Rossi. Brings London to a Standstill With One Message

Jun 18, 2025

Photo of Michela Iosipov

Michela Iosipov

4 min read

LONDON, UK — On what was otherwise a regular Tuesday in East London, ROSSI. transformed a hidden tunnel into a full-blown rave—echoing the spirit of a 90s illegal party: no lineup announcement, no promo run, just raw sound, word of mouth, and bodies in motion. All it took was one message.

Check out the recap here!

That message came through Backstage with Rossi., his private Instagram broadcast channel, where he quietly dropped the location for the “High On Me” launch party just hours before it kicked off. By sundown, Shoreditch Tunnel was packed wall to wall.

This wasn’t an ad. It was an invitation—and it sparked one of the most memorable DIY parties London has seen in recent memory.

As the sun dipped behind the skyline, crowds began forming under the aged brick arches of Shoreditch Tunnel. The space—graffiti-coated and soaked in decades of East London grit—quickly turned into a pulsing corridor of sound and movement. No stage barriers. No VIP sections. Just people, everywhere.

A Funktion-One rig blasted from the back of a fire-red G-Wagon, with ROSSI. perched on the roof, grinning behind the decks (shoutout to @escapisteprojects). Every surface—walls, lampposts, even the vehicle itself—was flanked by phones in the air, hands reaching up, and bodies dancing in rhythm. Someone climbed onto a friend’s shoulders, white dress glowing under the scattered tunnel lights. The energy was explosive, raw, and magnetic.

"Set starts at 7PM. Length? We’ll see what we can get away with." — Rossi., via Backstage with Rossi.

It felt more like a fever dream than a launch party. The energy hovered somewhere between chaos and control—crowd chants bouncing off the walls and the kind of vibe that made you wish it would never end. A drone buzzed overhead. At one point, security or police presence flickered into view, underscoring just how spontaneous the moment really was.

But what made the moment even more standout? Dozens stuck around after the party to help clean up the space—a rare display of collective care that underscored the sense of mutual respect and ownership in the crowd.

The spontaneous success of the event can be perceived as a reflection of ROSSI.’s philosophy. Through his record label and event series HOME//GRXWN, has consistently championed storytelling over spectacle. What began as a radio show focused on artist backstories evolved into a label celebrating lived experience as much as sound design.

Homegrown thrives on authenticity, and that same ethos radiated through the tunnel: raw, personal, and community-driven. With no big sponsors or branded walls, the night felt rooted in something deeper—shared energy and narrative over production gloss.

Rossi. also runs Homecooked—his own laid-back cooking show where he invites friends like Archie Hamilton and Josh Baker to whip up banana bread, cookies, and conversation. Streaming on YouTube and Spotify, the series dives into everything from early career stories to what keeps them inspired today.

From starring in Les Misérables as a kid to becoming a clubland favorite with chart-topping tracks like Paradise and Don’t Touch That Dial,” ROSSI. has been quietly building a career that’s now unmistakably generational. His rise wasn’t manufactured—it’s been pieced together through years of risk-taking, reinvention, and real connection with his audience. Events like this make it clear that Rossi. is doing things his own way—and it’s working.

With a celebration pop-up like this—one that’ll be talked about for a long time—we’re all counting down to “High On Me” dropping this Friday. The collab with Irish dance-pop star Jazzy already feels like a summer anthem in the making. If this week was any sign, Rossi. knows exactly how to make a moment.

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