Two heavyweights from the electronic music scene are joining forces to launch LYRA, a new artist management agency fully dedicated to nurturing emerging talent in the fastest-growing segment of the dance industry: Hard Techno and Hard Dance.
Hard Dance has long been a popular and influential genre within the global dance music industry. In recent years, it has evolved from a niche movement into an international phenomenon with strong commercial success. The explosive growth of festivals and the worldwide popularity of artists highlight how Hard Techno in particular has firmly rooted itself both domestically and internationally.
Mano Meijer, founder of This Is My House, brings over twenty years of experience in the scene. He currently manages Maddix, Winson, Mr. Polska, Nifra, Marie Vaunt, Stan Christ, Sacha Harland, IOSIO, and The Rocketman, and has played a pivotal role in the careers of many other major names. Known for his keen eye for talent and a proven track record in strategic artist development, Meijer has made a lasting impact across multiple generations of electronic music.
Mitchell Kerkhof, founder of Odysseys, has in recent years built impressive careers for Fantasm, Klofama, and Karah. He has been instrumental in shaping strategic decisions that elevated artist profiles in terms of both branding and positioning. In addition, he has delivered large-scale shows and events that not only left a mark but also resonated with a generation of artists and fans who engage with the industry in their own unique way.
With LYRA, Meijer and Kerkhof combine their experience, networks, and vision to create a specialized platform. LYRA aims to build the next generation of Hard Dance stars through a long-term strategic approach, personalized guidance, and international positioning. By merging their combined expertise with a fresh perspective on the new generation, they form a powerful combination of knowledge and innovation.
“With LYRA, we want to create a space where talent is not only represented and supported in day-to-day operations,” says Meijer, “but also where artists are trained and guided on how to strategically leverage their own DNA to steer their careers in the right direction.”
Kerkhof adds: “The industry has changed incredibly fast over the past five years. Today’s artists think differently, work differently, and communicate differently. If you don’t adapt to that, you’ll be left behind.”
The current LYRA roster includes FANTASM, KLOFAMA, WINSON, STAN CHRIST AND KARAH, a selection of artists with strong momentum and a clear vision for the future. The roster will continue to expand in the coming months.
MIDNIGHT LOVERS REIMAGINES BAR FRANCA AS DTLA’S NEW CULTURAL HUB FOR SOUND AND COCKTAILS
Downtown’s newest destination blends LA’s avant-garde music talent, international selectors, and an elevated cocktail program
Downtown LA gains a new cultural cornerstone with the opening of the reimagined Bar Franca by Midnight Lovers, a sound bar blending avant-garde music culture, curated cocktail menu, and intimate design. Bar Franca arrives with the DNA of Midnight Lovers, the crew behind some of LA’s most forward-thinking parties with a vision to continue to elevate the cultural hotbed of downtown.
Bar Franca is sound-first, built around a Danley system finely tuned for warmth and precision. The music programming is intentional and expansive: a sultry blend of jazz, funk, disco, house, and balearic beats curated by Midnight Lovers.
The first month of music curation reflects Midnight Lovers’ signature balance of discovery and community, kicked off with an opening night featuring Heidi Lawden and Eli Escobar on October 19. Weekly programming will rotate between Marmalade Jams with Mungo Sound Machine, the Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate, and takeovers by respected selectors including Eddie C, Thee Mike B, DJ Garth, Tiffany Roth of Midnight Magic, Xica Soul, Club Tularosa and Masha Mar. The lineup also features local crews like Sunday Sessions, Sisters of Sound, and Chapter One, along with unannounced guests from the international DJ circuit.
The atmosphere draws inspiration from Franca Sozzani, an Italian editor and cultural icon, blending fashion, photography, and quiet rebellion. Golden lighting, fresh florals, minimally yet sexily designed that creates a canvas that feels timeless, sophisticated, and distinctly LA.
Behind the bar, Gabriel Orta of Broken Shaker and Bar Lab Collective collaborates with Jonny Child, hailing from Bathtub Gin LA, to craft a cocktail program that feels distinctly Los Angeles: expressive, playful, and rooted in care. The menu reimagines the city through bold, seasonal California ingredients and flavor storytelling that nods to its neighborhoods and culture. Highlights include The Lover, a mezcal-based mix of watermelon, hibiscus, and citrus cordial, and the Al Pastor Margarita, a tequila cocktail kissed with pineapple and chorizo spice in tribute to DTLA’s late-night taquerias. Zero-proof creations like the Bonfire Water, blending Optimist Smokey Botanical and Lyre’s orange, mirror the same craft and depth. Together, Orta and Child approach cocktails as a way to connect, creating drinks that are flavorful, inclusive, and made with intention.
For years, Midnight Lovers has shaped LA’s dance music culture by bringing together artists, tastemakers, and loyal creatives on the dancefloor. Bar Franca carries that legacy forward into hospitality, a space in which thoughtful cocktails, immersive design, and world-class music converge, offering the city a new gathering place built on inclusivity and community.
“Midnight Lovers has always been about bringing people together through music and energy. With Bar Franca, we’re extending that spirit into a space where sound and connection meet over cocktails,” says Rolando Alvarez, Founder of Midnight Lovers.
Bar Franca by Midnight Lovers celebrated its grand opening on October 19, featuring Heidi Lawden, the LA-based DJ and producer known for her fluid, genre-spanning sets, and New York veteran DJ and producer Eli Escobar, whose soulful house and disco-driven grooves will set the tone for opening night.
Fans can look forward to another stacked week of programming at Bar Franca, running from Thursday, October 23 through Sunday, October 26, featuring performances from Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate, Krane + Pirumov, Thee Mike B, and a very special guest to close out the weekend.
Bar Franca by Midnight Lovers - Fall Programming
Week 1
Thursday, Oct 16: Soft Opening: Marmalade Jams: Mungo Sound Machine
Sunday, Oct 19: Eli Escobar + Heidi Lawden
Week 2
Thursday, Oct 23: Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate
Friday, Oct 24: Sunday Sessions Pop-Up: Krane + Pirumov
Saturday, Oct 25: Thee Mike B
Sunday, Oct 26: Secret Guest
Week 3
Thursday, Oct 30: Marmalade Jams: Mungo Sound Machine
Friday, Oct 31: DJ Garth (Halloween Special)
Saturday, Nov 1: Sisters Of Sound: Maddy Maia + Tottie
Sunday, Nov 2: Ray Kash + Dead-Tones (Dia De Los Muertos)
Week 4
Thursday, Nov 6: Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate
Friday, Nov 7: Club Tularosa
Saturday, Nov 8: Tiffany Roth of Midnight Magic
Sunday, Nov 9: TBA
Week 5
Thursday, Nov 13: Marmalade Jams: Mungo Sound Machine
Friday, Nov 14: Dakota Dean (Birthday Celebration)
Saturday, Nov 15: Tavish
Sunday, Nov 16: Kamma + Masalo
Week 6
Thursday, Nov 20: Slow Jams Jazz Syndicate
Friday, Nov 21: Secret Guest
Saturday, Nov 22: Xica Soul
Sunday, Nov 23: Chapter One Records: Max Coletto, Hazy, H.U.D.L
Week 7
Thursday, Nov 27: Marmalade Jams: Mungo Sound Machine
Friday, Nov 28: Eddie C (Birthday Celebration)
Saturday, Nov 29: Masha Mar
Sunday, Nov 30: TBA
APPLE MUSIC ANNOUNCE LIVE BROADCAST FROM FRED AGAIN.. USB002 LYON SHOW
Tune in and listen to Fred’s set live from Lyon for free this Friday, October 24th at 6:30pm CET / 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET, exclusively on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/FredAM1
Today Apple Music announces it will bring a series of Fred’s forthcoming shows to listeners… around the world through exclusive live audio broadcasts.
Beginning Friday, October 24, fans will be able to tune in to global livestreaming radio Apple Music 1 and listen to Fred’s DJ set live from Lyon, where he will be joined by Floating Points and Caribou. This marks the first of several livestreams set to take place exclusively on Apple Music throughout his upcoming USB002 run of shows.
Each broadcast will capture the energy and atmosphere of Fred’s performances, bringing fans along on the journey as the artist continues to reveal his ever-evolving USB album.
This is the first time Apple Music will broadcast multiple shows live from an artist’s tour, integrating directly into the live experience to preserve and share these cultural moments in real time. After the livestream, the sets will be available on demand in Spatial Audio soon on a new dedicated page on Apple Music, where fans can listen back.
The Lyon show will also feature the newly unveiled stage installation designed by visual artist Boris Acket, first revealed at his Glasgow performance on October 3. The kinetic structure – a vast, shifting fabric – surrounds the audience, evolving in real time with the music.
Additional show broadcasts and details will be announced soon.
Tune in and listen to Fred’s set live from Lyon for free this Friday, October 24th at 6:30pm CET / 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET, exclusively on Apple Music 1 at apple.co/FredAM1
Listen to more Fred again.. content on Apple Music HERE.
