Yousef: The 2 Sides of a Tech House Renaissance Man

Electronic is a little different from some of the other genres out there. Ok… a lot different. But one of the things that make EDM a model for other types of music is that the fans aren’t fickle. There’s no here-today-gone-tomorrow credo, like the one so evident in rock and pop these days. If someone is killin’ it, they remain a contender. In fact, if anything, respect builds. We celebrate those deck commanders who fight on tirelessly in the ever-widening field of competition.

They are our heroes.

So it goes with badasses like Junior Sanchez, Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, Laurent Garnier, Derek Carter, Carl Cox, Sven Väth, and the man himself, Green Velvet. What do, at the very least, the last four have in common? They’ve all been involved with tracks released on a label belonging to a man who is himself a legendary figure in the tech house world—on the decks, in the studio, and as a promoter. Circus is the label. Circus is the night. Yousef is the man.

Yousef. Circus. Circus. Yousef.

The two are ubiquitous. In fact, it’s difficult to say whether he is more renown for the label and his epic-run weekly night, or his own music. Coming up in Liverpool at the dawn of the millennium, Circus thrived and multiplied. Events have been seen choking off traffic in London and Manchester, and as far afield as Barcelona and Serbia. And while it’s true his label boasts old-schoolers like Hector Romero, Cox and Väth, Yousef has fair game as a talent scout as well, giving signage to next generation-ers like Lewis Boardman, David Glass and Tom Flynn. Just as relevant, and perhaps even more intriguing, is Yousef’s knack for helping performers bridge from one genre to the next. Take Erica Thompson, the jazz vet from Los Angeles who teamed with him on 2015’s “Pleasure Defined.”

“I love finding new people,” Yousef says, “and collaborating with someone who’s coming up is simply exciting.”

And although the word “countless” does little to describe the number of times he’s played out since 2000, he still insists on full-throttle. Whether poolside lounge or stadium, it gets the same enthusiasm from the man himself. “The other week, I played a 600-person venue, and I was full at it. People are paying their money, regardless of size. I give them everything I have; I play it like it’s the last thing I’ll ever do—every time.”

The fact that he burns bright is well documented. “I’ve only had just one sip of coffee,” he once told me over the phone, “and I’ve walked about 10 miles, simply pacing back and forth.”

So. To set things straight, we’re talking about a DJ who has become so prolific that people think of someone other than the Beatles when one mentions Liverpool. He has cultivated and grown his own cred over a ripping 15-year span with a label, a club night of renown, tech house singles that always chart well, unparalleled talent-safari skills, respected studio/production ability, a “required” podcast, and more residencies notching his belt than a shark has teeth. What, you may ask, does this sort of person do for fun?

Vipassanā meditation.

It’s a nonsectarian (that’s non-religious, for you non-religious sorts) form of Buddhism wherein one seeks insight into the true nature of things, or the isness (FSOL fans, take note). In Vipassanā, one uses quietude, acceptance of the present moment, and awareness of your own physical body to gain insight.

“I had trouble just keeping still—at first, anyway,” recalls Yousef. “Recently, I went on a 10-day retreat at a monastery. It’s incredibly difficult but incredibly rewarding. The places it takes you mentally, and the clarity it gives you, is beyond belief. At this particular retreat, there were no phones, no computers, no talking, no contact with the outside world, and not even any eye contact—and you had to share a dorm with six fully grown men, meditating for 14 hours a day in a hall with 100 people. Basically, it was living like a monk and helped me get rid of all the background noise of life. It was as mental as it sounds, but I have to say, the results were just blissful.”

If he sounds focused, he is. And although he sounds driven, and is perhaps the living embodiment of the term “tastemaker,” there is another side to Yousef.

He is funny.

When speaking to him, one can’t help but catch the quips—the observations that, when grown under the roof of his ceaseless metabolism, combine into an excellent sense of humor. Who would he spend a day with—of anyone, mind you—in history?

Richard Pryor.

The American comedian who hit his peak in the late ‘70s, and is regarded by many to be the greatest stand-up talent of all time, is one of the main heads carved on Yousef’s personal totem pole.

“The historically mischievous me wants to go partying and get wasted with Richard Pryor in the ‘70s, before I was born,” he says, “then watch him do his stand-up live while sipping on an array of fine cocktails. I’m not going to follow Pryor in some of his more extreme antics—enough said there. That sums me up: I’m super kind and love helping people, but once I get going, there’s no stopping how ridiculous I can be!”

Catch Yousef at EDC Mexico, where he’ll be more than happy to help you get a little ridiculous.

Ba-da-BOOM.

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