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Yousef

DJ / Producer / Remixer / Promoter

Biography

Reputation is a wonderful thing. It's certainly something Liverpool DJ/Producer Yousef has become accustom to, carving his own legacy across the global electronica circuit for close on a decade.

Bitten by the acid house bug at legendary rave metropolis 'Shellys' in 1991 after watching some of the first live sets from Carl Cox and Prodigy, Yousef has, since then, grabbed the global industry by the scruff of the neck, forcing his way in through sheer talent and determination. Residencies at Ministry Of Sound, Renaissance and most notably Cream, cemented the scouse empire with a love of house at a point where trance began to rule club land. Next up, conquering the UK this began by taking his infallible understanding of house to Basics, Pressure, Shindig and every other top UK club. Planet Earth followed, skipping across continents with the same glee as the snapping beats in the music he played. Booked in the world's best clubs on a regular basis, Yousef quickly became synonymous as one of dance music's global figures, a position he still holds to great acclaim.

Yousef loves to Travel

"I love going to Montreal! it's multicultural and multi-sexual and musically broad. Favourite places include New York, LA, Rio, Sao Polo, Porto Alegre and Buenos Aires. Then there's Asia, especially Japan, a wonderful country where the vibes never fails to amaze me. Plus Sydney, Melbourne, all over Europe, I could go on!"

Relentlessly playing worldwide has given Yousef a mature & broad musical taste, twisting electronica with house, vocals with techno. Yousef stays current without jumping on bandwagons, his finger on the pulse without wavering to trends. This keen ear for what works on the floor has translated in the studio gaining acclaim for remixes and releases on a slew of rave emporiums like Skint, Slip N Slide, Junior Boys own, CR2, Sony, Peppermint Jam, Underwater and Denmark's Okyo remixing Fatboy Slim and Jamiroquai among many others along the way.

Taking a step back from his wild days ("Now I'm more interested in running than raving") has meant his studio time has been even more productive. Remaking Carl Cox's classic monster 'I want you' (signed to cr2), There is the self penned and sung "My Own Best Myself", a track complete with a furious techno edit that became the aforementioned Cox's secret weapon. "The priority for me is to continue making hot records", Yousef nods. "People who are playing what I'm into are Nic Fanciulli, Steve Lawler, Laurent Garnier, Paul Woolford and Deep Dish people who have also heavily supported my own music.

There's a forthcoming barrage of re-edits as well, masterful takes on the likes of Felix da Housecat, Justice, Mr Oizo and Jence which have cheekily reappraised classic moments in dance music's archaic history. Knee deep into the twenty first century and Yousef is still cutting edge, benchmarked brilliantly by his latest mix for Underwater. Mixed LIVE, spread across two discs, it showcases the deftness of his mature sound, garnering significant praise from the media and the coveted album of the issue accolade and a five star rating for DJMag. An expert blend of Carl Craig's ethereal techno, Samim's sultry tribal rhythms and Yousef's own chunky house, a document of the state of electronic music in 2007, a compilation that acts not only as a snapshot of now but also a timeless statement of dance music in its most visceral glory. It?s in good company, joining a series that began with a classic Mixmag covermount in 2001 and has since racked up critically lauded offerings on Renaissance, DMC, Cream, UCMG and a mix for some night called Circus.

Ah, how can we forget Circus, Yousef's infamous Liverpool party? "The line-ups are ridiculous!" he laughs. He's not kidding, a feverish acid house party, Circus has just turned five after a cataclysmic birthday at Nation. "The party was a roaring success; we managed to get together a line-up that reflected everything that we have stood for in the past and the present, as well as taking a glance at our future". This wasn't misplaced. Circus recent 5th birthday caused pandemonium rarely seen in Liverpool, the venue full of 3000 incessantly hedonistic ravers with another 1200 turned away... Something of a labour of love, Yousef has managed to balance that fine act of putting on fresh talent and combining them with world beaters, His monthly continues.

Yousef's remix of Carl Cox's I Want You received plays on BBC's Radio 1 shows. I Want You was played by Pete Tong on his Essential Mix show, on Annie Mac's Mashup and on Eddie Halliwell's show.

So what does lie ahead for Yousef..? More and more original productions (4 more singles in the next 6 months), remixes ensuring his electronic manifesto leaves it's footprints in dance music's soundscape. His own imprint Carioca continues to grow with his own releases earmarked while bringing light to a stunning set of underground producers bubbling intermittently under the radar. The DJ touring relentlessly continues, Yousef's signature sound all the best forms of house, techno and electronica, his innate understanding of soundtracking continues to devastate dance floors worldwide.