Doha witnessed one of the first flickers of the impending flurry of post-summer parties and top DJ gigs, last weekend. DJ Yass and keyboards whiz Alexandre Destrez brought down the house at the newly revamped WAHM Lounge at W Doha Hotel & Residences.
Regarded as one of the most talented up-and-coming artistes in the contemporary French electronic music scene, DJ Yass played recently at Pacha Ibiza, Ministry of Sound (London), Club Air (Tokyo), Deep L.A / Vanguard club (Hollywood-USA), Southport weekender (UK) and Mad (Switzerland). Producer and artist on Defected, Loulou, Urbana, Guesthouse, Sleezy G, Strictly Rhythm, Kingstreet, Ministry, and many more.
Yass has a few titles under his name such as Producer, Parisian remixer, FG radio DJ resident and Defected label artist ex-resident of the Queen club (Paris). He has over 25 years of experience mixing current club-style music, “pumping house” and seven years of experience in Hip Hop that has captivated everyone.
At the age of 19, Yass was one of the youngest resident DJs in Paris and with the influence of the great DJs of the world of the Rave party phenomenon, he gradually developed a passion for Techno and House sound. His flycases were slowly filled with vinyls from Detroit, Chicago, New York, Germany or England (Axis, Trax, Relief, F-Com, Tresor). From 1997, at the end of his sound engineering studies, he started working in clubs where he developed his own House music sound. His distinctive style combines his teenage groove with Funk, Disco, Jazz and even Techno. Community caught up with him after his Doha show.
 How was it performing in Doha?
It was an awesome experience. I had a lot of fun!
 
What about Doha’s audience stood out in particular?
I don’t really know the general audience in Doha, but the crowd I interacted with at WAHM were highly engaging. People come to WAHM to enjoy some feel-good music and atmosphere, and I could feel it immediately. It seems that the artistic direction in this place seems to be reaching greater heights.
 
As one of the youngest resident DJs of your time in Paris and having played alongside top DJs, what kept you going to create your own unique style and sound such as Pumping House Music?
Paris, like London, has been a crossroad of many musical influences (afro, jazz, hip hop, electro, techno). I had to digest a lot of styles to play in numerous famous places in the French capital. These musical melting pots contributed to the special DNA of my future DJ sets. I am glad to have grown up in Paris, and witness how the city has influenced my musical journey.
 
You have a massive amount of experience as a DJ. How do you see the role of a DJ to have changed or evolved over the years?
I am trying to stay on the same track, to bring that energy, feeling, the love of music and culture to people. Every party is different; it is not an exact science. But mostly it’s the search for the same thing. When they come to listen to me and let go of themselves, I want them to dance their hearts out and end the party with a positive feeling inside them. This is what I try to keep in mind every time. It helps me get better at what I do.
 
What’s the best part about getting to play live, over and over again?
Playing live is something organic. It’s an extraordinary exchange between yourself and the crowd. It’s also a fantastic artistic journey, like a fantastic discussion with your best friend.
 
How has collaborating with various producers and artistes helped you discover new dimensions to your music?
I have worked with many singers, musicians and producers in studios, and I have learnt that it helps define where you want to go. Be it exploring new horizons, forging a connection between creating records and the live act as a whole, or just showing the complementary nature of our work. I am glad to get to tour sometimes with talented musicians such as Destrez, with whom I also work in studio. Such collaborations bring a real artistic dimension to my DJ set. We are really playing together and with a lot of pleasure. It makes us smile inside and I think people can really feel it.