Decoded had a pleasant surprise in store for our local scene and particularly for Karim Yousry when they announced the artist behind their March Mix of The Month last Thursday. They took to their website to deliver the news and had nothing but praise and admiration for Yousry’s submission.
For over a decade now, his name has been associated with creating countless unforgettable moments behind the decks. Whether warming up or closing; playing a super club or a private event, his sets have always managed to evoke a vibe of transcendence within party-goers.
Featured in the TheDJList.com’s top 20 Middle Eastern DJs at only 14, he has since been able to create quite the name for himself. His accolades went on to include warming up and closing after some of the biggest international names, including Ramiro Lopez, Mark Knight to name a couple. And throughout the years, he was able to organise and promote a string of successful parties - including his latest project Abstrakt, with fellow DJ Ziad Noman aka Zio. Yousry's endeavours led him to forge a distinct sound for himself, and in the process creating an unrivalled style.
Karim’s rather flawless and extremely elegant submission for Decoded Magazine goes on to prove why he is a true veteran of the scene, providing a true masterpiece portraying the often overlooked art of warm-up sets. His latest mix is a witness to his capabilities, where Decoded’s Daz Pearson wrote “Perfectly demonstrating how a warm-up set should flow, progress, and create a journey.”
The eclectic one hour kicks off with Indi Zone’s remix of S. Moriera’s vinyl only release That Was Just A Dream, making for a paramount intro. He follows up with more stunning tracks from Senno, Fabiuzoo, Akira Tanaka and Dahu - transitioning between them with surgical precision. Yousry progresses with every mix, building up intensity as he moves forward. A distinct moment nearly halfway through the mix emerges as Karim mixes in Beneath Usual’s Little Helper 270-1 trading in the primary minimal approach established throughout the first half for a deeper, more thumping melodic techno sound. He transitions out of the former track and into Galvino’s hauntingly melodious SPET, and continues to build on the track’s feel for the rest of the mix. He continues dropping more melodic techno gems from masters like Jonas Saalbach, Mark Henning, Reinier Zonneveld and Fluida to wrap up the set.
Decoded have definitely chosen their winning submission wisely, it’s a beautifully pieced mix from start to finish. Subtle but far from boring, it’s a true embodiment of a perfect warm-up set, and a perfect summation of Yousry’s evolution over the years.
Follow Karim Yousry on Facebook and head to his Soundcloud for more tracks.
