37th time's a charm: DJ Yoda on Leeds club lore, Howard Marks, & making festival history at Roundhay Festival

If you want to gauge the depth of a touring artist's relationship with Leeds, don't ask them for a generic "I love the vibe here" quote. Ask them to check their diary.

"I just checked my records, and this will be the 37th time I’ve DJ’d in Leeds," smiles Duncan Beiny, known globally to hip-hop and electronic music fans as DJ Yoda.

For a city fiercely proud of its independent night culture, Yoda’s musical passport reads like a definitive history of local nightlife over the last three decades.

From the pioneering house sweatbox of Back To Basics and the sweat-dripping indie tiers of the late, lamented Cockpit, to student staples like The Faversham and modern heavyweights like Project House, Belgrave Music Hall, and the Brudenell Social Club, he has soundtracked virtually every corner of the city.

"I think it’s fair to say I’ve covered a lot of Leeds nightlife over the years," Yoda reflects. "One absolute standout memory is the legendary Howard Marks introducing me on stage at The Cockpit. That was just epic. Leeds has always proudly done its own thing.

“There's a constant musical ecosystem here, and the city has always happily mixed genres rather than being known for just one specific sound."

Next Sunday (July 5), the cut-and-paste maestro will add a 37th entry to that local diary - and it might just be his most historic yet.

He is locked in as the special after-party guest to close out the inaugural Roundhay Festival, bringing his world-renowned audio-visual wizardry to an outdoor arena that has previously hosted everyone from Madonna to Michael Jackson.

Walking the Sample Tightrope in a Digital World

For three decades, DJ Yoda has built on a distinct form of sonic alchemy: the art of the audio-visual mashup.

Long before TikTok made rapid-fire video editing a global language, the DJ was physically splicing cult film clips, forgotten cartoon themes, and rare groove hip-hop breaks into cohesive, theatrical live experiences.

But trying to execute that style of "cut-and-paste" art in 2026 is a vastly different beast than it was when he started in the mid-90s.

"It’s a tightrope I’ve had to walk since I started DJing 30 years ago," Yoda admits. "Technology advancing has meant it’s much easier for me to sample, but the sheer breadth of material we all have immediate access to is also quite overwhelming. If I didn't have a specific theme to tie a project together - like this upcoming 90s show - I wouldn’t even know where to start.

“There’s almost too much good stuff out there."

Beyond the sheer volume of choices, there is the increasingly aggressive corporate landscape of digital copyright bots and automated licensing algorithms.

"Sometimes the genesis of a whole project is just knowing that I have certain rights available to me that aren’t going to be an issue," he explains. "When I started my How To Cut & Paste series, I knew I had access to the Sugarhill Records discography, so that was a safe starting place.

“But when I began working on my 80s Edition mix, the first thing I was told by the lawyers was that I couldn’t use any Michael Jackson, Madonna, or Prince."

"I almost gave up immediately," Yoda jokes. "But I think limitations like that actually force you to dig harder for more interesting, creative solutions."

That relentless search for the unusual has fundamentally shifted his day-to-day workflow.

The romantic image of the DJ spending hours flipping through dusty, cobwebbed crates in independent record shops has largely been replaced by a different kind of obsession.

"It’s definitely become more hours spent down late-night YouTube rabbit holes rather than in dusty record shops these days," Yoda says. "It’s a completely different process, but it can be just as rewarding.

“I do still hunt for physical vinyl when I can, so it’s just a balance of searching out interesting material from absolutely everywhere and anywhere."

Psychedelia and Immersive Spaces

While his touring life is a whirlwind of 90s nostalgia, Yoda’s time in the studio remains fiercely forward-looking. For a creator who thrives on cultural reinvention, his current inspirations are pulling from entirely unexpected eras.

"I tend to do deep dives on particular genres year by year," he reveals. "I’ve been listening to a lot of 1960s and 70s psychedelia, rock, and folk over the last year, and I've just completed my sixth album. Maybe that might filter through to the sound of it for listeners soon."

That appetite for experimentation has also shifted where he physically performs. While traditional clubs and massive festival fields remain his bread and butter, the evolution of his video art has opened doors to entirely different cultural landscapes.

"There are pros and cons to both festivals and clubs, but honestly I just love the balance of getting to do both," Yoda reveals. "More of my DJing falls between both those categories these days.

“Because of my video work, I often find myself playing in cinemas, art galleries, or fully immersive spaces, which is just as fun in a completely different way."

Ultimately, next weekend is all about the homecoming.

Closing out a massive three-day weekend that features pop heavyweights and orchestral movements requires a specific kind of energy—and Yoda is ready to deliver exactly that to the North Leeds crowd.

"It’s an honour," the DJ says of his spot on the inaugural bill. "The rest of the festival line-up looks so good, I hope I can do it justice! I’m bringing my brand new 90s Audio-Visual Show, so anyone coming along should be prepared for some real throwback vibes."

It is a fitting finale for a weekend that will completely transform Roundhay Park, bridging the gap between the legendary dance heritage of Leeds' past and the massive festival scale of its present. And for the fans across West Yorkshire ready to brave the park gates on Sunday afternoon, the headliner has one simple instruction.

"I would just say to be prepared for an extremely 90s evening," Yoda says, priming the crowd.

"Have a think about what that means to you, and see if I can touch on that specific note throughout the show. I like to think that I nailed it with this one!"

DJ Yoda will perform as the special after-party guest at Roundhay Festival on July 5. Remaining tickets can be booked today via Ticketmaster.