External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
Le Youth | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Wes James |
| Born | 1983 Toledo, Ohio, United States |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | leyouth |
Wes James, better known by his stage name Le Youth, is an American electronic musician, DJ, and producer. James was raised in Toledo, Ohio and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. [1]
Le Youth's debut track "Cool" quickly garnered attention on SoundCloud, amassing over 200,000 streams in the six months following its release. The music video for the song was directed by Renata Raksha and was released on April 9, 2013. [2] The single was officially released on Ultra on July 2, 2013, and was later selected as the Record of the Week on BBC Radio 1. [3] James' next single "Dance with Me" featuring vocals from Dominique Young Unique was released on February 7, 2014.
Le Youth continued to release R&B and house-inspired songs in the years following, including releases of popular tracks like Disclosure’s "Voices" and originals like "Real." [4]
On October 7, 2016, Le Youth released "Me Without You" on his own label, Homewerk Records. James cited the label's launch as a way of taking control of his music, particularly with respect to release schedules. [5] "If You're Leaving" also released later that year on Homewerk, reaching number one on Sirius XM’s Chill playlist. The accompanying Homewerk Tour saw the artist perform at 13 venues in North America. [6]
By 2017, Le Youth had released remixes of songs by popular singers such as Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, and Sia. On August 4 of that year, "Clap Your Hands" released on Warner Music, featuring then-unknown Ava Max. [7]
The release of Aquiver on November 7, 2019 marked a significant sonic shift in Le Youth's discography. The instrumental record was both inspired by and released on Daniel Goldstein's (Lane 8) This Never Happened label. James hailed the deeper melodic techno and progressive sounds as his best work to date. [8]
On July 9, 2020, Le Youth released his second EP on This Never Happened, Waves. Collaboration with Lane 8 continued with a remix of "The Rope (feat. POLIÇA)" and a support role in Goldstein's Brightest Lights Tour.
The PRGRSSN Records imprint was founded by James in 2020 to further explore progressive house and techno sounds. [9] [ citation needed ] The first release on PRGRSSN came on April 17, 2020 with Interstellar by thomfjord and featured a remix of the title track by Le Youth. On May 14, tracks "Swimming" and "&." followed, marking Le Youth's first release on his new label. PRGRSSN released records from James and other artists through 2022.
Le Youth released his debut album, Reminders, on May 27, 2022. [10] Split into two discs, the former contains fifteen original mixes while the latter comprises four extended mixes. The album features collaborations with fellow melodic house producers such as Sultan & Shepard.
His follow-up album, About Us, released on September 29, [11] 2023 showcases Le Youth’s signature breezy melodies, rich production, and strong vocal performances. It includes collaborations with artists such as Jodie Knight, Fractures, Bailey, and Lane 8, who joined Le Youth on the track "I Will Leave a Light On". [12]
Le Youths following EP & [13] delves into a range of emotions, highlighted in tracks like "Hourglass", "Golden", and "Every Little Part." For Le Youth, the project represents a collaborative exchange, where unique artist pairings create distinctive musical moments.[ citation needed ]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (FL) [14] | DEN [15] | IRE [16] | SCO [17] | UK [18] | |||
| "Cool" | 2013 | — [A] | 19 | — | 28 | 26 | Non-Album Singles |
| "Dance with Me" (featuring Dominique Young Unique) | 2014 | — [B] | — | 87 | 18 | 11 | |
| "Feel Your Love" (featuring Javeon) | — | — | — | — | 146 | ||
| "Girl" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Real" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Touch" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Me Without You" (featuring Tay Beckham) | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Boomerang" (featuring Tay Beckham) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "If You're Leaving" (featuring Sydnie) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Walk Away" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Clap Your Hands" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Could Always" (featuring MNDR) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Stay" (featuring Karen Harding) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Selfish" (with Samana) | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Obvious" (with Adam Rom) | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "About Us" (featuring EMME) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Gemini" | — | — | — | — | — | Gemini / Arizona | |
| "Arizona" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Rise" | — | — | — | — | — | Rise / Unattached | |
| "Unattached" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Other Voices" | — | — | — | — | — | Underwater / Other Voices | |
| "Underwater" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Home Away From Home" (with OCULA featuring Karra) | — | — | — | — | — | Non-Album Singles | |
| "Skipping Stones" (with Sultan & Shepard) | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Miraje" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Virgo" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Empire" (with OCULA featuring Møøne) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Lullaby" (with Anakim featuring Linney) | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Lighthouse" (featuring RBBTS) | — | — | — | — | — | Reminders | |
| "Pattern" (with Sultan & Shepard featuring Emily Falvey) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Dreaming" (featuring Tailor) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Hang On" (featuring Gordi) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Chills" | — | — | — | — | — | Chills / Cycles | |
| "Cycles" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Lost" (with Jerro featuring Lizzy Land) | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-Album Singles |
| "Hologram" (featuring LeyeT) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Protocol" (with Hessian featuring Able Joseph) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Like You Did | — | — | — | — | — | About Us | |
| "I Will Leave a Light On" (with Lane 8 featuring Jyll) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Talking Like That" (featuring EMME) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Don't Mind" (featuring Kairos Grove) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Paradise" (featuring Oaks) | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | About Us [Deluxe] |
| "Stay Still" (with Forester featuring Lyrah) | — | — | — | — | — | Non-Album Single | |
| "every-little-part" (with Otherwish featuring LeyeT) | — | — | — | — | — | & | |
| "golden" (with MYRNE featuring Bertie Scott) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "seven-twenty-four" (with Robby East) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Reminders | 2022 |
| Reminders Remixed | |
| About Us | 2023 |
| About Us [Deluxe] | 2024 |
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| Dance With Me (Remixes) | 2014 |
| Me Without You (Remixes) | 2016 |
| Boomerang (Remixes) | |
| If You're Leaving (Remixes) | |
| Aquiver | 2019 |
| Swimming/&. | 2020 |
| Waves | |
| Gemini / Arizona | |
| Rise / Unattached | |
| Underwater / Other Voices | |
| Colour | 2021 |
| Underwater - Remixes | |
| Chills / Cycles | 2022 |
| & | 2024 |
| International | |
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| Artists | |