Last time we chatted with Anjunadeep’s fast rising star Yotto, he was the new guy on the block. His song ‘Personal Space’ was quickly climbing the charts, and the label tour was catching a lot of attention as it swept across North America. His debut Wondering EP was the picture-perfect springboard for the Finnish producer to dive headfirst into a role as a full-time touring artist.
The last few years have seen a drastic increase in bookings. But with the added gigs and constant globetrotting, a certain comfort comes from fully sinking into the life of a full-time producer.
“I try to be home as much as possible,” Yotto says, “which is easy during the summer. Most of Europe I can just fly in and out and do a couple shows, and then go home.”
He says this while currently touring throughout North America, which can make for longer stays; Sometimes three weeks or more away from friends and family. Touring life can often be glamorized, full of late nights and fancy dinners, but when asked what he misses most, he was quick to confess that he misses most his wife, his dog, and the quiet sanctuary of home.
Part of his tour throughout North America will be twin sets throughout the Above and Beyond Group Therapy weekend, held at The Gorge Amphitheater up in Washington State. With only a few short weeks until the event, his main focus is set on finishing up some new music to play out for his Saturday and Sunday sets.
“The fact that it is being filmed and live broadcasted, and will be on the internet forever, makes it a bit more exciting but also a bit more stressful,” he says.
This is an abrupt shift compared to a more typical festival weekend. But when it all comes together, the added stress is all worthwhile, as he loves knowing the crowd is here for that signature Anjuna sound.
One guarantee that we can all expect from his set this month is his latest single ‘Wilderness Girl’. Released off of his home label, Anjunadeep, it has received a lot of attention in the deep house world since its release just over a month ago.
“It started with an accident when I was messing around with some LFO’s on some chords, and I started building the whole thing around that. Then I ended up with this arpeggiator pattern that reminded me of what [Hans] Zimmer did on his Interstellar soundtrack. Then it just came together quite easily.”
Once the song was released, it received remixes from Tim Engelhardt and Undercatt. Yotto had been playing these guys’ original productions in his own songs for a while, and thought that their unique sounds might breath new perspectives into a song that easily lights up any dance floor.
From an outsider looking in, the life of an artist on the Anjunadeep roster can be brain-scatteringly complicated, yet Yotto weaves the pieces together with ease. The only constant in his life is his inward competition, which never keeps him stagnant as he chases milestone after milestone. It could be hard to guess where he will be at this time next year, but he hints that their may be an album in the works along with plenty more gigs.
Looking forward, all sights are set on the Above and Beyond gig in the middle of September. After that, he heads over to the Southern Hemisphere where he plays shows in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane in the middle of October.
