Francesca Lombardo

Sitting atop her throne as the Queen of Crosstown Rebels, Francesca has cultivated a sound that is all her own. Representative of her multi-disciplinary musical background, Francesca’s music transcends the dance floor; each track providing an emotional narrative, full of wistful dreamy soundscapes, stirring melodies, deep, hypnotic rhythms and her unforgettable vocals.

Francesca’s classical musical training started on piano at the age of 6 but she’d already picked up her first microphone at just 4 years of age. The Italian-born musician has been part of the electronic music scene for more than 15 years, but it is in house and techno where she carved out her own path in the last few years. In that time she has criss-crossed the globe several times over, as a DJ and live performer, in tandem with building up a formidable back catalogue of music. 2015 welcomes a new phase of Francesca’s career as she prepares to unveil her debut album, a collection of work that will truly represent the essence of what she is all about; forward-thinking, experimenting, well-crafted, thoughtful and, most importantly, made from the heart.

In 2012 came the first release of many with Damian Lazarus’ superlative label, Crosstown Rebels. Two years later she is continuously traveling the world to play DJ sets at events from Chile to Australia and everywhere in between. Her unique ability to combine mesmerising rhythms with emotive melodies and dramatic stories through her journey-like sets makes Francesca the DJ who is called upon during those very special moments, adding her unique soundtrack to the sunrise at Burning Man or performing into the midnight ceremony atop the pyramids at Day Zero.

Along the way she has ticked off every respected club on the planet including Fabric (London), Panorama Bar (Berlin), DC10 (Ibiza), Verboten (New York), Space (Ibiza), Warehouse Project (Manchester), Cocoricó (Italy) and many, many more. She also counts several nominations for ‘Breakthrough Artist Of The Year’ among her ever-growing list of achievements. Despite all of this Francesca refuses to relent, pushing her boundaries even further by conceiving a live set incorporating a group of instrumentalists; collaborating to compose and conduct intricate new productions. In 2013 she showcased the live performance via Boiler Room and only a few months later, Francesca performed the live debut at Day Zero in Mexico. The full orchestral performance is due to be debuted at Wonderfruit Festival in Bangkok, where Francesca will perform with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.

Live instrumentalists also feature on her album, merging the world of electronic music with Francesca’s classical upbringing. Taking her music beyond the dance floor, it’s music made to uplift, enlighten and engage people from all walks of life. The outcome is a combination of grand and orchestral compositions, together with subtle, nuanced numbers – a healthy balance that epitomises Francesca’s sound ethic; mature, refined and powerful, permeating into your subconscious and resonating deep within your soul.

Francesca’s striking vocals wash over the crowd with waves of emotion as she performs her final track ‘Call Me Wrong’. Surrounded by the powdery golden dust of the deep Playa, thousands of brightly-coloured Burners assembled in front of the Robot Heart Bus are struggling to breathe through the dust storm but persevere, inspired by the sultry rhythms emanating from the speakers. There’s a unifying force keeping them there, everyone is locked in to Francesca’s utterly contagious positivity, they stop in awe as the beats, melodies and vocals become one with their aura. In this very moment there’s nowhere else anyone would rather be; the desert sun is burning, they’re covered in dust and they feel truly alive. The music comes to an end and, in unison, they break out into an impromptu rendition of Happy Birthday, as this is her special day. These are the moments we live for and these are the moments that are perfectly suited to Francesca Lombardo…

There’s no doubt that Francesca’s passion and drive to keep innovating within the dance music spectrum is unsurpassed and it is the fuel that will keep her inspired, relevant and soundtracking the very best moments of our lives for many years to come.