Yousef is a man firmly in control of his imminent destiny. Having been at the forefront of dance music fan’s attentions across the globe since the latter stages of the last century, he’s an artist that continues to evolve and develop with consummate ease. New sounds, new developments and new frontiers; they all remain an instrumental part of his thrust forward as one the planet’s leading underground House music tastemakers.
As a producer he continues to smash preconceptions about not only his style but the wider spectrum of House and Techno as well. Recently he’s gifted his beats to an ever expanding cluster of the most revered and respected imprints in the business, be them Carl Cox’s Intec, Nick Curly’s Cecille, Nic Fanciuilli’s Saved, the effervescent Monique Musique and of course Sven Vath’s timeless label Cocoon which released ‘Come Home’, Yousef’s stunning piece de resistance.
He’s recently finished his second full artist album, adding a series of more musically focused tracks to his resume alongside the serious (self penned) emotive vocal moments and of course many dance floor workouts (currently getting endless love from Loco Dice, Magda, Nic Fancuilli, Carl Cox, Guti and Uner). Coming soon is a developing live concept that redefines how electronic music is experienced.
That keen ear is also set to see a return to global radio in the near future.
Yousef’s record label “Circus Recordings” has had an excellent year, releasing tracks From Sven Vath, Four Tet, Gilles Peterson, Santos & Yousef himself, as well as signing a killer single from one of the dominant forces in Yousef’s career DJ Sneak. Alongside the kingpins of electronic music it is also pushing the next generation with Maher Daniel, Tom Flynn, Yostek and Doomwork and Acid Mondays, the latter discovered by Yousef.
And the what of the club-night that the label adorns the name of? Circus continues to dominate UK clubbing with its stunning ensembles of talent month after month. Whether going solo or doing parties with Planet E, Cocoon or BBC Radio One for the historic 500th Essential Mix, they’ve always got the mixture of established and the soon to be huge perfectly balanced. Sven Vath, Carl Cox, Ritchie Hawtin, Loco Dice, Luciano, Ricardo Vilalobos, Laurent Garnier (DJ & Live), Carl Craig and Adam Beyer are among those representing the former, whilst they can lay claim to being among the very first to champion the likes of Seth Troxler, Maya Jane Coles and Resident Advisor’s No 1 DJ Jamie Jones.
It’s exalted company that Yousef is more than comfortable alongside. Recent key gigs on home soil at the Warehouse Project, Global Gathering and now a Circus London regular at the new Egg where his kaleidoscopic approach to house will be part of the re-shape of what is an incredible venue. His European pedigree continues with strong followings across the continent - Fabrik in Madrid, Kristal in Bucharest, and further shows in Helsinki, Italy or his new residency with Duel Beat in Napoli attest to this.
He also continues to etch his name in the folklore of South American clubbing with stops in Argentina, Chile and Brazil, the latter boasting D-Edge and Warung as Yousef destinations. Ultra Music continues to take electronic music festivals to a whole new dimension and their support for Yousef has seen appearances at their events in Miami, Sao Paulo, Warsaw and Seoul. An unprecedented five-week tour of Asia, Australia and New Zealand was a highlight of the latter stages of last year maintained his deity status of that part of the world. And of course he enjoys a similar reverence at dance music’s centre piece, Ibiza.
Ever since he first travelled there as a starry eyed dance music fanatic in the late nineties Yousef has had a very special relationship with the white isle, having lived there intermittently during that time and DJed consistently there since 1998. He still enjoys a gloriously fruitful residency with Carl Cox and his Ibiza’s number 1 club event “Revolution” parties on Tuesdays at Space, with further appearances at DC-10’s Circo Loco event throughout the summer
His style remains perfectly emblematic of the dance floor dexterity needed in the modern clubspace, bringing the seductive groove and swing of classic house just as readily as the energy of techno, all along maintaining the vibe of authentic dj over 3 decks without a computer in sight. Whether delivering hedonistic immediacy or crafting extended sets riddled with subtlety, Yousef is both technically and musically peerless in his field, one of the globe’s finest exponents of a four-four beat.
A 21st century artist in scope, sound and stance, his lust for electronic music as a producer, promoter, DJ, record label owner and music enthusiast is stronger than ever. His efforts are thoughtful and considered and all approached with meaning; Yousef is there to educate as well as entertain. There are few who balance musical maturity with an exciting creative edge, and it’s the experience informed from his illustrious past combining with the forward thinking surge to the future that makes his musical manoeuvres so irresistibly potent. The man remains an unstoppable juggernaut of electronica.