Blending rolling basslines, punchy percussion and unexpected vocal combinations, DJ YUKI brings a groove-led energy to her sets, drawing inspiration from house, R&B, and rap influences. With support from Armin van Buuren, Diplo and Jamie Jones, alongside airplay on BBC Radio 1, KISS and SiriusXM, she’s quickly making her mark while building her own world through GLAZD Records and Donut Disturb.
Fresh off her latest release, ‘The Baddest,’ we caught up with DJ YUKI to talk about trusting her instincts, building a label, creating community beyond the club, what’s next, and more!
WWD: Your sound blends rolling basslines with sharp vocals and big room energy. How would you describe the DJ YUKI sound to someone who has never heard you play?
Groove first, always. I love rolling basslines, percussion that really moves and vocals with a bit of main character energy. There’s definitely a lot of influence from the house music I grew up loving, but also from R&B, rap and Black music more generally. I’ve always loved what happens when you put a vocal you wouldn’t necessarily expect over a house record. My sets can move between deeper, stripped-back moments and bigger records, but there always has to be rhythm and something that makes you want to move.
WWD: You have had support from Armin van Buuren, Diplo and Jamie Jones, plus airplay on BBC Radio 1, KISS and SiriusXM. What has that kind of backing changed about how you approach your sets?
I think more than anything it’s made me trust my instincts. When people you really respect connect with something you’ve made, especially something you took a bit of a risk on, it gives you confidence to keep following that direction rather than second-guessing yourself. But when I’m DJing, the crowd is still the most important thing. I never want to go into a set feeling like I’ve already decided exactly what’s going to happen. I like reading the room, seeing what people react to and letting that shape where I take it.
WWD: Tell us about GLAZD Records. What made you want to build a label and platform around your own sound?
GLAZD started because I wanted to create a home for the music I was making and have the freedom to build the whole world around it, rather than just think about individual releases. The sound has naturally evolved with me, and right now it’s very much about groove-led house music, strong percussion, bass and those influences from R&B and rap that I love. But I want GLAZD to be bigger than just my own records. The long-term idea is to build a community around it, release other artists and create something that has its own identity both musically and in real life.
WWD: Donut Disturb brings together DJs, coffee, donuts and community outside the club. What is the idea behind it, and what do you want people to walk away with?
I wanted to create something that felt like a scene rather than just another event. I love club culture, but there’s something really nice about taking that same energy into the daytime and making it feel completely open. You can come for a coffee or a donut, hear some really good DJs, meet people and stay for ten minutes or three hours. There’s no pressure around it. We’ve had people come on their own, people travel to different cities for it and people meet each other there, which is exactly what I wanted. If someone leaves having discovered a new DJ, made a new friend or just feeling like they were part of something, then it’s done its job.
WWD: You have played huge stages like the Club MTV Dance Tour and Isle of Wight Festival. What does a great crowd give you that shapes how you play?
Everything, honestly. I think the best sets feel like this constant conversation between you and the crowd. You play something, you see what happens, and that reaction gives you an idea of where to go next. Sometimes a crowd completely changes the set I thought I was going to play. I love those moments where you can feel everyone lock into the same groove and you know you can push it a little further or take them somewhere unexpected. That unpredictability is probably one of my favourite things about DJing.
WWD: What’s coming next from you and from GLAZD Records?
Answer: A lot! ‘The Baddest’ has just come out, and I think it really shows where my sound is at right now. I’ve got a lot more music that goes even further into that rolling, groove-heavy house direction, percussion and main character vibes so the plan is to keep the releases moving and let people see the full picture gradually. With GLAZD, I’m also really focused on growing the world around the label, doing more Donut Disturb events, bringing more artists into what we’re building and turning it into something people genuinely want to be part of. It feels like we’re still right at the beginning and I’m really enjoying the journey.
WWD: We can’t wait to listen! Thanks for the chat 🙂
‘The Baddest’ is available here