Listen to Yotto’s Otherworldly Sophomore Album, “Growth”

by Michael Ryan · Published February 9, 2023

Yotto's first full-length album in five years takes us on an auditory exploration that delights at every turn.

After five long years of waiting, Yotto has finally unveiled his sophomore album, Growth.

Out now via his own label, Odd One Out, the album has the feel of a tour de force for the deep house virtuoso. Four singles released over the last several months teased an ambient exploration of sound, and the resulting project delivered on this promise in spades.

Comprising 13 tracks, Growth beckons and entrances us like an enchanted forest growing before our eyes.

View the original article to see embedded media.

Growth begins with a triad of tracks that gently ease you into a tranquil meadow of music. "Intro" is a magical instrumental that slowly builds in depth, leading straight into the stentorian "Hollow," which features an ethereal topline from MØØNE.

As the ensuing "Meadow" tapers off, it transitions into a distinct energy shift with “Just the Kinda Feeling,” a collaboration with Lost Boy. Here we find ourselves in a maze of dark yet upbeat house music, chock full of catchy hooks and pumping bass that will surely make it a club hit.

Just as quickly as we enter the maze, we ease into a winding path with “Just Over,” a mellow cut featuring a gentle vocal refrain, before continuing on Yotto's lyrical labyrinth with “No Ending.” Here, a hypnotic Julia Church stuns with a spellbinding vocal.

The next three songs meander deeper into the woods, starting with "Timbre," a stunning breakbeat record. The textured “Remember Me?” is a testament to Yotto's prowess in layering, while the subsequent "Encounters" (a collaboration with iconic house music duo Booka Shade) takes us even deeper by way of its mysterious aura and tense arrangement.

The tension continues to build with the peaktime track “Let You Go” (with SØNIN), which features the spectacularly haunting voice of AunA. Yotto then releases that tension, flinging us into a bright clearing with the cathartic “Would You Like Fries with That."

Meanwhile, the steady churn of the bass in “Breezer” holds us in that expanse as we reach the apex of Yotto’s utopia. The final track of Growth, “Rimini Trance Energy,” closes out with a powerful coda wherein a booming beat soundtracks an emphatic soliloquy before culminating in a hushed echo.

As a whole, Growth is an exercise in organic sound that pushes and pulls us through an emotive, dynamic terrain of electronic music. It's yet another forceful demonstration of Yotto's profound ability to produce thematic and conceptual deep house hits, just like he did in 2018's breakthrough debut, Hyperfall.

Yotto is currently taking Growth on the road, having kicked off an eponymous tour in Brooklyn on February 4th. He's gearing up for stops in major cities around the globe through April.

Take a listen to Growth below and stream the album here.