Inner Circle : Mo Yasin
What got you into DJ-ing?
Being a nerd-ass hip-hop kid in middle school. I used to watch mad turntablist videos on Youtube - old DMC battles and routines. Scratching and trick mixing made me initially want to get turntables, but I kind of abandoned turntablism pretty quickly as I started playing parties and realized how little of that world is relevant to actually moving a crowd. I suck at scratching anyway haha.
What defines your sound?
I get bored pretty quickly with single genre sets, so I'm always pushing myself to switch things up while still maintaining cohesion. My favorite part of DJing is finding and making connections between different types of music that people might not consider otherwise.
Is there anyone/anything that you look to for inspiration?
This might sound corny but my friends are my biggest inspiration. My DJ friends are my favorite DJs, my photographer friends are my favorite photographers, musician friends my favorite musicians, etc. They make me want to do my best at everything I work on. Exchanging ideas across different crafts is really inspiring to me too. Like considering how a graphic designer might think about and apply music to what they do, I'll try to do the same with design to music.
What kind of music do you feel the most connected to?
I'm probably most on the pulse of current rap and afro stuff, but as a DJ I enjoy playing dance music the most.
Who’s on your radar that’s up and coming from your area (or in general)?
My man Dreamcast from DC. His music makes those connections between different genres in a really interesting way that feels completely natural. I really think he's gonna be the bridge between a lot of music communities and I'm excited to see that develop.
Favorite thing or artist to listen to right now?
I just started learning to play drums so I'm listening to a ton of jazz, funk, and gospel right now. Sometimes it's hard for me to turn my DJ brain off when listening to music so it's been refreshing to have a new perspective to approach it from.
Favorite spot to grab a bite in New York?
It's deep in Brooklyn but Di Fara's is the best pizza I've ever had. Didn't think it was possible for pizza to taste that good. When I'm in the city it's Pepe Rosso to Go for some really good pasta.
What are some things you notice that set New York apart from other places?
People are super super ambitious out here. There's also a scene for almost anything you could possibly be into. It's easy to get comfortable in your bubble here but every once in a while you realize how huge this city is and appreciate the variety of experiences available to you every day.
What interested you about playing The Wave?
A lot of homies have played or been to The Wave and raved about how fun it was; how open and receptive the crowd is to different stuff. The vibe is similar to the First Family parties we do in DC.
Digital or vinyl?
Whatever's appropriate for the party. I love playing vinyl but I can't stand format snobs. I'd rather hear a clean mix on a controller than a disco bro train wrecking obscure records nobody cares about. Plus you can't get Faneto on 12".
One thing you can’t travel without?
Gotta have a book to read. It's worse than traveling with no headphones for me.
You’re not originally from NYC but you live there now, what inspired you to make that move?
There wasn't enough going on in the DMV to keep me interested or motivated to DJ and I didn't want to get stuck in my hometown. Also living in Northern VA I felt a little disconnected from the nightlife scene which is based in DC.
You mentioned it was a bit difficult to break into the scene in DC, how come?
I was just new to the scene at the time and DC is a lot smaller than NY. There's way more to do in NYC outside of the bottle service circuit so it was easier for me to start playing the types of gigs I was interested in out here.
Stay up to date with Mo on his website and be sure to keep an eye out for his First Family parties in DC and Good Faith in NY!! Big tings agwan.
- Kibs (o:3