John Summit returns to Defected for the first time since his 2020 breakout hit.
Beatport’s best-selling artist of 2021, John Summit, returns to Beatport’s number one house music label, Defected, for his latest hit, “La Danza.”
The Chicago star’s new single follows a vast run of releases over the past few months, including “Human” (feat. Echoes) on FFRR, his collaborative tune with Sofi Tukker “Sun Came Up,” his remix of Purple Disco Machine’s “Dopamine,” and more.
With “La Danza,” Summit brings a high-spirited, Latin-infused vibe that incorporates his trademark infectious groove along with red-hot vocals and a butt-shaking bassline.
The UK House legend shares stories from his inspiring career and the making of his new sample pack, Circus House Music.
Liverpool-born DJ, producer and promoter Yousef Zaher has long been a part of house music history, but in May of 2021, Zaher – who writes and performs as Yousef – became a part of national history when his club night Circus was picked to host the first club nights in the UK after over a year of restrictions as part of the government’s Event Research Programme (ERP).
“It was myself and my business partner Rich knocking on the door of Liverpool Council, maybe eight, nine, ten months before the party actually happened, making the suggestion that at some point, the UK will surely by definition, have to restart events.”
“We had three weeks’ notice, we got a phone call to say, look, the government has sanctioned this, we would like you to give it a go, and you have to pay for it yourself. So we had to book it in just a few days.”
But Yousef’s musical journey began long before the world-changing events of 2020. He has had a career spanning over 20 years with countless highlights behind the decks, in the studio, and behind the scenes at Circus Recordings.
To celebrate the release of his new Beatport Sounds sample pack, Circus House Music, we sat down with him in his studio to ask him a few questions.
I guess it depends how far back you want to go. Even when I was in school, I really wanted to get into the acid house and rave scene when it was in its infancy.
At the weekend at school I would disappear to go to fledgling raves – amazing places like Shelley’s in Stoke – when I was super young, way too young to get in. It was an incredible formative experience seeing people like Carl Cox, and even The Prodigy live, and they were among their first-ever gigs.
Later down the road, when acid house hit Liverpool, I’d go to places there. But then, most importantly, it’s when Cream started, and that’s when I started to understand the authentic message of house music a lot more just by going every single week and seeing the American DJs who turned my ears like David Morales and Tony Humphries, Roger Sanchez, Derrick Carter – they were the people that really turned me on to the authentic house sound.
Of course, even in Cream, it was a full range of music across three rooms, but it was just being introduced to people like The Dust Brothers – now The Chemical Brothers – Andrew Weatherall, DJ Harvey, people like that were back in the annex.
Of course, most importantly, Paul Bleasdale was the backbone of everything that happened in that club musically. And for me, as I’ve said lots of times, he was one of the most important DJs in Liverpool’s history.
Do you have a first memory of when you noticed things really started to take off for you?
I think it’s been well documented that at the very beginning of my endeavours to become a touring DJ. I won a competition in the now-defunct magazine Bedroom Bedlam DJ. That set me off on a path where I got gigs at Ministry of Sound, which went really well. And then Pacha in Ibiza, which went extremely well.
I was telling somebody about it a few days ago. I had two copies of “Rock Shock” by Roy Davis Jr. and another track by The Buffalo Bunch and I was just mixing it up on three decks, doing my thing. The room at Pacha was going absolutely bananas unbeknown to me – I just thought it was normal. When I came off the decks, there was a whole range of agents and promoters and managers and everybody wanting to get a little piece of me – I had no idea that this was the beginning of the rest of my life.
That night, I went off and had lots of fun and on Monday I went back to my normal job – I literally worked in the children’s underwear section as an assistant. And little ones catalog. Don’t miss those days. But the phone calls came and I was made resident at Ministry Of Sound pretty quickly, and I was signed to the Ministry Of Sound agency. God bless Amy Thompson for looking after me and supporting me back in the original days. But yeah, man, that whole weekend or week in Ibiza in 1998 literally changed my life.
What’s the story behind your own club night, Circus?
Really, I was lucky enough to get the call up from Cream to be a resident. Short backstory – I was going there every week for seven or eight years, I was religious every week. But then I won the DJ competition and the irony was, I was now unable to go.
I was off playing Renascence and Ministry of Sound and playing gigs around Europe and my Saturdays were taken. But obviously, I wanted to be playing at Cream because that was always my dream. And when I say dream I mean that literally, I couldn’t sleep some nights imagining what I was gonna do when I played there. Eventually, Jim King and James Barton asked me to be a resident of Cream. That was fantastic.
I was there for a few years, but what was happening simultaneously was the music in the main room was becoming so far and far away from what I was doing in the annex — which is like underground house and techno — and eventually, we decided to do my own night at Cream.
It was going to be called Circus because I was at a party in Miami in a penthouse, and it was going crazy. I was DJing to everybody and these people from all over the world, all walks of life, and it was just kind of total chaos – it really felt like a circus.
We were about to start our night Circus at Cream, presented by Yousef, but unfortunately, Cream closed. I got a phone call from one of my long-serving business partners and best mates Rich McGinnis, who suggested that we continue doing the Circus idea together. We found a venue that was run by his girlfriend’s dad at the time, we put a few hundred quid in each and we just started. Fortunately, the first night at the Mask Arts Club – now called East Village Arts – was a real success. People from the Annex, my audience, came with me and we’ve not really looked back. We’ve kept on pushing away just between the two of us ever since day one. It’s now over 20 years and, of course, we’ve had lots and lots of crazy moments since.
What’s the future for Circus?
The future for Circus is to just continue to just try and do the best and most creative events that we can manage. Obviously, we’ve got the responsibility of looking after our staff and all these things so we need to make sure that the events work. We love the fact that we are able to support a range of artists across the city and beyond. We like it when major names come to play for us – the energy after those events is just second to none.
For me, it’s been like an unexpected 20-year journey. I thought it would be five years, ten years. Now it’s 15, 20 and beyond. So it’s very, very much established. But again, we just want people to have a good time and feel safe. That’s a good thing to touch on because the levels we go to ensure safety in the city now are literally second to none nationwide. It’s something that I’m really proud of, the journey might be slightly more complicated to get in, but once they’re in it’s safe and I find that’s something that I really take personally.
Finally, are there any artists you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
I guess I would like to collaborate with more of my DJ peers. I’ve done that quite a lot over the years. I’m 80% to 90% of the way into my fifth album, which is very much a collaborative process but largely with musicians and lead singers rather than electronic music producers. Maybe there should be a bit more of that. I’m not sure
I’m always trying to be creative and move forward. I think that sometimes there can be a bit of a disconnect between my musical output and my DJ sets, so I’m trying to connect those dots a little bit more. I’ve just released an EP called the Tools EP, which is very clearly just DJ tracks. But when I do an album, it’s listened to from start to finish, so people know me for a range of things. I’m just trying to make sure that the dots are connected a bit more over the next one if you like.
Yousef’s Circus House Music sample pack is now out from Beatport Sounds, and available on Loopcloud. Check it out here.
French techno don Airod treats us to some bone-chilling, high-octane dance floor weapons for Beatport’s Playlist of the Week.
This playlist aims to take you on a journey into my distinct vision of techno. I’m happy to share with you some newcomers and established artists shaping the sound of the future.
Having my own label Elixyr, co-owning Molekul Records, and working with labels such as Lenske or Exhale has opened my eyes to the new generation of artists and the new inspiration that’s emerging, teaching me to always innovate on my own and go beyond my limits of my creativity. To be able to tour the world and offer you a palette of new and different sounds is the core purpose of what I’m doing as a producer and DJ — to immerse you in the artist’s universe. That’s why this playlist is a mix of styles, which also describes the diversity of my selections and all the tracks you may hear and experience during my sets. Enjoy!
Encoded Data is a French duo hailing from Lyon. I received a message on SoundCloud with this track, and I immediately saw the potential of these producers. I didn’t hesitate to sign the track to my label. I play it in all my sets, and the effect is the same every time, no exception: everyone goes crazy.
Blame The Mono – Sub Rock [Absis]
Blame The Mono is a young French duo, both very talented. In this track, you can clearly feel the inspiration of the Chemical Brothers or The Prodigy, a breakbeat tune that is very catchy and very well realized. They’re a duo to watch, very diverse in their releases, and very high quality.
David Strasser – Trust The Process [Akronym]
David Strasser has a style all his own — very energetic but simultaneously melancholy and melodic, with songs that can be listened to alone but also thrill people during shows and festivals.
Riot Code – Devils Daze [Elixyr]
A bewitching, captivating track full of energy, I didn’t hesitate to sign it once I heard it. I often play this one at the end of my set, and I always feel a special atmosphere emerge when it drops. Riot Code is another very promising and talented duo that you should keep an eye on.
Lars Huissmann – Fusion [Mutual Rytm]
He’s no longer an artist to be introduced, with his millimeter-accurate, ultra-catchy tracks, a groove that makes you want to keep going, and hypnotic synths for a pure experience. I love to play this kind of groovy stuff, always giving some fresh air to the set.
Somewhen, Coco Paloma – Restless [R Label Group]
For me, this track is a hit, combining all the codes to remain timeless and a melody that remains engraved in the head, an arrangement that remains simple without overdoing it, but that’s the complexity of the track, ultra effective!
Keyo – Kick Into Your Ass [Taapion]
A beautiful production, which I also like to play at the end of my set, with a mood full of melancholy as it is full of energy. Love it.
Lulu – Sesame Season – [Elixyr]
An ultra-catchy track based on groove, repetitive vocals, and tribal sounds — big mood guaranteed when I play it.
Farrago, Part Time Killer – The Keymaster [Exhale]
“The Keymaster” is a very groovy tune full of percussion with a strong psytrance influence, a vocal that adds a layer to the already strong rhythm, resulting in an ultra-catchy track.
Beatport welcomes its new Central American and South American Ambassadors.
Beatport’s Ambassador program is a community-centric initiative to highlight emerging talent globally while fostering connections with local dance music culture. The Ambassador team serves as a crucial link to regional scenes, offering insights into the unique tastes, trends, and key players shaping each region’s musical landscape.
Meet our first round of Beatport Ambassadors below! We will announce more Central and South American artists joining our roster later this year, along with additional artists from continents around the globe.
BRENDA M
Brenda M is a renowned DJ and music producer originally from the Dominican Republic, whose career began in 2011. Since then, she has managed to establish herself as a prominent figure in the underground scene of electronic music, with a growing fan base and significant influence on the new generations.
She has shared the stage with some of the world’s most renowned DJs, such as Supernova, Yaya, Joeski, Juliet Sikora, Paco Osuna, Marco Carolla, Stacey Pullen, amongst many others, while also releasing records through celebrated labels like Great Stuff Recordings, Happy Techno Music, Underground Berlin, and more.
Committed to the development and growth of electronic music in her country, Brenda M has decided to create a community of DJs and producers. Currently, she runs an academy called INNERTONE ACADEMY, where she shares her knowledge and experience with local aspiring DJs and producers who aim to become professionals in their field. Her dedication to the training of new talents is a testament to her love for music and her desire to drive the growth of the electronic music scene in the Dominican Republic.
Ecuadorian DJ/Producer Andre Bass is the co-founder of Kankari Music Lab (alongside Mike Jaguar), the premier DJ school in her home country that also holds many events to promote and publicize the new emerging talents coming out of Ecuador.
She has shared a booth with international artists such as Del Fonda, Lexlay, Macassi, Gocci Bosca, Oostil from Afterlife, and she performs regularly at the #25 ranked club in the world by DJ Mag —Lost Beach Club in Montañita, Ecuador.
Her music has traveled the entire country, standing out in each of her presentations with her own style of underground electronic music. Her productions have been picked up by numerous international labels such as Oceanic Recording, Natural Soul, Tres14 Music, Arawak Records, Ride Music, and she continuously releases music on her own Kankari Records imprint.
Mike Jaguar started in the world of electronic music when he was 15 years old. Since then, the Ecuadorian DJ/Producer has dedicated all his time and effort to the scene’s growth in his home country. In 2016, he created Kankari Music Lab — a school dedicated to training DJs and producers that hosts underground electronic music events for many of Ecuador’s new and emerging talents.
He has been a resident DJ and performs regularly at the storied Lost Beach Club in Montañita and has shared the decks with artists like Giorgia Angiulli, Deborah de Luca, Boryana, Del Fonda, Gocci Bosca, Simon Baker, Manuel Sahagun, Lexlay, and more.
His productions have been picked up by a whole host of international labels such as Cachai, New Violence, Little Herpers, Hatching Creatures, and Ride Music — imprints that have helped see his distinctive Deep Tech sound travel far and wide on dance floors around the globe.
Born in Cuenca, Ecuador, one of DJ/producer Majo Orellana’s main mottos is “love what you do.” This mentality has helped make her one of the most relevant DJs in her country. Her passion for electronic music has led her to share a booth with international DJs and producers such as Boryana, Jose M & Tacoman, Alexi Delano, Gocci, Edu Imbernon, Exos, Julia Govor, Stefano Noferini, Marc Houle, Valentino, ANOTR, Bushwacka, and more.
Majo has performed at her country’s beloved Rotofest Festival and has regularly hit the decks at Lost Beach Club in Montañita while also playing the club’s ensuing city takeovers in Quito, Guayaquil, and her hometown of Cuenca.
Majo Orellana studies Musical Instrument Performance (violin) at the José María Rodríguez Superior Conservatory in Cuenca. She is also an alumnus of the Kankari Music Lab in the city of Guayaquil, resulting in the release of her Subliminal EP on Kankair Recordings, peaking at #48 on the Top 100 Minimal Deep Tech Releases on Beatport.
Nicolle Meng is a DJ/producer from Guatemala. By loving and exploring art in all its forms, she has found freedom and a creative shelter in music. In her short yet rather accelerated career, she exhibits an excellent and solid technique with an electric musical selection performing very dynamic sets, accompanied by a coherent development in her sessions with organic components mixed with acid and retro sounds that make her one of the most sought after DJs in her country and all over Central America.
Having only just recently embarked on her first South American tour, she performed at some of the continent’s best clubs in cities like Quito, Lima, Piura, and Cusco. Her defined style of sound leans in the camps of Minimal, Electro, and Acid House, but her drive to explore a vast spectrum of genres takes her to incorporate Indie Dance, Techno, Breaks, and Disco into her thrilling sets that have set dance floor ablaze.
Having emerged from such a small scene, driven by her talent and passion for performing internationally, Nicolle Meng is an artist to look out for in the underground electronic music circuit.
Revisit the Beatsource x DJcity LinkUp event (London)
On September 10th, DJs from across the UK came together to meet in West London for the latest edition of Beatsource x DJcity x Beatport Linkup. With a host of panels and speakers on the program, attendees had the opportunity to network, catch up with friends and listen to a series of insightful discussions about the latest in DJing technology and other current topics in the community.
Hosted by online DJ school Crossfader, the first panel discussion covered subjects such as how to get gigs and harness the power of social media, as well as the evolution of DJ hardware and software and the implications of this for DJs both recreational and professional.
“Many DJs are aware of each other through social media, but their busy schedules often prevent them from developing those relationships further. The DJcity Linkup was created to bring together DJs from around the country in one place at the same time. DJs attend the Linkup to discuss the latest music and technology trends and share ideas and opportunities.” – DJcity UK
The advent of Serato’s DVS (digital vinyl system) was quoted as a key point where a whole new set of possibilities opened up to DJs. Likewise, the Pioneer CDJ-3000 unlocked unprecedented capabilities, allowing DJs to streamline and transform their workflow and performances. On the other hand, the issue of connectivity was stated as a huge hurdle for DJ technology, which only now seems to be making positive headway.
The panel was joined by Pioneer DJ’s product planning executive Jack Canham who gave insights into how with each iteration, product lines are being devised to meet the specific current – as well as future – needs of DJs. One example of this is how Pioneer has focused on the visual element on their products, not just on the hardware but on-screen with elements such as waveforms.
On the subject of product planning, Canham spoke about the level of work that goes into the research and design of products. For example, products that are already in the pipeline are slated for release in as far as 2027 – giving perspective on the timeline for the development of such products.
“We don’t just push products out. It takes a long, long time to develop them.” – Jack Canham
The future seems bright for DJ tech, with DJ and Beatsource product specialist Mojaxx stating: “I’m waiting for the day where I can just log in to the CDJ with my password and it’s all there and ready to go… And we’re not there yet but we’re getting closer – with the 3000s I can now log into Beatsource and access all my playlists.”
He went on to stress the importance of strengthening the dialogue between product organizations and the DJing community, encouraging the audience to email brands as well as use networking events like this one to speak to them in person – such as Serato, Beatsource, Pioneer, and Westend DJ who were all present at the event.
“Your voices are being heard – these companies are listening to DJs. Talk to us, it’s so important to make your voice heard.” – Mojaxx
The second discussion was a live edition of The TalkOver Podcast, hosted by DJ Dubl and guest DJ Cee B. Tackling age-old topics such as DJ etiquette, the role of the warm-up DJ, nightmare track requests from the crowd, and striving for transparency within the DJ industry regarding money and rates.
The event was rounded off with a free raffle competition, where nine winners won a Serato gift pack and one lucky winner went home with a brand new Pioneer DDJ Rev5 controller.
On what was a humid late-Summer Sunday afternoon, the event proved to be a valuable and informative opportunity for DJs from all over to share ideas, get industry insights, and make new connections.
