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]
Fondly referred to as “the people’s DJ” [2] by his most loyal fans, Le Youth began his career with a focus on dance-pop but has since transitioned to a deeper, more melodic house style [3] influenced by European house and techno. This evolution has enabled him to engage with both underground music enthusiasts and festival audiences.
Known for his authenticity and willingness to push creative boundaries, Le Youth emphasizes connection in his work. Whether through live performances or his career trajectory, he has built a reputation for meaningful collaborations with artists like Elderbrook [4] and POLIÇA [5] and for signing with a diverse range of record labels, including major names such as Sony, [6] Island, [7] and Atlantic. [8]
Le Youth gained attention on the internet when his track Cool featuring a sample from Cassie Ventura's Me & U rapidly received over 200,000 plays on SoundCloud in a short period of time. The single was picked up by Ultra Records and the Cool EP was released on July 2, 2013. The music video for the song was directed by Renata Raksha and was released on April 9, 2013. [9] On July 22, 2013 Cool was selected as the Record of the Week on BBC Radio 1. [10]
Le Youth released his debut album, Reminders, on May 27, 2022. [11] 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, [12] 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. [13]
Le Youths following EP & [14] delves into a range of emotions, highlighted in tracks like the driving ballad Hourglass (featuring Lexer and Bailey), the hypnotic Golden (featuring Myrne and Bertie Scott), and the trance-inspired Every Little Part (featuring Otherwish and LeyeT). For Le Youth, the project represents a collaborative exchange, where unique artist pairings create distinctive musical moments.
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (FL) [15] | DEN [16] | IRE [17] | SCO [18] | UK [19] | |||
| "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 | ||
| "Real" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Touch" [20] | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Boomerang" (featuring Tay Beckham) | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "If You're Leaving" (featuring Sydnie) | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Clap Your Hands" [21] (featuring Ava Max) | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Stay" (featuring Karen Harding) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "&."/"Swimming" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Skipping Stones" [22] (with Sultan & Shepard) | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| "Reminders" [23] | 2022 |
| "Reminders Remixed" [24] | 2022 |
| "About Us" [25] | 2023 |
| "About Us [Deluxe]" [26] | 2024 |
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| "Dance With Me (Remixes)" [27] | 2014 |
| "Boomerang (Remixes)" [28] | 2016 |
| "If You're Leaving (Remixes)" [29] | 2016 |
| "Aquiver" [30] | 2019 |
| "Swimming/&." [31] | 2020 |
| "Waves" [32] | 2020 |
| "Rise / Unattached" [33] | 2020 |
| "Colour" [34] | 2021 |
| "&" [35] | 2024 |
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