Groundbreaking Drum & Bass artist Yellock is set to release his highly anticipated new album, Post Virtual Humanism, on February 14th, 2025. The album explores the chaos and humanity of the AI era and the digital age, blending hard-hitting beats with live instruments like guitar, piano, and vocals. This unique sound reflects Yellock’s desire to push the boundaries of electronic music while still maintaining its core essence.
Post Virtual Humanism continues the themes from his previous works, such as Virtual Human Being and The Edges Between The Line, which explored digitalisation and the divide between the online and offline worlds. This album moves beyond those explorations to confront the personal human experience of loss, particularly the passing of Yellock’s parents, while reflecting the growing presence of AI in our everyday lives. “I wanted to create something that resonates with people, not just in terms of dance floor energy but with an emotional and musical depth,” said Yellock.
Get To Know: Yellock
Were you connected with music from a young age, or anyone in particular inspired you?
Growing up in a house where Mozart and Pat Metheny played from an early age.
My parents took me to learn to play the electone at an early age, but I used to run away from lessons because I couldn’t sit still.
When I was in junior high school, I borrowed a guitar from my father and started playing in a band. Once I was able to move around with guns and express myself with music, music became my life.
What first kickstarted your musical career?
When I was in an amateur band, we sold a fair amount of CDs and a fair amount of tickets for our gigs, which was enough income for those days.
From there, I made a demo tape, sent it to music production offices and started my professional career.
Tell us more about your sound and how it has evolved.
Originally only capable of creating sounds for rock bands, I became involved in the production of Japanese popular music and gradually gravitated towards dance music. Now, dance music that can communicate globally is the best way for me to express myself.
Any words you want to share to encourage other artists and producers?
Don’t use Splice and don’t rely on YouTube Tutorials.
No, well, I’m joking, but the world just wants to hear your sound, even if it’s rough, not the good sound it has heard somewhere else.
Networking, consistency, character, approach… what and how do you initiate your Industry relationships?
Of course, it’s very important to send proper emails and to connect professionally, but I think it’s very important to go by and say hello a lot anyway because I like them and to get my face remembered.
In my case, the career of Drum n Bass started because I love the club WOMB, and I love DJ AKi, so I went there a lot and became friends with him, and now we’ve made a collaboration album and have a regular party called 06S, so that’s actually the most important thing.
Is there anyone specific you’d like to thank that has helped you evolve and why?
In terms of human development, there is nothing but family, even though it is a cliché.
In my DJ career, DJ AKi is my senior, my brother and my partner. Without him, I wouldn’t have the style I have now, and I wouldn’t have a career in Drum n Bass.
Name 3 albums or labels that have inspired you the most.
In Drum n Bass,
Pendulum – Immersion
Sub Focus – Torus
Metrik – Ex Machina
What’s your favourite piece of studio equipment or software?
I think the distortion sound of the Les Paul and 5150 combination is the most beautiful sound on earth.
Name your favourite club or festival in the world, and how does it makes you feel?
Berghain in Berlin is still special.
Name an outlandish rider request?
Keep the beer and water cold!
Favourite clubbing memory, who or what did it involve?
I’ll never forget the scene in a little club in Cuba, whose name I’ve forgotten, where it was a big party.
A very pretty girl approached me, the only Asian there, even though she was with a guy, and I wondered why, and now I remember that the guy with her was gay.
What quote represents you best?
Always a complication and a pain in the ass.
If you could play any venue, where would it be and why?
It would be a dream come true to have a show at Sphere in Las Vegas.
Music is…..
The Language of the Universe
Energy of the Universe
Humans just breathe it in and out, but the exchange is the most beautiful thing on earth
One song you really couldn’t live without?
Van Halen – Jump
Name drop your favourite tunes, artists or DJs (past or present)
First, I bought CDs of Japanese bands and listened to them.
Spitz, B’z and RIZE are still my favourites!
Then I started liking foreign bands more and more.
Van Halen, Hoobastank, Linkin Park… The list goes on and on.
Then I got more into dance music when I started my professional career, Pendulum, Sub Focus, Metrik… Thankfully I’ve been able to keep in touch with them, but they are still superstars and always inspire me…
What was your first music opportunity and how did it fuel your fire?
At the same time as I was going up to junior high school, my father, who is not usually a man of many words, suddenly said, ‘Listen to this’ and gave me a CD of Led Zeppelin’s ‘III’ and his guitar.
Now I think he’d been thinking about doing that to his son for a long time.
I spent the rest of my days in the band, and I still remember the first time I played with the band guys.
Tell us more about your plans for the future.
Dance music is a wonderful genre that allows people from all over the world to communicate borderlessly, but unfortunately Japan has a very small scene.
I want more and more good producers to come out from Japan to the world, and I hope I can be a part of that.
Any worldly advice you’d like to share?
Instead of fishing for splice and watching youtube tutorials, the best way to make great music and live a richer life than that is to go out, see beautiful scenery, fall in love, get embarrassed a lot and experience a lot.
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