Established label owner and eclectic producer DJ Tennis worked a healthy dose of leftfield melodies, space-age samples, and psychedelic basslines into his set for the most famous bathroom in dance music: HÖR. Mixing house into breaks and indie, he upheld his reputation as an unpredictable and expansive selector.










Manfredi Romano – aka DJ Tennis – grew up tour-managing punk bands and organizing music events in Italy around the turn of the millennium. He also played in bands but confesses that he wasn’t a great singer or guitarist.




“I’m completely self-taught, and I have a weird approach,” he explains in an interview with Beatportal. “I have a very uneducated way of using a guitar, tuning the guitar strings so it sounded very noisy… [but] I think the fact that you don’t have musical instruction, in an academic sense, allows you to be more personal.”




After finishing university, he launched DAZE, Italy’s first booking agency solely committed to electronic music. Two decades later, in 2010, Romano established himself as a DJ in his own right.




His mission was to re-introduce ‘psychedelia’ to the dancefloor, which he describes as “a dimension that is between reality and a dream, between imagination and reason. And I wanted to use vocals, but not classic soulful vocals like in house music.”




Romano is also the founder and A&R of Life and Death, the label responsible for showcasing some of Tale Of Us and Mind Against’s earliest tracks. Carmine Conte and Matteo Milleri of the former ran the label with Romano in the early days, along with Thugfucker’s Greg Oreck, with DJ Tennis providing them with significant guidance in the earliest stages of their careers.



When producing, Romano fuses his past relationships with post-rock into the realm of the electronic. The same is true in curating his label, which has welcomed indie electronic acts like Clockwork into the fold in the past decade. As a DJ, he strives to be varied and spontaneous. “I don’t like to meet expectations, and I like when people are surprised…normally my sets are never the same.”




Today, when he’s not touring, Romano splits his time between Miami and Barcelona, where he enjoys riding motorbikes, collecting vintage action figures, and building upon his vinyl collection - which now numbers over 11,000 strong.




DJ Tennis will step behind the decks at Smartbar in Chicago, StereoBar in Montreal, SXM Festival Saint Martin, and beyond.























































































































DJ Tennis Brings a Healthy Dose of Psychedelia to HÖR

LP Giobbi’s come-up might be the hottest of the year. The momentary pause on her launch two years ago due to the Covid-19 pandemic is now just a speck in the rear view mirror. In fact, her domination of Twitch streams throughout the pandemic may have even accelerated the process.




The Femme House leading lady has been on a tear in 2022 taking her brand on tour nationwide, gracing main stages worldwide, and releasing a slew of new singles and remixes. Recently, LP achieved another career milestone signing her first record to the prominent independent record label, Ninja Tune, via their Counter Records imprint.



“All In A Dream” is the deep-rooted dance track you never knew you needed with a piano-laden groove that only LP can provide. This foundational piece took on new life with a bit of help from her friends, as LP shared in a statement:



“All in a Dream came together in such a fun and fluid way. I started working on the idea of the track with one of my favourite producers, Le Chev (Michael Cheever) and I was in Miami with Sofi Tukker, and they walked into the studio and heard the record and Tucker immediately said ‘I have this vocal sample that would be perfect.’ I threw it in the session and it was in the same key and fit perfectly. I eventually played it for DJ Tennis and Ashworth, and Tennis suggested we record live drums for it so we spent a joyous day in the studio trying out all sorts of beats with a live drummer. Tennis and Ashworth then ran the track through outboard gear that made me want to crawl into the frequencies of the piano and never leave.”



This hybridization of organic instrumentation with synthesized enhancements culminates in a track just begging to be rinsed on a warm summer’s evening while soundtracking the setting sun.



Follow LP Giobbi on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

LP Giobbi Captivates With Powerful New Single 'All In A Dream'

Desert festivals might be some of the hardest to come by, and not just because those barren spaces are few and far between. Raving in 100-degree weather is just something that most people wouldn’t dream of, and it might seem even more improbable in such a remote location. So, why do ravers take to these arid sandscapes to dwell in the desert for days on end?

Despite the unforgiving environment, desert landscapes make for some of the best festivals in the world. Often without any towns or cities within earshot for miles, the lack of noise licenses allows for larger than average sound systems with no time constraints. Deserts also provide a completely blank slate meaning they can play host to any kind of creativity or blueprint, whether stages, art installations, or campsites. After dark, once the heat settles over the planes or dunes, it’s high time to let loose, and party as the dry daytime air subsides, creating the perfect starlit setting for any eager raver.

So, with that, let’s dig into some of the best desert festivals across the globe - and no, it’s not just Burning Man!




Monegros Desert Festival, Spain



We’re kicking off this list in Europe - an unusual spot considering the continent’s vast greenery. In the dusty region of Aragon, Northern Spain, a growing community sets up shop in the Monegros Desert, where the eponymous festival takes place. By day, festival-goers take shade under enormous fairytale-esque mushrooms, later lit up by trance-inducing lights transforming the space into a psychedelic oasis. Monegros Desert Festival is known for its prodigious lineup too. Promising one of the most exciting performances of the year as Wu-Tang Clan take to the stage in July 2022, accompanied by a slew of DJs including Adam Beyer, Charlotte De Witte, Seth Troxler, Maceo Plex, and more. This year’s event falls on July 30 for a full-frontal 24 hours.

Website | Instagram | Tickets







Transahara, Morocco



Over in the Sahara Desert, early summertime event Transahara kicks off this year on May 13th-17th deep in the barren zone amongst the “mythical dunes of Merzouga.” With a traditionally psytrance lineup, this South Moroccan festival is a great escape for fans of higher-tempo tunes. Yet, previous lineups have included house and techno artists whose soundscapes fit for the mystical desert environment like John Aquaviva, Nitin, Matt Caines, and D-Nox. Due to the fragility of the ecosystem surrounding the venue, the festival is capped at 1500 and accommodations in one of five hotels and camps nearby. Accommodations are quite reasonable ranging from $30-80 a night. Transahara beautifully fuses art, music, and culture for a grand celebration under the starlit sky every spring. 

Website | Instagram | Tickets




Burning Man, Nevada

Photo Credit: Michael Holden



Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without Burning Man. It might be the first one that comes to mind when you think of desert-based festivals, but many don’t know the full ins and outs of this unusual event. As thousands of people - 80,000 to be exact - make the pilgrimage each year to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, festivalgoers land in the barren metropolis of Black Rock City surrounded by art installations, burning structures, adventurous outfits, and a heck of a lot of bicycles. Black Rock City doesn't have traditional stages, the music is instead hosted by sound camps that each add their own artistic aesthetic to the dusty environment. Soundcamps like the fire-laden Opulent Temple, Debouchaerous day party Distrikt, and Carl Cox led Playground have hosted some of the biggest names in house and techno, including Carl Cox, The Martinez Brothers, and Joseph Capriati.

Website | Instagram | Tickets




Ragasthan, India

Previously dubbed ‘India’s craziest music festival’, Ragasthan has a lot to live up to - and it does. The three-day camping event takes place in the medieval trading town-turned-desert of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, just off the border of Pakistan. Boasting a lineup of both electronic and indie music, India’s top-tier festival also includes cinema screenings and fly-by art on top of late-night DJ sets from the likes of Christ Burstein, Bemet, and more amongst the mystical landscape. Ragasthan takes place each year in February to ease away those winter blues.

Website | Instagram | Tickets




AfrikaBurn, South Africa



Burning Man's sibling festivals are called regional burns. Founded on the same 10 Principles of Burning Man (Radical Inclusion, Gifting, Decommodification, Radical Self-reliance, Radical Self-expression, Communal Effort, Civic Responsibility, Leaving No Trace, Participation, and Immediacy) they give the worldwide community a chance to relish in its spirit closer to home.

Afrikaburn is the second largest regional event after its sibling festival Midburn in Israel. And it's a worthy contender. Originally taking place on Stonehenge farm, AfrikaBurn later moved to South Africa’s Quaggafontein, where it sets up a similar event with the same ethos as Burning Man. The experiencial festival is said to be a ‘playground without politic’ bringing together the South African Burner community. This year’s event kicks off in the Western Cape province on April 25th until May 1st.

Website | Instagram | Tickets




Desert Daze, California



California’s Desert Daze Festival has consistently had one of the better lineups over the past few years in the arid, mountainous destination of Lake Perris. Though more a beach than a desert festival, this dry setting has previously hosted the likes of Floating Points, Boards of Canada, Flying Lotus, plus a few pop, rap, and rock numbers. Desert Daze takes place annually toward the end of the year to avoid peak summertime heat, but with a lake just metres away, there’s always room for a quick dip. Expect some more magic in the desert this year from September 30th until October 2nd.


Website | Instagram | Tickets




Sandbox, Egypt



Sandbox is a once-in-a-lifetime event taking place mid-summer. As the sun hangs low over the Gouna Red Sea next to Egypt’s El Gouna desert, almighty lineups including Folamour, Palms Trax, Mella Dee, Sweely, and more play to intimate crowds. The desert plane hosting Sandbox sits next to the turquoise waters of the red sea, making it the perfect respite for anyone seeking some time away from the unforgiving heat. This year’s dates are currently unconfirmed, although you can bank on a glorious weekend somewhere in mid June.

Website | Instagram

Day Zero, Israel



Finishing off our selection is Israel's Day Zero festival hosted in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Masada, not to be confused with the festival’s second event held in the jungle of Tulum. As termed by the festival itself, Day Zero is ‘a convergence of mysticism, music, natural wonder and apocalyptic sentiment’, set amongst the scenic desert space in the heart of Israel. Here, you can find a bill of impressive house and techno artists from all over the globe with previous residents including DJ Tennis, Black Coffee, Four Tet, and Dennis Cruz amongst others. Day Zero celebrates 10 years this year kicking off on September 23rd, 2022.

Website | Instagram | Tickets



Desert Festivals to Visit Around The World

Raised among New Jersey, Sicily and Parma and of a household where music did not play a large role, Manfredi Romano became DJ Tennis. Born in 1970, Romano grew up with no additional family learning or playing any musical instruments, had none at his disposal, and no one that adopted any interest in music. Despite this reality, Romano’s imaginative and artful attitude has remained oriented around music, including singing, playing and even collecting instruments with every opportunity to do so. Although Romano did possess a great passion for music, he chose to attend The University of Pisa in 1989 to study computer science. However, he was still singing and playing in school bands, and joined a radio show on a local station in Palermo featuring indie rock. Supporting himself through university consisted of organizing events, recording bands, and DJing at a tennis club he once frequented as a semi-pro player. Note that the DJ Tennis name is derived from his adoration for sport. When Romano graduated from university he never thought he would shift these gigs into an actual music career. Still he became a DJ, first by promoting fresh underground music and then by developing some of the most influential Italian underground musical events, such as the Elita and Dissonanze festivals.

For the last 20 years, Romano has produced music in many forms, including theatre compositions, movie soundtracks and TV commercial scores. His skills are formed with insights from the psychedelic and gloomy sounds of the 1960s through the early 2000’s intelligent dance music period. A few of his role models involve: Beach Boys, The Who, Radiohead, Boards of Canada and Plastikman. In 2010, Romano teamed up with Thugfucker’s Greg Oreck to start a new pop and techno label called Life and Death. DJ Tennis is currently living in Berlin where he and Tale of Us share a studio, as well as the label experience. He has put in great efforts to create a group of innovative musicians like Clockwork and Esperanza. Today Romano primarily works as a promoter and booking agent.