Yousef

Massive 2013 for Circus rocking Liverpool, Egg’s 10th Birthday and a new residency at Bomba in Ibiza


Interview : Dan Prince


Welcome back to DMCWORLD young man, you must be thrilled at the moment – so many amazing projects on the go! Life is good right…?

Yep! It’s one endless creative project after another, promoting, running the label, making music and of course my original love, DJing. Endlessly busy, studying psychology too but happy in each moment!”

A great move for your beloved Circus brand last week was announced with the news that you will be hosting every Thursday at Ibiza’s newest superclub Bomba! I can see you and Danny Whittle doing some good things together down there. You have obviously great ties to Carl Cox over at Space, was a weekly residency ever on your agenda? What do you think of the new venue, a cozy 1000 capacity should ensure some rocking nights…

“Yes after 4 years at Space, Bomba came up and although I’m sad to leave Space as it really is one of the finest clubs there is, I knew this was the time to take the leap of faith with Circus. We start Thursday June 6th for 17 weeks so its full on but I’m sure we are all going to learn a lot and have some incredible times too. The line ups are typical strong underground house and techno and as with Circus we will be greeting people with a welcome. The new venue will have one of the worlds best sound systems too, hand made from Pioneer by the guys who made the legendary Phazon sound systems, which have never been bettered. Until now?!”

What can you tell us about some of the guests you have coming into the white isle?

Can’t say today Dan, but hoping in a few days. We have a good season first lined up though”.

You have a long standing relationship with Ibiza, why do you love it so much?

“If I think of anything with Ibiza I think of laughter and light and of course new music. Laughter is endless, so many people there to have fun, let go, be themselves, even just a for a few days…light, as in the tone of sunlight in Ibiza, is incredible, from morning till night it seems to calm me. And new music, all my best nights out in Ibiza are the ones where I’ve ended up somewhere and just heard a DJ I didn’t know, it’s always best that way, no opinion before you arrive. If you can combine these three attributes, you will see the magic of Ibiza…it’s a magical place. I’ve been going there as a DJ and a clubber for 20 years and it changes all the time but never loses its charm. The island seems to have this great energy about it and if you relax and let yourself get caught up in that, it can be an inspiring experience for anyone, however you want it to turn out.”

Your Circus monthly continues to rock Egg in London as the venue approaches its 10th Anniversary. After a stutter start Egg is now one of the best clubs in the UK with a great crowd. What do you love about the venue?

“One of the most important things for us to take Circus out of Liverpool was finding somewhere where we can replicate as much as possible what makes the club so great in Liverpool – the crowd. The crowd at Circus is unreal, I’ve DJ’d all around the world and nothing compares to the theatre of the Masque, now the East Village Social club, going off at full pelt. London clubbers are a bit more continental than in Liverpool, they take their time more, whereas in Liverpool it’s going nuts at 11pm. Egg London was a lot closer to the Liverpool mentality and that was a big attraction for what we do. We’ve been able to come close to recreating that Circus atmosphere and the club has progressed greatly over the past few years. You only have to look at the 10×10 celebrations to see this is a serious club with the utmost professionalism. It’s good to be a part of.”

London’s nightlife it seems to finally be on the up at last, why do you think it has been in the doldrums for so long?

Losing venues is the obvious answer, in a city where community can be scarce the clubbing community was vital, a lot of clubs closed all around the same time so maybe people where lost for a time.”

Circus Recordings goes from strength to strength, with recent releases from the likes of Sven Vath, Carl Cox, Guti, Gilles Peterson, Santos and yourself. What’s next on the release front?

“The label overall has been very similar to the way the club started, small and based around me, and built bigger as it has gone forward. I see it as an extension of the club, this idea that we will push music from big hitters like DJ Sneak and Derrick Carter, and unearth exciting new talent. I’ve discovered the likes of Yost Koen, Bambook and Netzell and Acid Mondays through the label, just as we helped push exciting new talent like Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler and Loco Dice at Circus for their first UK gigs. We’re also marking the fifth anniversary of the label soon. The club turned ten last year and we’re doing a series of parties around that, Circus X, so it made sense to ask a few friends to give me a track for the label and also call it Circus X. Luckily those friends are Dj Sneak, Nic Fanicuilli, Green Velvet, Tim Green, Nick Curly, Carl Cox, Guti, Davide Squillace and Tim Green, and their tracks are going to be available mixed and unmixed shortly on the label, alongside one of my own. And that’s just part one, part two will have Steve Lawler, Kerri Chandler, Paul Ritch and Scuba, as well as a few others. There’s also going to be new music from exciting new producers like David Glass, who grew up on the Circus dancefloor, Charles Ramirez and more as well to come. We’ll always balance the established and the new.”

 What are your thoughts on the EDM / Ultra take over in America? Some headz are saying the kids are now looking for a more house or techno sound at the moment?

“If people are having fun and listening to music then that’s cool by me. I am not, and nobody else, entitled to decide what someone else enjoys. I do think it’s cool that “the kids” are going from the further away scale from what I’m into like Steve Aoki etc. and then listening to Marco Carola, me, or Dice – it’s cool that there is a visible transition. I would suggest the experienced underground music lovers don’t turn their noses up at the techno tourists, welcome them, show them the way, show them that underground music actually means something to us. Musically, it’s not for me, but each to their own. These huge EDM style events can only have a positive effect filtering to the underground, as more people get introduced to electronic music and eventually discover new sounds as a consequence. It’s only natural that people will like one sound and suddenly discover a new one, and it’s already happening with people going from big room house to deep house, which if you think about it is a big shift. It’s like pop music fans going from Madonna to Radiohead! As for the Ultra events, I’ve played for them on numerous occasions and they are super professional. They are making the spectacle of electronic music much greater, the production and sound is next level and that is going to help the music.”

Up in Liverpool the Masque has just re-opened as East Village Social Club – how’s it looking up there?

“The refit has made a huge difference, they’ve spent over a million pounds and every penny has been done wisely. The Masque was always our spiritual home, we’ve done Circus in other places and we will continue to, but the soul is always the Masque. As I said earlier, the Theatre full pelt can’t be replicated anywhere else, and now with it being changed slightly to the East Village Social club they are retaining that vibe and bringing it bang up to date. The first show is me playing all night long, something I love doing in Liverpool, the city I am from. I played for four hours in the Shipping Forecast in the city back in February and it was a magical night, everything from deep disco up to full on house tackle, throwing in some classics from the Pointer Sisters, Chaka Khan, Sister Sledge and even Phil Collins along the way. I can’t wait to do this in the theatre again. We then have a Rebel Rave party on May Bank holiday weekend with Damian Lazarus, Art Department, Eats Everything and Infinity Ink joining myself and Lewis Boardman. There’s much, much more to come as well.”

Where are some of the big festivals you are looking forward to this summer?

“Ultra Croatia is a new one, then regulars like Tomorrowlands and Global Gathering and of course Glastonbury, I can’t wait for them all!”

Your 21st Century House Music radio show goes from strength to strength. Why is the show so important to you?

“Radio was always a lot of fun for me, even though originally I was just thrown into it with no training at the BBC. I missed that opportunity to share new music to people beyond my club sets, and the radio has given me the chance to do that again. The idea is that I go across the full spectrum of house music, deep to main room and everything in-between, as well as throwing in some techno and electronica along the way. It’s reflective not just of what I play in the club but what is exciting me, although I do put up some of my club sets as part of the shows. So far the response has been great, we go live in 13 different countries with more to come.”

And finally, for all the readers jetting off to Ibiza for your Circus at Bomba parties soon, what is your ultimate Ibiza survival tip…?

I think Ibiza is more about being rather than surviving, it can be anything you want it to be. Let go and enjoy yourself, try to make new friends and generally just go with the flow, and try to catch the energy of the island. That way you’ll get the most of the soul of what makes it so special. Also it’s crucial San Antonio, that’s not Ibiza, doesn’t swallow you up.”

 

http://www.circusclub.co.uk/

 

Yousef is resident at The Egg who celebrates their 10th Birthday throughout May.

www.egglondon.net