Yotto

Yotto
Background information
Birth name	Otto Yliperttula
Born	(1986-10-08) October 8, 1986
Origin	Helsinki, Finland
Genres	Deep House, House, Techno
Occupation(s)	Disc jockey Record producer
Years active	2014 – present
Labels	Anjunadeep
Website	Official website

Otto Yliperttula (born October 8, 1986), known professionally by his stage name, Yotto, is a Finnish DJ, songwriter, and record producer. Currently residing in Helsinki, Finland, the 30-year-old is signed to English deep house label, Anjunadeep.

Yotto came to fruition with a string of remixes and originals that caught the ear of Anjunadeep label boss, James Grant. Deemed “a man of many sounds” ^[1] by Billboard and “an experimental house talent” by Dancing Astronaut, he produces a number of styles within the house music genre and sometimes other forms of electronic music.

As well as his own solo releases and releases on Joris Voorn's Green Recordings, Yliperttula has worked alongside other DJs and producers such as Above & Beyond, Coldplay, M83, London Grammar, Rüfüs, Lane 8, and Super8 & Tab. Yotto has also collaborated with his younger brother who performed vocals on tracks like "Wondering" under the alias CAPS.^[2]

Musical influences

The offspring of musically inclined parents and the sibling of a vocalist, Yliperttula grew up in a musical family.^[3] He started taking classical piano lessons as a young child and played regularly until the age of 14.^[4] As a teenager, skateboard culture influenced a wide ranged of personal preference for West Coast Hip-Hop music, and Heavy Metal^[4] bands such as Iron Maiden and Manic Street Preachers. It was this eclectic taste in music that enabled Yliperttula to stay open-minded and not get deeply vested into any one genre, instead just listening to music he enjoyed.^[5]

Career

Yotto officially joined the Anjunadeep roster w/ his debut release "Memento" / "Azzurro" in 2015.^[6] His debut release on the label included a two track EP. "Memento" has been described as an atmospheric opener to the EP with bass-driven precision.^[6] Premiered on BBC Radio 1, "Azzurro" was described as a "slap shot to the face"^[7] by BBC radio host, Pete Tong, and a bustling track with a chilling piano line and a dramatic crescendo ^[8] by Dancing Astronaut.

Yliperttula followed up his debut release with a second EP, titled Wondering in August 2015. The EP includes three tracks; "Wondering", "Slowly", and "Coming Back To You". In an interview with Urb magazine, Yotto explained, "The EP was built from these tracks, as they all seem to share a stress-free vibe".^[2] The title track, "Wondering", is a collaboration with his younger brother which they produced in a tiny studio at their house in Finland.^[2]

"Personal Space / Mulholland 99" is the title of the two-track EP Yliperttula released in December 2015.^[9] The release was his third Anjunadeep release, and his fourth on the year. Pete Tong selected "Personal Space" as Essential New Tune on his BBC Radio 1 show on November 20, 2015.^[10]

In early 2016, Yotto was named an "Artist to Watch" in 2016 by the electronic music blog LessThan3.^[11] On January 15, 2016, Yliperttula released an official remix of "Like An Animal" by Rüfüs on Sweat It Out Records.^[12] The track was premiered by Hunger TV^[13] and garnered his second Essential New Tune accolade by BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong on his weekly radio show.^[14] It has been described as adding tension to the original through a minimalist approach.^[15]

Halfway through his U.S. tour in 2015, Yliperttula received a request to remix Coldplay's feature track, "Adventure Of A Lifetime", from their 2016 album A Head Full Of Dreams.^[16] The remix premiered twice; first by radio on Above & Beyond's Group Therapy Radio show and then exclusively^[16] to the public by Billboard magazine online. Critics have said his rendition of the track "has proven [Yotto] knows pop music just as well as the environmental and underground [music]".^[17]

April saw the release of Yotto's first original productions of 2016, with "Aviate" and "Crosswalk" released as a two track EP on Anjunadeep. "Aviate" earned yet another Essential New Tune selection for Yotto, marking his third in less than six months.^[18] Then in June, Yotto released arguably his most successful track to date, "The Owls". Picking up his fourth Essential New Tune selection on Pete Tong's BBC Radio 1 show^[19] and also named "Hottest Record in the World" by Annie Mac,^[20] "The Owls" was premiered by Mixmag who called it "another staple addition to Yotto's defined, formidable sound."^[21]

In November 2016, Yotto released "Fire Walk", a track he had debuted at Above & Beyond's massive ABGT 200 Celebration in Amsterdam.^[22] "Fire Walk" gained the support of Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Danny Howard who called the track "A stonewall banger". Soon after the track premiered on the BBC it climbed the Beatport charts to become No. 1, and the track was supported by Paul Oakenfold, Cosmic Gate, Steve Angello, and Markus Schulz.

Yotto's track "Song From The Sun" was also featured in the Netflix original movie XOXO.^[23]

Discography

Releases

• Yotto - "Wilderness Girl" (Anjunadeep / May 26, 2017)
• Yotto - "Marisa" (Green / April 7, 2017)
• Yotto - "Fire Walk" (Anjunadeep / November 11, 2016)
• Yotto - "Cooper's Cup" (Anjunadeep / August 26, 2016)
• Yotto - "The Owls" (Anjunadeep / July 1, 2016)
• Yotto - "Aviate" / "Crosswalk" (Anjunadeep / April 8, 2016)
• Yotto - "Personal Space" / "Mulholland 99" (Anjunadeep / December 11, 2015)
• Yotto - 'Wondering' EP (Anjunadeep / August 15, 2015)
• Yotto & You Are Me ft. CAPS – "Anything About You" (So Sure Music / July 6, 2015)
• Yotto – "Azzurro" / "Memento" (Anjunadeep / May 25, 2015)
• Yotto – "All I Want" / "Cycle" EP (So Sure Music / October 6, 2014)
• Yotto – "Seven Mountains" (Change Audio / September 8, 2014)

Remixes

• Lane 8 & Kidnap Kid - "Aba" (Yotto Remix) (Anjunadeep / June 30, 2017)
• Röyksopp - "Never Ever" (Yotto Remix) (March 3, 2017) ^[24]
• Coldplay - "Adventure Of A Lifetime" (Yotto Remix) (Ministry of Sound / May 27, 2016) ^[16]
• Rüfüs - "Like An Animal" (Yotto Remix) (Sweat It Out! / January 19, 2016)^[13]
• Lane 8 ft. Matthew Dear - "Undercover" (Yotto Remix) (Anjunadeep / October 23, 2015)
• Above & Beyond ft. Gemma Hayes – "Counting Down The Days" (Yotto Remix) (Anjunabeats / July 31, 2015)
• 7 Skies & Super8 & Tab – "Rubicon" (Yotto Remix) (Anjunabeats / February 16, 2015)
• Roisto – "Apart In Love" (Yotto Remix) (Youth Control / January 27, 2015)
• Pierce Fulton – "Kuaga" (Yotto Remix) (Cr2 Records / November 24, 2014)
• London Grammar – "Strong" (Yotto Rework) (September 16, 2014)
• M83 – "Intro" (Yotto Rework) (July 22, 2012)
• Jojo Da Silva & Sergio Rincon – "Chi Co Monte" (Yotto Remix) (August 28, 2009)

References