Artist Spotlight: Yoko

We’re starting off our very first artist spotlight with someone who has proven themselves as a force in the Denver bass scene. Emi Veliz, also known by her producer name Yoko, has been making waves in the local electronic community and beyond, and we are so stoked to have had the opportunity to sit down with her and hear her take on what her journey has been like coming up as a queer/female producer in such a male-dominated space.

For someone like me, who has been a long-time lover of electronic music but has never personally been on the producer side of it, listening to Emi talk about the way she comes up with ideas and inspiration for music was incredibly eye-opening. When listening to other more lyric-forward genres, it’s easy to determine what the authors of those songs are trying to articulate. We associate stories and backgrounds with that kind of music because it’s a much more straightforward way of communicating thoughts and ideas to the listeners, making it that much more impressive when producers like Yoko are able to create entire universes and storylines with their sound.

When asking Emi about her inspiration for her latest album “Wake the Dreamer,” she talked about how she had just seen the movie Ex Machina for the first time and immediately jumped on how she could translate the idea into a fleshed-out sonic concept.

“I deep-dove into Ted Talks about AI and robotics and where that’s all moving to in this weird age… That’s why it has this digital, experimental undertone… The concept was: what if I was Ex Machina?”

While the Yoko project is all about storytelling and relating things she has seen, heard, and experienced to a physical concept, her new project, “Critical Hit,” with longtime best friend Skinny Limbs, is all about getting back to the basics. Yoko and Skinny Limbs got into producing because of their genuine love for the music, and their relationship while on stage together is so visibly pure and undeniable. I’ve gotten to see them go B2B at The Black Box, Red Rocks, and in my own living room during a house party (pardon my flex), but no matter where they’re performing, their energy is the same.

“He’s just my best friend… it’s a no-brainer. It’s the easiest thing in the world to put my energy into.”

Emi describes their goal of this project as simple: “songs that get the people going.” They want to put out the “weirdest bass music” and draw crowd reactions to encourage more movement at shows. We talked about how there has been a sense of disassociation that has crept into the Denver bass scene and how cliquiness has subverted the feeling of community and openness that this music was founded on.

“I just want people to be excited about, you know, engaging again. That’s so lost, I feel like, in a lot of communities.”

The passion that Emi radiates for her art is evident when she speaks about her creative process and everything that she hopes for the future of her career. Her continual progression forward is, in my opinion, inevitable. However, being a female and queer producer of color means that she is oftentimes forced to advocate for herself in this space that is dominated by white, cishet men. She recalls countless times that she has been treated differently from her male counterparts, and her credentials questioned simply because of her gender.

When asked about advice she might have for other female and/or queer producers starting out in the scene, Emi emphasized the importance of “Building your own community of people that will always have your back and support you in any way, shape, or form… Just having a support group.”

Despite the hurdles that Yoko faces in the scene, you can see when she talks that her confidence and sense of self are unwavering. She knows who she is and believes in the art that she produces.

“We’re here to innovate. I don’t want to follow in anyone’s footsteps.”