There is a version of electronic music that hits the floor and also hits something deeper. Le Youth has spent over a decade chasing that version, and by now he has built a sound that makes the two feel like the same thing. Wes James, the Toledo-born and Los Angeles-based producer behind the Le Youth project, broke through in 2013 when his debut single “Cool” landed on SoundCloud and earned BBC Radio 1’s Record of the Week. What followed was a decade of steady evolution, from R&B-influenced house and remixes for Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Sia, and Disclosure, to the launch of his own PRGRSSN imprint in 2020 and a full pivot into melodic techno and progressive house. He released his debut album Reminders in 2022 and followed it with About Us in 2023, collaborative work with Lane 8, Sultan & Shepard, and Jerro, and a sound he has described as the best work of his career. The arc is not toward a bigger audience. It is toward something more honest. For this run he is performing a 360-degree set, which means no barrier between the artist and the room. The crowd surrounds the booth and the energy moves in every direction. It is a format that demands presence and rewards it in equal measure. Support comes from SAN MATEO DRIVE, BARDO BLOOM, and TETHER.
