He's an admitted bass music junkie always searching for the latest and greatest talent on sites like SoundCloud. For this week's mixtape, Yung Cloud shares that love by way of a bass-fueled mixtape that crams more hot tracks into its 50 minutes than clowns in a car at the circus.
How did you get started deejaying? How long have you been at it?
I had an art collective called Solvent that threw art shows in houses and small bars, totally DIY. We had some friends that would DJ those parties. They started their own collective, but it was focused around music and deejaying instead of visual arts, called DropClock. My friend Matt was one of those DJs, and he saw that I had an interest in deejaying, so he would let me help choose tracks. Then he started to let me drop in a song here and there. He was also the first person to drop one of my tracks in front of a big crowd. After that, I was hooked. Because of that intro to deejaying, it has always been about the party and friends as a result. That was four years ago.
How did you come about doing LoLo night?
LoLo is the brainchild of Zander, Prime's founder, and Shree, who is the main operator and resident of LoLo, alongside Milazzo. They wanted to make a night dedicated to the house music that they love, and from that, LoLo was born.
What is the concept behind Sugar Free?
Beat music, video games, anime, internet IRL. Sugar Free is about a carefree good time with forward-thinking music that both previous fans and the uninitiated can enjoy.
How did you get involved with Prime?"This is the secret sauce to finding new music: Find your favorite song [on SoundCloud] with 45K [listens] or less and start a station. Thank me later." – YungCloud
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I co-founded Prime with a group of friends. It started out as us wanting to do a sick house party with national talent in a living room. We did three of them, and they were legendary. We all are on the same wavelength of wanting to do dope shit with our friends. Basically we just do that on a bigger scale now.
Do you have a preference as far as genres go?
All things bass music. I come from a percussion background, so I love rhythm. Heavy bass is the connecting factor between genres that I love such as beat music, trap, hip-hop, breaks, UK bass and bass house.
Are there genres you would like explore more given the time?
Gqom! It's this amazing sound coming out of Durban, South Africa. It's very dark, very rhythmic — basically everything that is near and dear to my heart. It was another great find from SoundCloud. I stumbled onto a record label called Gqom Oh records.
What music gets you going outside of club music?
Basically, I started in funk and jazz — speed and technicality. That led me to metal, and I played in a band called The Brothers Highhorse. This week, it's been Buena Vista Social Club and Thy Art is Murder’s first EP, Infinite Death. So to say my music taste is wide ranging would be an understatement. I also listen to old, intelligent dance music like Boards of Canada, Casino Versus Japan and Aphex Twin.
Where do you like to dig for tracks?
Ninety percent SoundCloud. I love stations. This is the secret sauce to finding new music: Find your favorite song with 45K or less and start a station. Thank me later.
Who are some of your favorite artists that you've stumbled on?
Shamana, Loud Lord, WINGZ, Big Dope, Swizzymack, Razat, arghtee, susboy, lvndo, DREVM, HolyRain, Essek ... ad infinitum.
What do you use to produce music?
Ableton aka Baeblton. I started in FL and my workflow in it was out of control, so I was very hesitant to make the switch, but my producer/brother-from-another-mother, MINDTR1KCS, convinced me to switch, and I have never looked back. Ironically, he keeps telling me he's gonna get back into FL.
Do you have any favorite virtual studio technology software?
For years it was Massive. Currently it's Serum, which everyone blames for a lot of the sameness in EDM sound design right now, but it's not true. If you actually design your own patches, you can get an incredible range of sounds out of it. I love that the makers of it also have a lease-to-own through Splice for the kids that don’t have $150 to drop all at once.
What music have you released?
I've released under a bunch of different monikers, but my main project for the last year has been Yung Cloud. You can peep my tunes on SoundCloud.
What gigs do you have coming up?
You can catch me at Sugar Free: Manilla Killa vs Robotaki on Sept. 22, and Halloween weekend, Oct. 28, at Sugar Free: ill.gates + champagne drip.
Tracklist:
fleece – "windowsill"
Cardi B – "Bodak Yellow ( Zora Jones & Sinjin Hawke Bootleg)"
Kaaris – "Chargè (DELAY Remix/Cover)"
Stormzy – "know me from - (PHAZZ Edit)"
Loud Lord x araabMUZIK – "Pressure"
Migos ft Drake – "Versace Remix"
XXXTENTACION – "Look at Me (yung cloud flip)"
21 Savage – "Red Opps (Two Fresh & Gianni Lee Remix)"
Skepta – "Man (Uniiqu3 & YK Jersey Club Remix)"
Alexander Lews x Brasstracks – "All Of the Lights"
Express Yourself – "Mangazi Flip"
dnt – "do the pot kids"
Young Thug – "Future Swag"
Proko – "Make it Work"
Skepta – "No Security"
Dead Prez – "Hiphop"
Future – "Photo Copied"
Sinjin Hawke – "Yea Hoe (Devils Daughter Mix)"
Oshi – "Pink"
Swizzymack – "Drip"
Swindall – "Shoko Jam"
Dabow & TWE – "Old Skool"
Young Thug, Freddie Gibbs @ A$AP Ferg – "Old English"
Spin/Nick Hook/Scatta VIP – "Old English"
Big Dope – Tiga Bugatti
Ezkimo – "Kickin’ Up Dirt"
Digital and Response – "Silver Linin"
Razat – "d Shadows"
Proko – "Ym Dnuos"
Notorious B.I.G. – "Ten Crack Commandments"
Mr. Carmack – "Black Bird"
Holly & Hounds – "Heckler"
Esseks x kll sMTH – "Whale Mane"
Ludacris – "Move Bitch (Ebbe Funk Remix)"
Four Color Zack – "After Laughter (tears flip)"
RL Grime – "Core (trails flip)"
Nas – "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)"
BANKS – "Better (Wallflower flip) (brrry edit)"
Breaux – "Leviathan"
Kodak Black – "No Flockin"
Major Lazer – "Pon de Floor (JSTJR Remix)"
Moth Circuit – "Get Money"
