We have a name, an age, and otherwise nothing – but the mysterious Youan has been making waves with his Ciara-sampled single “Promises”. Wonderland takes a peek into the secretive world of this Ciara-sampling producer and his Prince-meets-Jessie-Ware sound.
You seem to be a bit of an enigma. Please, tell us a little bite more about yourself?
22, Male. Good at Fifa.
Still, relatively young in age, how did you end up in music?
I started out as a ghost producer for DJs in 2006/07 around the time when the “electro” scene blew up. I never really connected with that music so much, but it was a great time for me to learn.
Tell us a little bit more about your debut single “Promises”.
I was going through a stage where nothing was really sticking. I wanted a sound that could work in a club environment but at the same time wasn’t disposable. The vibe had to stay with you. “Promises” was the first time I found that space.
If you had to describe the sounds that you create, what would be a fitting description?
Muted colours.
What are your main influences and inspirations when creating music?
For a tune to work for me, it has to have space to breathe. A lot of people think they have to fill every gap in a bar to fill a song out, but often it’s the space in between that allows a tune to breathe. Recently I’ve been really getting into more down tempo stuff, taking a lot from the chopped and screwed scene.
What else can we expect from you in 2012? Any live gigs/collaborations?
I’m working on a mixtape which I’m hoping to drop around mid August, I’m also just working on a live set which will be nice to make the DJ sets a bit more engaging. Hopefully roll that out around the same time.
Will you be producing for any other artists?
This is definitely something I’m looking into.
You’re a mysterious artist. How important do you think that image is to an artist’s career?
It depends. Obviously image is important for pop stars and boybands; for electronic music I think it is less important. People don’t want another person to follow, they want music that they can live to. A good tune is a good tune. The people that look for it will find it.
Download Youan’s new single “Promises” here.
Words: Shane Hawkins