Yousef Circus Reworks

Various Artists 
Yousef Circus Reworks
Circus Recordings

After a 12 month sabbatical to release on other labels like Cocoon, Saved, Harthouse, Intec and Monique Musique, Yousef returns to his own Circus Recordings to show off his remixing skills. Yousef Circus Reworks, an eight track EP featuring fresh and specifically produced remixes of Sven Vath, Four Tet, Gilles Peterson, Santos, Bpa Feat Jamie T aka Fatboy Slim, along with previously released circus reworks of Moby and Kaiserdisco. Yousef’s unreleased rework of his seminal Come Home finishes off this weighty and broad musical statement. 

Yousef produced all of the remixes with the dance floors at his world renowned monthly club event in mind. Now in its ninth year, Circus has invited the worlds best and freshest DJ’s from around the world consistently since opening in 2002. Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, Ricardo Villalobos, Carl Craig, Davide Squillace, Bookashade have all played for Yousef and his party in the last 12 months. In fact, after an exceptional series of parties in 2010 Circus was nominated for best club at the best of british awards for DJ MAG. Each track has its own twist, time of night or room at the club in mind, making this relese an excellent primer for DJ's as well as those in need of a party mix tape. 

Yet, the remixes are not only made for the kind of dance floor found at the Circus parties, but also as a primer for  Yousef's forthcoming second studio album released later in 2011. Apparently, all the tunes of this release have been carefully mastered using analogue engineering and classic valve equipment. That's not surprising, given the stature of the artists involved, but it is certainly nice to know that such electronic artists are so concerned for the warm and saturated distortion that analogue gear lends so well to computer music.

The reworks journey begins with a mix of Sven Vath's Ballet Romance. The introduction is an immediate thumping baseline, so there's no warming up - this is Circus - where you come to dance. Sven's track would require a rather energised form of Ballet and it tells a story of a turbulent, frenzied romance throwing you enthusiastically into the mood of the track. It's orchestration and general atmosphere is enchanting and disturbing at the same time. This would have to be a main room track or any dark room with enough space to get your fist pump dance going. Hernan Catteneo, a large player in the electronic music world with a successful career spanning over 20 years, lists Yousef's mix of Sven's Ballet Romance as one of his favourites. Catteneo say's of the release "Great mixes" and "been playing the Sven and Four Tet ones non stop. Excellent pack." 

Yousef's next re-work of Four Tet's Love Cry is a nine minute haunting percussive jam. Throughout the piece are the calls of a vocal "Love Cry, Love me, Love me." A repeating groove builds gradually over the course of nine minutes with acid-house-style synth squiggles and vocal samples fading in and out. In the original work by Fourtet, when the climax arrives, it is subtle. Yousef's rework is a much more energetic and almost South American flavoured take on the original, making an already classic track into a club main room killer. 

A cuban flavour is brought into the mix with Gilles Peterson's Havana Cultura track Arroz Con Pollo, popularly remixed by Carl Cox and MJ Cole for Havana Cultura Remixed. Back in 2009, when that first Havana Cultura: New Cuba Sound album was taking shape in Havana's EGREM studios, it was simply a bit of improvisation which led to this fun track being produced. With  Roberto Fonseca supplying the piano riff and Edrey from the hip-hop duo Ogguere on vocals, the result was "a little bit of joyfulness," according to Gilles Peterson. But Arroz con Pollo proved itself to be more than that - an ode to Havana street culture (and street food) that speaks to people around the world.

Reworks fittingly finishes off with Yousef's Come Home, a call out for everyone to come join him at Circus. The whole release has that effect, it takes you throughout Circus and if you're there for an amazing 1.1 hours. This will get many plays in the lead up to Yousef's much anticipated second studio album releasing later this year. These aren't just reworks they're dancefloor killers. Yousef Circus Reworks is out June 7th.

Kristen Marconi

Tracklisting:
01. Sven Vath – Ballet Romance
02. Santos – Primitive Cannible
03. Four Tet – Love Cry
04. Moby – Wait For Me
05. Gilles Peterson – Arroz con Pollo.
06. BPA feat Jamie T – Local Town
07. Kaiserdisco – In No One’s Shadow
08. Yousef – Come Home