Andrew Fedyk takes us through the good, the bad, and the up-and-coming of the music genre.
Photo by PremierLife
As the electronic music scene grows within the media, so does its popularity here in London, Ontario. Venues like London Music Hall have taken a habit to frequently hosting chart-topping DJs and this past April debuted the Aries Music Festival – just another one of London’s many efforts in establishing itself as a main attraction for electronic music lovers and producers alike. In the past two years, London has seen DJs like Calvin Harris, Alesso, Martin Garrix, Krewella, and many more, sparking an enthusiastic interest in the music and its affiliating pastime, DJing. HC’s interview with Raf Massarelli earlier on this year shed a little light onto the ups and downs of this pursuit, but we’d like to know a bit more.
DJs – or disc jockeys – first became a phenomenon in the early 20th century, as far back as 1909. The term wasn’t coined, however, until the 1930s, and by then the fad had grown significantly. Surprisingly, the relationship between electronic music and DJing didn’t develop until late into the century. Andrew Fedyk, a Western University student and well-known DJ within London, had a few explanations for this evolving movement.
“Musically we go through cycles and trends, kind of the same way we do with fashion,” he explained. “One type of genre becomes a focus at a certain moment and all the money gets poured into it at the time.”
Fedyk, otherwise known as DJ Feddy, has been pursuing the role of DJ since he was in twelfth grade. Surprisingly, his passions didn’t necessarily start with electronic music. “I’ve always been a music lover,” he explained back in March. “That was the first and foremost thing. It wasn’t just electronic music, it was everything. When I used to show people music it was never, ‘Let me show you this banger by this electronic artist.’ It was usually, ‘Let me show you this indie band.’”
Fedyk also doesn’t look to typical influences for inspiration. “Bob Dylan,” was his immediate response when asked. “He painted a very personalized story in his music and people really bought into that. My dream would be that, to have people interested in the story I tell. That’s what it’s about, right? That your music tells a story.”
Since his start, Fedyk’s held residencies at various local London bars and clubs, joined with Joe DePace to create Loud Luxury, as well as open for some of the biggest names that visit London. “I worked really hard, practiced a lot to perfect myself. I always pride myself in doing things a little differently than everyone else, not playing the exact same songs, not doing the exact same thing. I created a different reputation for myself.”
So what’s the best part about DJing? Fedyk goes back to his roots. “The ability to introduce people to new music they might never have heard of. I always like being on the forefront of something, so for me the enjoyment I get is pushing through sounds and finding new stuff that’s coming out, stuff that half the crowd is really confused by but in a year will be huge.”
While the satisfaction of story telling and music making is amazing, like anything in the entertainment industry it comes with its own set of cons. “[Music] is something so great, that so many people are inspired by, and the casualty in it is that there’s not enough room on the lifeboat,” he explains. “You’re always fighting for the best spot.”
He goes on to describe his most recent revelation regarding his future with music. “Over the summer, I realized that the fast pace and excitement of DJing clubs had caught up to me and I was feeling a little burnt out by it – creatively and physically.” He explains his new direction. “I’ve been focused profoundly on the idea of writing my own music, lyrics, and creating something more transcendental than high-energy, four on the floor music.”
Even his influences have changed, streaming towards entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers like Hedi Slimane and Sam Harris. “It’s a lot more complicated and there are little elements from different forms of art that influence me,” he explains. “My inspirations when I was younger used to be incredibly narrow.”
So where does Fedyk see music heading? “The future of DJing may get a little more advanced technologically, but the way its run with standardized equipment and DJs just showing up with USBs and headphones is too economical to be challenged. Larger artists will likely try and create a more artistic element to their live shows but the thing that will change more is the actual music being played out.”
It seems as though there’s more to the story when it comes to the process of making music. Oftentimes the ugly side of the entertainment industry has a way of weeding out the weak-willed, but Fedyk only seems to grow more motivated. “My interests have moved farther away from DJing as I feel I’ve done all I can in that. I still enjoy it but most opportunities in the future are going to center around writing music and DJing will just be an extension of that.”
To keep updated with Andrew Fedyk’s latest projects, check out Loud Luxury’s Facebook page and SoundCloud!