Fedde Le Grand
A Utrecht DJ, a sample of Matthew Dear and Disco D, and a UK No. 1 in 2006: how Fedde Le Grand went from his own Flamingo label to the DJ Mag Top 100.
- Dutch DJ and producer, born in Utrecht on 7 September 1977.
- “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit” went to No. 1 in the UK in 2006.
- His remixes of Camille Jones’ “The Creeps” and Ida Corr’s “Let Me Think About It” were UK top ten hits in 2007.
Fedde Le Grand broke through the way many DJs dream of: one club track, one sample and a UK No. 1. “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit” came out on his own label in 2006 and spent 30 weeks on the UK chart. The Utrecht DJ then turned a run of remixes into hits and stayed in the DJ Mag Top 100 for almost two decades.
Utrecht and Flamingo Recordings
Le Grand was born in Utrecht on 7 September 1977 and has been active since 2002, playing house, tech house and progressive house. He built his early catalogue on Flamingo Recordings, his own Dutch imprint. Flamingo put out “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit” in the Netherlands on 26 June 2006, and the track reached the top five of the Dutch Top 40.
Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit
The track samples “Hands Up for Detroit”, a record by Matthew Dear and Disco D. In the UK it was released by Data Records. Club play pushed it to No. 53 before the full release; when the single came out on 23 October 2006 it jumped to No. 2, then reached No. 1 the following week, before Westlife’s “The Rose” replaced it. The video, directed by Marcus Adams, is set in Detroit in 2027. The track won Best Underground Dance Track at the 2007 International Dance Music Awards. Read the full story of “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit”.
The remix years
Le Grand followed it with remixes that became hits in their own right. His version of “The Creeps”, a 2005 song by Camille Jones that he signed to Flamingo, was released in the UK by Ministry of Sound on 5 March 2007. It reached No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 1 on the UK Dance Chart.
Next came Danish singer Ida Corr. Le Grand heard “Let Me Think About It” on her album Robosoul and remixed it. Released on 5 August 2007 as Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grand, it reached No. 2 in the UK that October. In the US it hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Airplay chart in February 2008 and set the record for most weeks on that chart, with 52. It also won the 2008 Billboard Music Award for Top Hot Dance Airplay Track. More on “Let Me Think About It”.
Albums, awards and rankings
Le Grand was named Best Breakthrough DJ at the 2007 DJ Awards and entered the DJ Mag Top 100 at No. 22 the same year. He peaked at No. 14 in 2011 and was still in the poll in 2025. His debut album, Output, came out in 2009, followed by Something Real in 2016. At the 2012 Beatport Music Awards, “Metrum” won Best Techno Track and his remix of “Paradise” won Best Remix. Over the years he has also released on Toolroom, Ultra, Spinnin’ and Darklight.
His best-known records share a format: a short vocal hook, a long, steady groove and plenty of room to mix in and out. That is why “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit” still turns up in peak-time sets.
FAQ
Who is Fedde Le Grand?
A Dutch DJ and producer, born in Utrecht on 7 September 1977, best known for the 2006 UK No. 1 “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit”.
What does Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit sample?
It samples “Hands Up for Detroit” by Matthew Dear and Disco D.
Did Fedde Le Grand make Let Me Think About It?
The song is by Danish singer Ida Corr, from her album Robosoul. His remix, credited to Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grand, reached No. 2 in the UK in 2007.
What is Fedde Le Grand’s best DJ Mag Top 100 ranking?
No. 14, in 2011. He first entered the poll at No. 22 in 2007.
