02.09.2020
This week’s guest mix is by Yosua, pronounced “ya-shu-a”. A good friend of mine, a great cook, an avid traveler, boater, and an up and coming Detroit DJ. I am excited for you to hear his mix (some slammin’ techno), and learn a little more about Yosua – his name in Hebrew, – Josh. He played at the Leland at the event with Lucy (Berlin) last August on a stacked lineup that also included Dru Ruiz, Rex Sepulveda, Errelevent, and OU812.
In his interview, we talk about his DJing style, thoughts on Movement Electronic Music Festival, favorite place in the world he has traveled, view on live-streams, personal goals, boat life, and more. I cannot wait for you to see the recipe he has chosen for Friday’s Recipe by Request as well!
I hope you enjoy his mix, now on SoundCloud.
detroit.dance: How did you get into electronic music?
Yosua: Living in the city and Movement! I was lucky in the ability to be introduced to this genre of music early on. Honestly, it really began by listening to 101.9 FM and their midnight shows where they would play electronic music. That and Movement is how I got started.
detroit.dance: Movement – How long have you been going and what are your thoughts on the festival?
Yosua: I went to my first one in 2005, I think I’ve missed maybe four since then. My favorite part about it is definitely the Underground stage, but all of the stages have their own unique personality and different sound. With all five stages, you know you are in a different setting. It’s not just some makeshift different stage thrown up, they really integrate the surrounding environment with each stage so each has a real personality. But, Underground is my favorite spot.
detroit.dance: Do you have a favorite Movement afterparty that you have attended?
Yosua: My favorite EVER?
detroit.dance: A favorite, or a few.
Yosua: Well I have two, one of them would be Richie Hawtin’s afterparty in the Fountain Ballroom yeaaars ago, I want to say around 2011-2012. The second one was the Seth Troxler b2b Dixon at the Leland. Instead of putting it in the normal venue room they put it in the hallway where the stairs meet up, and it was jam-packed but it was fucking incredible.
detroit.dance: What do you do outside of DJing?
Yosua: I own a heating and cooling company, Moreno Mechanical.
detroit.dance: What is your life philosophy?
Yosua: I don’t believe in any of it but I believe in all of it.
detroit.dance: Where do you see electronic music going after COVID?
Yosua: I think it’s going to be a big reset button. I think we are going to come back down to earth as far as it being more about the music and less about the money. Prices were getting out of control for everything, it was getting harder and harder to book DJs, that were bigger names because they were always asking for so much more money, and there were always different venues willing to pay that. So you weren’t getting certain DJs in certain parts of the country like we used to. I think people are going to really have to humble themselves and it’s going to be more about trying to get your music out there, actually trying to get yourself booked, and it’s going to open the door for more people that wouldn’t have been able to get a shot before. So many people have just given up or moved on because of this, so there will be more opportunity.
detroit.dance: What should people expect or think of when they are listening to a set from you?
Yosua: I mean I usually like to play a lot more fast paced, higher BPM, mixing in experimental techno or just anything techno. Although, I will play to the crowd as well depending on venue, day or night. Usually I play night sets and they will have a bit more energy.
detroit.dance: Once venues start opening up more, is there a certain venue that you would like to play at?
Yosua: I really like Tangent Gallery! I really like that venue in particular, especially the inside of it. I also really like Leland, it has the setting for more of a heavier techno sound. But Tangent Gallery is definitely my number one.
detroit.dance: What’s your favorite place in the world you have been so far?
Yosua: Tulum. Everything about it – the views, the people, the food, their music scene. Everything. The food is incredible. Since it’s a coastal city you get a lot of seafood and it’s super fresh. And it’s super cheap.
detroit.dance: Where would you have a vacation home if money was no obstacle?
Yosua: French Polynesia. It’s fucking gorgeous. I could rent my spot for whenever I’m not there and I’d make my money back for the time I’m not there. I’m a total island baby.
detroit.dance: How’s boat life treating you? [For reference – Josh bought a pontoon boat this summer]
Yosua: Oh it’s FIRE! I’m becoming an avid boater, for sure. I’m already looking at selling the one I have now to get a bigger one for next year.
detroit.dance: Was it always in a plan of yours to own a boat or was it a spontaneous decision?
Yosua: I’ve always wanted one. I was going to buy one next year, but I saw the opportunity this year and I took it. Now I’m positive I want a bigger one. We hung out with a couple people with bigger boats so it’s definitely time for a bigger boat,*laughs*. My retirement dream has always been to have a house boat and sail around the world.
detroit.dance: Will you ever do any live streams?
Yosua: I’m just not really a big fan of it unless it’s done in a certain setting. I’m not a fan of the at-home live streams because I don’t feel like you capture as much energy with them. What I do like are the destination streams like the ones by Cercle, I really like how they do it. They choose an artist, curate the vibe and location just for them, they’ll pick a setting somewhere really beautiful and outdoors, or even somewhere nice indoors or next to a building. They just really do it right. Their destination settings really capture the artist and what kind of music that they play, and it creates art. You get a visual experience as well as an audio experience. So, with live streams when I see some artists doing something where they are just playing at home, in their bedroom, it got old really fast for me.
detroit.dance: I see where you’re coming from with the audio/visual, and I am also a big fan of the destinations. Personally, whenever I have a stream on, a lot of the time I just have the audio on in the background and continue doing what I’m doing without necessarily watching it.
Yosua: Yeah, that’s the thing, is that they’re just on in the background. You’re not really focused on it. A lot of the time the sound is shoddy. Cercle has been doing what they do for years. A lot of the time, they do not have a crowd, it is just the artist in an empty setting. Doing it that way, you can really get people into it and have them imagine being there. In the bedroom or at home, it’s not the same. You hear this music filled with so much energy, but it’s not in a setting you can visualize yourself in.
detroit.dance: Do you have any goals for yourself or any idea of where you see your DJ career going?
Yosua: Right now after getting my computer stolen a year or so ago, I lost all of my original tracks, so I’m trying to build that back up…my earlier work producing was more of a house-y feel, and now I’m evolving into producing more of a heavier techno sound. I want to get enough material together in the next year or two to where I have an EP I can release, and then from there start touring a couple times a year, in Michigan and out of Michigan. Just short tours, nothing crazy, 2-3 months out of the year to start would be great.
detroit.dance: When you produce, do you have a certain method to putting a track together?
Yosua: I always start with my kick. I try to figure out where I am going from there, and then I like to play around with a couple sounds and find something I like that goes with my kick.
detroit.dance: Is there any skill that you would still like to learn? Something to do with DJing or just in general.
Yosua: Yo, I would really like to become a master of scratching. To me, there’s something about that whole turntablism from hip-hop DJs being able to scratch and smash on that fader, really cut it in, like two records at once but back and forth… something about that is just really cool to me. I see certain DJs like DJ Premier ripping 3, 4 records…it’s incredible to me, it takes massive skill.
detroit.dance: Is there any track, artist, or label that you are into right now?
Yosua: Kompakt. superpitcher is on there, Micheal Mayer. They have a huge catalog of artists. Also, a track I’m into right now is Crush The Mushrooms by Karenn. The song is fire. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard in respect to techno and experimental. It’s so raw.
detroit.dance: Is there anything in particular that you’d like to say to end the interview?
Yosua: Just keep the music playing. It’s tough right now but we still need more music, and even though we don’t have as much live music right now, just keep the music playing.
– – –
Make sure you check out Yosua’s Destination Detroit (Hipster Beach, Belle Isle) and his Recipe by Request ( Fish Tacos) that will be posted Friday. His mix is now on SoundCloud.