Party Philanthropy: YES YOU Opens Up About Throwing House Shindigs For Charities

Your steps on the dancefloor are huge steps towards those in need (Credit: Courtesy of YES YOU)

Past the frenzies of flashing lights and salvoes of bravado-loaded beats, the dancefloor is fundamentally made up of something much more intimate – the essence of kindness. The history of dance music is revered for championing inclusivity and mutual respect, expressing love for demographics who are marginalised or lacking privilege. YES YOU is fondly familiar with these roots. As gig promoters, they’re aptly using the unifying medium of dance music as a platform to shine light on those who need assistance. Partying for a cause? It doesn’t get more noble than that.

YES YOU first appeared at a pivotal juncture, assimilating vigorously with the local post-pandemic renaissance that witnessed a revival wave of parties in Singapore. But while countless promoters focused their efforts on profits to resuscitate their brands – and understandably so – YES YOU took a more altruistic route. Breaking into the scene in July 2022, the selfless unit stood out by announcing that it’d be donating profits from all of its events to selected charities. Through its pop-up parties, YES YOU has raised funds for migrant construction workers (Lighthouse Club), pro bono treatment for youths with mental health issues (Limitless), disadvantaged children with adverse life circumstances (Children’s Aid Society) and then some. Their mission is proof that partying can be more than just a fun pursuit, but also a positive force for good.

You’ll find YES YOU events popping up in clubs… (Credit: Courtesy of YES YOU)

… and in the form of block parties (Credit: Courtesy of YES YOU)

While YES YOU is only one year young in Singapore, the man behind the brand is no greenhorn in the industry. Founded by Nick Levanic – who goes by the alias, Taaka – YES YOU is a culmination of his experiences as a DJ since he started in 2013. Honed in Sydney, Nick eventually brought his skills to Singapore in 2019, curating parties dedicated to pushing what he’s dubbed “bass-driven, booty-shaking house music” – a mighty appropriate descriptor that smacks you the moment you arrive at a YES YOU gig. Plugged by other Singapore-based guest selectors such as KNIGHTNDAE, Jamie Hall, Zafirah and Ron Maran, YES YOU’s soundtracks celebrate the vast ambit of house from deep cuts and classic anthems, to techy slicers and even underground rarities from garage. The adoration for house is universal, and it’s the perfect communal genre for bringing people together like this.

As YES YOU turns one on 4 August with a birthday gig at Tuff Club, we speak to Nick to dig up more about the philanthropical party that’s full of heart.

Nick Levanic AKA Taaka is the chieftain behind YES YOU (Credit: Courtesy of YES YOU)

First up, why are YES YOU parties so infatuated with – as you call it – “bass-driven, booty-shaking house music”?

To me, house is the heart and soul of dance music. It was born from a movement of inclusivity, bringing people from all walks of life together in a positive environment. That’s exactly the vibe we try to foster with YES YOU.

“Bass-driven, booty-shaking house music” describes our signature flavour – naughty low-ends on a quality soundsystem, with percussions to keep the dancefloor moving; equating to a rambunctiously fun wavelength of energy that has permeated all of our events so far! Having said that, we’ve been dipping into other sounds like funk, garage and bloghaus recently to keep things fresh, and we’ll continue to broaden our musical scope while maintaining that signature at our core.

Indeed, house music is a staple for many parties. From the feedback you’ve received on the dancefloor, what works better: sticking to the classics or adapting to what’s current and buzzing?

I believe exposing the audience to both new and obscure sounds is a major differentiator between “the underground” and going to a mainstream club night. I’ve found crowds here to be very open-minded; you can take a set anywhere, and as long as it’s interesting and flows well, the people will dance. At the same time, knowing the opportune time to throw in a classic or two is a handy skill for any DJ to have, and when done right, creates very memorable responses.

A YES YOU gig at Cafe Tailor Made (Credit: Courtesy of YES YOU)

Now let’s talk about the very admirable format of YES YOU parties where profits go to charity. What kicked off the motivation to go down this altruistic route?

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to live in a country like Singapore as an expat, where we enjoy a very high standard of living. But I know that is not the case for everybody here; so as I began to think about doing my own events here, I wanted to find ways to show appreciation for the community by giving back. This also ties back into the core house music ethos of inclusivity. Issues like mental health, migrant worker conditions and gender equality here are not given the same light of day as they are in many Western countries that expats here come from, so it’s also about shining a broader light for their awareness.

How do you choose the charities you wish to advocate? And just curious, have there been any charities that’ve rejected the offer?

No rejections yet thankfully! That’s probably because in terms of selection, I try to focus on those areas which don’t get as much attention in Singapore, to make our impact as meaningful as possible. We’ve supported the likes of The Lighthouse Club, a migrant worker charity that provides financial assistance to workers involved in accidents; Limitless, who fight against mental illness and social inequality among youths; and AWARE, who work to remove gender-based barriers for women in Singapore. And we’re looking at how we can impact these areas beyond simply fundraising in the future.

“I moved here in mid-2019, and apart from a few nights at Kilo, I sadly didn’t get to check out too many events before COVID hit. Instead, I used that time to connect with people in the scene.” (Credit: Courtesy of Life On Fast Forward)

Can you tell us more about your DJ background in Australia? And what lessons have you carried over here?

I grew up in Sydney and started at home on an old pair of CDJ 400s I spontaneously got on the cheap, learning to mix with a few compilation CDs I had lying around, before playing my first club gig in 2013. I started playing clubs in Kings Cross, our underground hotspot where you’d once find five or six sweaty venues raging past sunrise every weekend. Eventually, I became part of the roster at Chinese Laundry, our biggest underground club hosting international acts every week; I was fortunate enough to support the likes of Chris Lake, Artbat, Prok & Fitch, Mat.Joe, Dom Dolla, The Bloody Beetroots, Kyle Watson and Mason Maynard to name a few.

That experience helped me understand how each DJ contributes to the flow of a night. Playing to your set time is important – everyone loves playing prime time, but I really learned to enjoy the responsibility of opening a night and setting the tone for the next person to take over. Many newer DJs get a little too excited and bang out their big tracks on an opening set, but I also learned you can still develop your signature sound while keeping things appropriate for the set time.

“I wanted to find ways to show appreciation for the community by giving back. This also ties back into the core house music ethos of inclusivity.” (Credit: Courtesy of YES YOU)

When did you move to Singapore? And when you did, did you experience any culture shocks in the music or nightlife scene? How has your assimilation been?

I moved here in mid-2019, and apart from a few nights at Kilo, I sadly didn’t get to check out too many events before COVID hit. I used that time to connect with people in the scene, and learned that this community is still very much a relative niche compared to Australia – a smaller local pool of punters to draw bigger international acts, and hampered by miles of regulatory red tape. But this has fostered a unique sense of community, where we’re all in it together trying to make magic happen; both promoters and the crowd. And that helped create a very welcoming experience for me.

With your experience so far, what have you gathered about organising parties in Singapore?

We launched shortly after COVID restrictions were lifted, and sold out very quickly; as did many other parties at the time, as people obviously had very itchy feet! But as more events pop up and pockets get tighter from the current economic climate, you’ve gotta do more than just throw a party to get people through the door. There’s been a lot of innovation as a result, and I’ve loved seeing collectives pushing the envelope like Ice Cream Sundays curating amazing event experiences, Strange Weather’s forward-thinking sounds, FOMOHOMO championing the queer community, and the likes of THUGSHOP, Blackout and Soul Collective bringing so many top-quality names to our shores. I’m really inspired by these and many other crews to continue raising the bar.

YES YOU will be throwing its first anniversary party next month (Credit: Courtesy of YES YOU)

Parties in Singapore tend to get a bad rap from the authorities. With the selfless and charitable ethos of YES YOU, do you wish to eliminate the stigma that’s tagged to nightlife in Singapore? What more do you reckon can be done?

It’s a long road, but I’m optimistic we’re heading in the right direction. The music scene here is united by a common purpose – to bring people together in a meaningful way, and to create lasting connections and memories. I think a combination of highlighting that purpose to the broader community, while continuing to engage in local initiatives, can help lay the foundation for positive change in years to come.

And to end off, a huge congratulations for turning one. What can you tell us about this anniversary event?

After a short break, we're coming back by celebrating our first birthday at TUFF Club with special guest V.Alarik from Bangkok, with a new series of events in the pipeline which we're excited to announce soon!

Follow YES YOU on their Instagram page to stay updated with their activities. Their first anniversary party happens on 4 August 2023 at Tuff Club.