LA native Le Youth has ploughed his way through the blogosphere and is finally gaining the recognition he deserves on this side of the water.
Le Youth’s hazy take on tattered remnants of 90s R&B tracks, juxtaposed with a Italo-retro style, still feels completely contemporary. In fact, his velvety summer anthems have catapulted his debut EP, C O O L, into the UK top 10. So suffice to say, C O O L, his spin on the original Cassie classic ‘Me &U’, feels like it was destined to do great things in 1993 – or 2013, whatever.
What sorts of music were you listening too growing up and how has that influenced the sounds that you create?
I grew up listening to a lot of pop music and whatever was on the radio. That’s probably where my love for catchy music came from. I used to spend hours and hours in my room listening to the radio.
When did realise you had such a passion for music production?
I’ve been in other projects before Le Youth but the writing process was still the same. Making music has always been a solo thing for me. I guess I probably don’t work well with others. My interest in DJ’ing came out of the necessity for Le Youth to play live. I had dabbled in DJing in the past but didn’t discover my love for it until more recently.
Your music has a European flair with a very 90s aesthetic. What is it about classic R&B and 90s vibes that you love?
I guess what I like is the simplicity of dance/pop music from the 90s. They didn’t over think things. I think it’s time for a 90s revival.
How do other cities compare to LA for music?
Everything moves so much faster and feels so much larger in LA, and I thrive on that. Being surrounded by ambitious, hard working people can be an incredible motivator. I read this Moby quote years ago that was something like “No matter how hard you work, someone is working harder.” I’ve probably altered it in my head over the years and messed it up completely, but I’ve always been motivated by that.
Your new single ‘C O O L’ is doing great things over here in the UK. How was the track born?
I was working on a bunch of other stuff at the time, C O O L wasn’t even really a priority. It almost never happened at all. I actually wrote it and trashed it. Then, two months later, a friend who I had been sending demos to inspired me to finish it.
What else can we expect from the record? Will you be collaborating with anyone production wise?
I’m not collaborating with anyone on the production side but I am working with some pretty amazing singers, and singing a bit myself.
If you could have any other artist appear on one of your tracks then who would be your first choice?
Ciara. I think she’s phenomenal.
Top 5 tracks getting you excited at the moment?
Cyril Hahn – Perfect Form ft Shy Girls
Joel Compass – Fucked Up (Huxley Remix)
The C O O L EP is out now. soundcloud.com/leyouth
Words: Shane Hawkins (Follow Shane on Twitter @piccadilly_boy)