This sonic shaman from Japan, known for his uncompromising journey through music, is set to join the powerful techno lineup at the Dance Arena on Thursday, July 10, for the grand opening of EXIT Festival’s 25th anniversary edition.
Yousuke Yukimatsu is widely recognized as an artist who never repeats a set, yet leaves a lasting imprint with each one. His global rise began humbly in 2008, when he took control of the decks for the first time at a house party in his hometown of Osaka, performing for a select audienc. In 2014, he was invited by the legendary DJ Nobu to perform at the Future Terror party in Tokyo – a major turning point in his career. His recent Boiler Room Tokyo set has since gone viral, amassing over nine million views and confirming his cult status behind the decks.
Through performances alongside artists like Oneohtrix Point Never and Marcel Fengler, Yukimatsu gradually built a loyal following among fans of experimental electronics, both in Japan and worldwide. He has since gone b2b with names such as Lee Gamble, M.E.S.H., and T.C.F., and performed with Adam X and Cut Hands – collaborations that expanded his artistic horizons even further. Completely immersed in sound, Yousuke blends trance, house, gabber, trap, and noise with remarkable presence and intuition. The audience never knows what’s coming next – but instinctively feels they’re exactly where they need to be. No gimmicks, no overproduction – just pure instinct leading the way through unrepeatable moments.
A serious health challenge shifted his perspective, but didn’t stop the music. On the contrary, Yukimatsu dedicated himself to music even more, turning each new set into a unique stage legacy – not only in a technical sense, but as a deeply emotional journey through vulnerability and release.
In 2016, he launched his own event series, Zone Unknown, in Osaka and Kobe – a creative lab for pushing sonic boundaries. There, he hosted artists such as Shapednoise, Kamixlo, Palmistry, Imaginary Forces, Aïsha Devi, Equiknoxx, and Rabit, while Arca’s live vocal performance remains one of the most memorable highlights. If there’s one constant in his dark, eclectic sets, it’s a philosophy that doesn’t seek perfection – but truth. He performed three years in a row at Berlin Atonal (2017–2019), one of the world’s leading avant-garde electronic festivals, where his unpredictable mixes earned the reputation of sonic storytelling.
Yukimatsu resists easy categorization, yet never shies away from expressing his artistic identity with clarity. As he once humbly stated in an interview, “Music has brought me many good things – new friends, delicious local food, travel… and shifts within my own heart.” That’s not a statement from someone trying to change the scene – but from someone who gives everything to it.
This July, the unstoppable Japanese artist joins the headliners of EXIT Festival’s 25th edition! On Thursday, July 10, the Dance Arena crowd will experience his uncompromising energy and unpredictable stage presence for the very first time – in a set, like all of his, that will never happen again.
