Yousef just returned last Friday with his new album, 9 Moor Drive, through his own imprint Circus Recordings. Named after his family home, 9 Moor Drive was born with the mission to consolidate this Liverpool producer's difficult ten-year period from four to fourteen years of age, serving as a creative outlet for him to explore contrasting themes of extreme difficulties, laughter, and freedom.
It starts things off with title track "9 Moor Drive," a cinematic opening packed with intense emotion. Lush orchestral instrumentation and contagious melancholy here are elevated by the underlying confusion along with hopefulness rooted in his childhood memories. Following up, the stories behind the previously released "I Don't Understand" and "Riches To Rags" are self-evident through the track titles. Through thick acidic, emotive sounds, Yousef continues exploring the aforementioned confusion and turbulence in the exquisite arrangement of "I Don't Understand." "Riches To Rags," on the other hand, allows Yousef to delve into the overwhelming feeling resulted from the home eviction experience, through a deep riding bassline and hypnotizing melodies.
"The Only Constant Is Change" deploys twinkling melodies and Isla Will's dreamy vocals, constructing an echo-y soundscape for the story of self-quest. Less melodic yet more progressive, "Reminders" utilizes Yousef's signature 4x4 sounds, paired with eerie atmospheric sounds, to close up the chapter about childhood confusion.
In the next chapter, "Vivienne," "Give It To Me," "One Sunny Sunday" and "The Mother Tongue" revolve around the producer's musical discoveries and joys. In particular, "Vivienne" and "One Sunny Sunday" stand out with their refreshing retro vibes. The former is a cinematic vista featuring diva vocals that add drama and suspense. In contrast, "One Sunny Sunday" lies on the ambient end of the sonic spectrum, as its saxophone's single-note creates a warm, fuzzy jazz sounds.
Yousef notes that "9 Moor Drive is autobiographical, but it isn't a bleeding-heart story about hard times or anguish. It's about dealing with life's difficulties, exploring creativity and reminiscing about my life's defining moments. It is the final piece in a long cathartic process about those times." There are a few more tracks in the album that covers the other aspects of Yousef's personal ups and downs. We encourage you to check out the rest of album from the link below as they all are "the final piece in a long cathartic process about those times" as Yousef explains.
Track List:
1. Yousef - 9 Moor Drive
2. Yousef - I Don't Understand
3. Yousef - Riches To Rags
4. Yousef - The Only Constant Is Change feat. Isla Will
5. Yousef - Reminders feat. Shyam
6. Yousef - Vivienne
7. Yousef - Give It To Me
8. Yousef - The Beat with Mihalis Safras feat. Val
9. Yousef - We Don't Need Yo Love
10. Yousef - How Could You Know feat. The Angel
11. Yousef - One Sunny Sunday
12. Yousef - The Mother Tongue feat. Val
13. Yousef - Genesis with Harry Romero feat. Chuck Roberts
Stream/buy the album here.
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