Old Yella

Not too long ago, we received an email.  I quote: "Hey, There's this guy named Yella Finesse. He makes REALLY GOOD french house music. i think you should check him out and do a post on him.! =).  you wont regret it..."

It's not too often that we receive emails from readers promoting other artists (especially fucking French House artists, those two words are the key to my heart), usually it's something more like this:

"Hey, totes love your blog!  I read it all the time, serial.  Check out my new remix of Katy Gaga!  Feel free to post!"

I hate those emails.

But enough about us, let's get to this fantastic new discovery, who happened to be so fantastic that we interviewed him.  Without further ado, we are proud to present our interview with Yella Finesse:

Apes with Barrels: If given the opportunity, how would you wine & dine Etienne De Crecy?

Yella Finesse: I would probably take him to McDonalds for a burger or something...lol

AwB: How do you feel about House music today, in all of its forms?  Specifically, which trends excite you and which do you wish would just go away?

YF: House music today isn't as strong as it used to be back in the 90's, but believe me its coming back strong over these next few years.  The new lineup of producers are just sick, and they're trying to bring back that classic feel that had House so big back in the day.  My personal favorite's are nu-disco (of course), french house, and funky house. I really wish deep house would kill itself...smh.

AwB: How do you feel about Corgi Flop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glii-kazad8

YF: Hahaha!!! The dumbest/ funniest video I've seen in a while. The first jump had me dying!!! Pretty funny video...

AwB: Will French House ever return in a big way?  I’ve been waiting, but I’m starting to lose hope.

YF: Of course it will man!!! We're just waiting for that major "One More Time" type of track to show up and  blow up the charts. (hopefully i deliver...haha)

AwB: How did you get into House music, and specifically French House?

YF: I got into house right after i heard One More Time (Daft) for the first time. I was 10 years old at the time, and the track had me and my family going crazy. I just started producing about 2 years ago however, after a failed rap career...lol.

AwB: Care to explain the name Yella Finesse?

YF: The name Yella (yellow) is actually a nickname given to me by my family. Everyone else in my family is dark or brown skinned, and i happened to be the only one who came out light skinned. And Finesse just means perfection in french. And there you have it, Yella Finesse.

AwB: Who’s you current favorite French House DJ/Producer?  Favorite other DJ/Producer?

YF: Go Go Bizkitt! hands down. He's proven that he can put out great tracks consistently. Haven't heard one track from him that i don't love.  My favorite of all time is, and always will be, Mr. Bangalter. In my eyes he gave us the very gift of French House.

AwB: What instruments do you play, if any?

YF: I play the piano and saxophone. I should start playing the drums. Yup, I'm about to start the drums. :)

AwB: Technical questions.  What do you use to produce?  Do you play live?

YF: I actually use FL Studio and a small M-Audio keyboard i got from a friend up the street...hahah... I rarely use the keyboard though (got a pretty slow laptop).

AwB: Do you ever see yourself producing/working in other genres (including non-electronic)? If so what potential interests do you have?

YF: Ive been listening to a lot of dubstep tracks lately. I love the grimey sound, so i might experiment with that a little bit in the future.

AwB: How/where do you dig for samples?

YF: I usually look around on youtube when im bored, or check out some 70's/80's music blog sites.  Sadly I'm not one of those lucky producers who's parents have a crate load of retro records, so the internet is my playground.

AwB: List five tracks that everyone on this blog should hear right now.  Go.

YF:

Go Go Bizkitt! - Pheeva
DJ Korss - Disco Dreams
DeeJMD - Disco Night
Miami Horror - I Look To You (Go Go Bizkitt! Remix) <-- THIS IS AMAZING GOLDEN BANANA
Skrillex - My Name Is Skrillex

AwB: Favorite electronic music concert?

YF: Has to be Daft Punk's Alive Tour. EPIC.

AwB: What are you going to be for Halloween?

YF: Dont really celebrate halloween, but if i did, i would have to go as myself. I'm as scary as it gets!!! Haha..

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Well there you have it.  French House lives.  And I've just finished listening to the above tracks he recommended, and I've got to say they're killer.  Now let's get to some of Yella's excellent work, shall we:


Yella Finesse - Back To The Dancefloor (Stardust Records) by Yella Finesse

Epic intro, bangin track. Masterful.

Yella Finesse - Hit The Club by Yella Finesse

So classic, so fresh. Listen to this without a smile, I dare you.

Yella Finesse - Knew Disco (Stardust Records) by Yella Finesse

What a bassline. This song demands champagne and some good ol' fashioned line dancing. Maybe a few lines of yeyo in the bathroom.

Be sure to check out his SOUNDCLOUD for more tracks, some of which are available for download, the other's being label tracks.