Interview: Yousef
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Bringing back the feel-good Ibiza sound, the legendary Yousef talks on his achievements over the years, the art of connecting to the audience and his new single 'Love and Hope' ft Brighton's talented vocal trio, Kuuda.
You’ve had quite a journey in the music scene so far, whether that be the undeniable glory days of the 90s back in your hometown of Liverpool, to the presenting of your mixes on BBC Radio 1, to starting up your label, CircusRecordings. Has there been a moment of reflection looking back on all of your successes, or do you take these experiences as part of a bigger picture you are still working towards today?
I’m very much a forward-only person in most ways. I look back at my history, and to be honest, I feel I should have done more, or gotten more out of the situations I found myself in!
I've had a great journey, and I'm very grateful, and yes, I do take my experiences into my new roles in music, whether it be DJing or production, running the events, or the label. Now as an artist manager, I work hard, and I’m still searching for fun times and to leave the most positive footprint on the world I can.
You just released your new track ‘Love and Hope’ ft. Kuuda. It’s magnetic, with a real feeling of what it says on the tin. Was there any inspiration behind the lyrics, especially behind the line “Take me to my memory”?
I do write lyrics, yes, but I didn’t write these; the incredible Meave did, from Kuuda, who is genuinely amazing, as you can hear!
The track weaves in that classic 90s house style, alongside melodic vocals from Kuuda, all while keeping it contemporary and relatable. Would you say compiling an electronic track in this way is the key to true craftsmanship in this industry?
On this one, to be honest, the basis was a set of old stems I had from a project at least 10 years ago... I stumbled across it and decided to freshen it up and rebuild it. I never throw any of my craft away, I’ll always look to see what I can remould and bring it up to date.
With all of music, I don’t have a plan; I just roll with what feels good and right and make sure it brings an emotion. My music is rarely just a functional banger; my goal is to have a catalogue of timeless music that resonates.
You recently played at London’s XOYO, where you focused on playing almost all unreleased tracks, including Love and Hope. You mentioned the vibe was electric. Do you think getting an audience to connect with you, even when playing music they have never heard before, is something that can be taught, or is it something that almost has to be earned as an artist?
Firstly, a DJ needs to believe in every single track they play. DJing is an energy exchange, so if a tune you're playing gives you knots in your stomach or makes you secretly want to vomit, then burn it! So even though I did (and usually do) play completely new music, the way I weave the tunes together has an impact.
I also like to give the audience credit, as in, I assume they want to hear more than the Beatport top 10. Playing "the hits" is too easy for me; challenging and audience, and still rocking it hard takes experience. Knowing the sonics of the music you play is important too.... "Will it sound good?" is half the battle for me.
Despite the high energy of your career, you have settled into a more idyllic setting. Do you think the surrounding nature and peace that comes with it help with the production of your music?
The reason I moved to the sticks was exactly that: my life was super high energy, and the peace around the craziness was necessary. Where I live is super chilled, but maaaaaaan, I miss the scouse banter more than anything!
When promoting your new track, you mention we need more love and hope now more than ever. Do you have any words of wisdom that you wish to share, which carry some of that love and hope to the emerging artists and community?
That was an acknowledgement of the world's current horrendousness, with so much division, war, and normalised violence; love and hope are the only solutions.
Yousef & Kuuda ‘Love And Hope’ (Incl. Red Weeller Remix) is out now on Circus Recordings. Listen Now
Written by Drew-Alexandra O'Keeffe
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