We were lucky to catch up with Juan Yari recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Juan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
The first time I knew I wanted to follow a creative path, great question! Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been drawn to art, especially painting. But it was around the age of 12 or 13 when I discovered Daft Punk’s music, and that’s when a whole new world opened up for me—music. I remember becoming curious about how songs were made, how music was mixed, and I started experimenting with mixing music at that age. I knew it was something special.
I’ve had several pivotal moments in my life that have shaped my career as an artist. One of them was discovering Skrillex and learning that he made his first album entirely on a laptop. That opened up a world of possibilities for me, it made me realize that anyone with a laptop could make music! That’s when I started diving deeper into production, trying out different music programs until I settled on Ableton. I remember installing and uninstalling it many times because I was overwhelmed by not knowing how to use it, until one day, everything just clicked!
Another defining moment when I knew I wanted to truly dedicate myself to music was watching Eric Prydz’s live stream at Ultra Miami 2014. I remember sitting in my room in Venezuela, watching it live. I didn’t know his music at the time, but his set blew me away, his melodies and energy reached people in such a powerful way. In that moment, I visualized myself doing that. I’m not at that level yet, but we’re getting there step by step.
Juan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m Yari (VE), a musician and DJ born and raised in Venezuela who moved to the United States in search of better opportunities for my creative career. From an early age, my creative project has gone through different stages, evolving in sound—just like I have, haha. I’ve always been influenced by the music I listened to at the time. In Venezuela, electronic music was seen as unusual, so I was often viewed as different, but I didn’t care; I was always happy doing my thing.
My project has explored various genres before settling into what I’m doing today, and I’m really grateful for that journey because I’ve learned production techniques from different styles that have shaped the sound I have now. None of this happened overnight—I’ve spent years working toward this, with countless sleepless nights and endless hours behind my laptop screen. Maybe I could’ve saved myself some time by studying music production, but in Venezuela, there weren’t really any courses available. Plus, most of the information I found online was in English, so I had to push myself to learn, but all of that has led me to where I am now, and I can confidently say I’m proud and happy to see everything coming together.
I’ve had some incredible moments, like performing in different cities and festivals. My music has also made it onto Beatport charts and top lists, which is a huge accomplishment for me since Beatport is the biggest electronic music platform out there. I’ve also had the privilege of releasing tracks on numerous labels around the world, which has allowed me to connect with different audiences and grow my sound internationally. I’ve met amazing people along the way, and I’m so grateful they’ve come into my life. I want to give special mention to the team at Ethereal Sounds, my manager Jessica, my friend Jake Anthony, and my friend Dskrdia, they’ve been fundamental to this growth. And of course, my family, and a special thanks to my friends who have always believed in me, even during moments when I doubted myself.
I think what sets me apart is the fusion of different influences and the years of trial and error that have shaped my sound. I want people to know that my music is a reflection of my journey, each track tells a story and carries a part of me.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Yes, the books by Austin Kleon, especially Steal Like an Artist (the title sounds a bit intense, right? haha), have really helped me over the years. As creatives, we often feel pressured to always be “original,” which can become overwhelming at times. This book challenges that idea and helps you develop a new mindset where nothing is truly original, everything is born from a process of gathering ideas from what you’ve read, seen, or heard, and combining them to create something new.
Your favorite artists are just like you and me, they have people they admire and have drawn inspiration from to shape their art. The book offers other valuable advice that can benefit not only people in the creative field but also those working in any industry. It’s really about embracing the idea that creativity isn’t about being completely unique but about making something meaningful from the influences around you.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Of course! As I mentioned, I’m from Venezuela, a country that we all know isn’t in the best state right now. On top of that, the music I was listening to wasn’t the norm there, so I often faced moments when people asked me to stop playing my music or even made negative comments about the kind of music I create. I remember when I was about to mix for the first time at a party, I couldn’t do it because someone had taken the auxiliary cable, haha. These moments didn’t weaken my desire to pursue this path.
Since I was young, I’ve always sought my own way in the arts. I remember I used to take my dad’s laptop when he wasn’t using it, spending hours and hours watching videos about music and music production software. Eventually, they gave me that laptop because I spent so much time on it, haha! I even had it until the screen started falling off, but I made it work.
As a teenager, it was rare that I bought clothes for Christmas; I’d rather use that money to buy a mixer, a MIDI keyboard (which I even used as a controller for mixing), or even a new laptop, thanks to my brother for helping me complete the money for it. Life hasn’t been easy. Having to leave everything behind and emigrate as the first generation in my family to a foreign country is an experience that makes you stronger, and music has been there with me through it all.
From the beginnings to where I am now, I’ve always stayed motivated to achieve my goals, no matter what others say. It’s been a long journey, but every moment has been worth it, and this is just the beginning of something much bigger. We rise!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Yarisound?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=fb12051d-8fb1-482a-8e5c-17edfef42300
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yarisound/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yarisound
- Twitter: https://x.com/yarisound
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpzlxQsnhii3nUB4bZeDjSQ
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/yarisound
Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/eemyaj.visuals/
https://www.instagram.com/jmmh.media/
https://www.instagram.com/ramonsview/
https://www.instagram.com/susangomezmedia/
https://www.instagram.com/mysticfocusbykelly/
https://www.instagram.com/omf20xx/
https://www.instagram.com/sunsetevents/