Emerging Artist of the week: Val Fleury
Val Fleury (aka Masanghai Youboty) is a DJ and producer with an innate love for music, fashion, and international culture. Born in West Africa, she has lived across the United States and Europe, now calling Los Angeles home. From Las Vegas night clubs, bars in Sydney, Palm Springs pool parties, music festivals in Austin and Stockholm, corporate events in San Francisco, LA underground parties, radio appearances in London and Paris to Shanghai cocktail lounges, Val has done it all – garnering a reputation for pumping up crowds and finding exciting ways to openly mix music: house, indie pop, future bass and hip hop.
Since her debut in 2013, Val’s mixes and remixes (Jeffrey Tonnesen & Cobrastarship, Saint Motel, etc) have received raves from top music & style publications like NOISEY and NYLON. Val Fleury’s latest mixes have premiered via The Wild Magazine and Reprezent Radio in London, also KPFK 90.7 FM here in LA. She has also recently earned a spot on Refinery 29’s ultimate LA DJs list and LA CANVAS Magazine’s Ones To Watch list (she’s now one of their resident DJs). You can get the full scoop on that here, as well as a recap of all her massive year 2014.
Kicking off 2015, LA-based DJ/producer Val Fleury teamed up with multi-instumentalist Allen Blickle (Alpaca) to put their spin on the Kiven single “Living For The Alarm.” Previously pairing up on an official remix for Jeffrey Tonnesen ft. Cobrastarship, Val Fleury and Blickle reshaped a lush and groovy dance-floor filler out of the indie-experimental quartet’s original.
This summer, Val has landed 2 pool party residencies at The Roosevelt Hotel (Third Bass on 6/20) in Hollywood and The Standard Hotel (Cruel Summer on 6/28) in West Hollywood.
RSVP and more info at www.cruelsummerla.com
Also planned is the release of a remix of the 80s hit “Cruel Summer” for the end of June, a new 30m mix in July, and an original track towards the end of the season.
1. So how long have you been djing and producing music?
2. How it is being a female DJ/Producer in an industry primarily dominated by male DJs and producers?
Our numbers are growing, and that’s inspiring to see. I’ve learned most of what I know from gents, and yes it’s quite a boys club, but I’ve not let that deter me from doing what I love to do. I do find it important though to encourage and support the ladies that I come across who are interested in DJing, music production, music and technology in general.
3. Who are your major influences when it comes to DJing? Remix production?
4. That’s a great list. No wonder your style is so unique. So who have you collaborated with in the past? Do you have any upcoming collaborations you’re excited about?
Collabs are great, often you come up unexpected goodness! The remixes I’ve done so far were for friends’ projects (Saint Motel, Kiven, Jeffrey Tonnesen, etc), it’s been so much fun putting my spin on their music. One of my next releases will be a remix for the band Sun Drug (formerly Vanaprasta), I teamed up with my good friend Allen Blickle of Alpaca for that one.
5. How would you describe your style? musically and fashion wise
I feel like I’m a citizen of the world, so my style and the music I play reflects that. I mostly spin in open format, fusing house with sprinkles of future bass, hip hop, nu disco, techno, indie pop, 80s, 90s, etc. I do lean more towards female driven and international tracks, but ultimately I just love exploring ways to mix my faves – regardless of era, geography or genre. My end goal is to connect and drive people to the dance floor. At the moment, my fashion style seems to be very sleek, future, and mono-chromatic with accents of ethnic prints and geometric patterns. I’ve been hanging with a lot of Swedes and Liberians recently, I think they’re starting to rub off me haha.
Truly feeling the Summer 2015 collection, my look would be the Samera Shirt Jacket and Ex-Boyfriend Denim Pants with either the Tropez Halter Tank or Wandering Sweater Bralette. So fresh and so clean, clean!
Shia LaBeouf
8. Well chosen. Anyone you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
9. What’s your guilty pleasure song right now?
I’m guilty of loving 80’s music. I’ve had Banarama’s “Cruel Summer” on replay in my head for months now. I’m singing it in the shower, whistling it when I’m taking out the trash and driving down the street. Just had to get it out, so I made my own take on the tune. My remix will be out this summer, and hopefully it will be stuck in other people’s heads as well. Ha!
Huge thanks to my buds Black Gatsby, Victoria Van Damn, Kristin Lee, and all who have been supporting me since my start. Me love you long time!
