Preferring to let his own music and mixing do the talking, over the last few years Ewan Smith aka Youandewan has become an omnipresent force on the Leeds music scene, with excursions further afield becoming ever more frequent. Tracks like the sublime ‘1988’ and EPs on his own MagicBag Music (amongst others) have turned heads along the way, and with the list of artists wanting the Youandewan treatment on their own work growing ever-longer, Smith has firmly established himself as one of the leading young lights in UK techno and bass music.
Here, he presents an hour of darkly atmospheric and grittily groovy beats; we hope you enjoy the ride.
In Their House #11 - Youandewan by Defected Records
How’s your year been so far?
Steady away, nothing mental but musically things are moving at a nice pace.
You’re still based-up in Leeds right? There seems to have been a real boom in Leeds-based producers and nights in the last year or so…is this something you’ve noticed?
Yeah still in Leeds and living out a suitcase at my girlfriend’s at the minute. I'm moving into a new flat very soon though so sticking around. It has a distinctive scene for sure. I've been here for a few years now and taken in bits of the old and new. First with its Basics heritage (one of the first 'real' clubs I ever went to) amongst tons of others. Then perhaps even the evolution of bass music et al with the likes of Hessle etc. It's deffo got some cred.
Mint Club always seems to always be at the centre of things in Leeds…how goes the residency?
Mint’s a really good club with a superb sound. I worked behind the bar for a year enduring hellish shifts and consuming far too many pukey jagerbombs before I started playing at System. It all starts up again in October I believe so watch this space
Tell us about the mix…how and where was it put together?
It’s more of an illustration of my DJ sets. It doesn’t contain exclusively ‘fresh’ tunes. It’s more like a bunch of stuff from artists that I really really dig etc. It was recorded on a pair of CDJs at home.
Any particular tracks on there you’d like to tell us about?
I’m a sucker for any sort of dusty, locked groovyness so wanted to express that I guess. There’s a remix in there by Tomas Rubeck on my tune Alone In Berlin. There’s something about it that makes peeps go nuts when I play it loud so thought I’d share that with the world. It’s available on my Soundcloud for free too if anyone wants a copy.
A lot of your productions of late have a very dark quality about them…do you set out to make moody tracks, or is this just where you naturally end up?
I tend to start a lot of tunes in my headphones so I guess that comes out by mistake. I’ve not much desire to make club bangers either so guess it meets in the middle.
Anything else you’d like to tell us about…?
I’ve done a couple of remixes for Maya Jane Coles, Turbo & 2nd Drop due out soon amongst others. I’m also preparing a brand new full EP very soon too.
Tracklist:
01. Rau - The Blessing [Staud]
02. Djungl - Untitled [Ethereal Sound
03. Lawrence - Dwelling On The Dunes [Laid
04. Deadbeat - Forth Quarter [BLKRTZ]
05. Fred P - Dawn [Finale Sessions]
06. Andreas Tilliander - She Don't Cry (Minilogue's Inca Dub) [Adrian Rec]
07. Pigon - Sunrise Industry [Dial Rec]
08. Youandewan - Alone In Berlin (Tomas Rubeck Dub) [CDR]
09. Benjamin Brunn - Don't Cry For Yesterday [Ashes]
10. Dorisberg - Mima [Aniara Rec]
11. Kevin McPhee - Try [CDR]
12. Omar S - I Come Over [FXHE]
