Yakai

Ricardo Lopes, also know as Dj Yakai, was born in 1980 in V.N.Gaia (Porto-Portugal).
Having initiated his career with electronic music in 1994, throught Acid/Techno, he quickly gained interest in discovering new sources and music styles.
In 1996 he had the first contact with Psychedelic Trance, which became the musical style culture that he addopted as it's preferred one, almost in an immediate way, inside of the electronic music context. In 1998 he initiaed it's a professional carrer as a Dj, playing vinyl at that time.
Since February 2001 until July 2002 he was responsable for the Ethnitian Nights at Naif Bar(Porto), every wednesday, dedicated to chillout/Etnic and Goa/Psy Trance. These were the first regular nights in this city dedicated entirely to this music genre. Also during 2002 he and some other friends gathered efforts and managed to bring Yahel to a party of their own under the name of Drancenoise. Later on, in mid 2003 he joined the event promoter and party organisation collective named En Sof which until today he still maintains attached.
Having been one of the pioneers of this style in the city of Porto, Yakai withholds already a quite concise curriculum. Yakai's long career allowed him to have already worked for the most important promoters in Portugal (such as Quest4Goa, Crystal Matrix, Digital Oracle, Elements Trance amoung many others) as well as some of the most well known clubs in Porto (including Hard Club, Swing, Mau Mau, Porto Rio and Maré Alta). Also to be noticed that in 2005 he was present in the first edition of Freedom Festival, being chosen to play after the opening ceremony performened by Michelle Adams.
Besides being a uge fan of psychedelic trance Dj Yakai is also a passionated vinyl and cd collector, having achieved all over these years an enormous collection from the best and most know labels of all world, achieving this way a remarkable and always actual knowledge in this area.
It's sets usually consists of a Ful On Matinal loaded of psychedelic influences, however, it's not odd to find that sometimes and depending on timing, place and on the crowd, it's sets proceed to a more Progressive Psychedelic, or even, in a retrospective oriented way, were Goa Trance is remembered.
Nowadays he's looking for new influencies on electronic music, based upon the roots that he adopted. Lately he was invited by the brend new Portuguese label "Animatech rec." to compiled his first cd, which will be released in a special party whith mistic and legendary guest as Jorg aka ShivaJorg.