope that I can help make a difference.

FACES: What can be done to prevent people from feeling unsafe in clubs or at festivals?
Felix Jaehn: We all have to actively address issues such as racism, sexism and homophobia. Of course there are more, but for me these are the three most urgent problems at the moment. We need to do this as humanity and society as a whole – but in clubs and festivals in particular, I’ve noticed that more and more venues are starting to have awareness teams working at the party specifically for this purpose.

The importance of awareness

FACES: What is an awareness team?
Felix Jaehn: Awareness teams consist of trained people who are actually on site in the audience. They offer first aid, do educational work and ideally define the rules again at the door. They also intervene when abusive behavior takes place in this space. They also have the power to draw consequences – and in the end that often means being kicked out.

FACES: Have you ever felt uncomfortable at a party or festival?
Felix Jaehn: Yes, I did. I have often been verbally attacked because I am queer. Most recently also when going out, unfortunately. That was actually the only party I’ve been to where there wasn’t an awareness team.

FACES: How comfortable do you feel in your new look?
Felix Jaehn: I just love him! It comes from within. I have finally discovered a new side to me. It took me 28 years before I dared to dress like that, because the way I was brought up and socialized, this style was considered “feminine”, and it always resonated with “I can’t do that as a man”. But I can do it, and I feel good about it. Of course, I am also aware that the risk of being attacked or even physically hurt is much higher now because people in society can clearly identify me as queer.

FELIX JAEHN

Cheerleader catapulted Felix Jaehn to number one in the charts in 2014. But at some point, the fast lane becomes routine: Jaehn took some time out. After a trip to South America and with a new look, the DJ is finally back.

You can see what Felix Jaehn is up to on his website and Instagram channel.

We know the ten best travel destinations where you don’t have to hide or feel unsafe as a queer person. Click here for the article.

Tags: Interview Music queer