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.

MANDIDEXTROUS REUNITES WITH SAMURAI BREAKS AND LEANNE LOUISE FOR “RAVERS ANONYMOUS” VIA SPEEDBASS RECORDINGS!

At the break of dawn, when the night is just a memory and the thought of Sunday lunch looms, “Ravers Anonymous” transforms lingering post-party fatigue into a refined rave euphoria. Featuring the iconic vocal talents of Leanne Louise, this track merges Samurai Breaks’ masterful drum programming with Mandidextrous’ signature 4x4 flow, crafting a sonic experience that captures the essence of the underground scene.

Recorded in M’s Bristol studio, this collaboration is a seamless follow-up to the duo’s previous joint release “Phonecall Riddim”, blending two distinctive and prolific styles into one cohesive anthem. With both artists having graced prestigious stages this summer from Glastonbury’s Temple to Boomtown’s Spectrum 360 (curated by Mandi), and tours across Australia, the anticipation for this release is palpable.

Landing back on Speedbass Recordings, a label and movement founded by Mandidextrous themselves that relaunched earlier this year, the Speedbass genre was born from M’s desire to reinvent themselves creatively by blending elements of bassline, bass music, and drum & bass into a high-octane 4x4 format. Initially finding their calling at free parties, it follows M’s first venture AMEN4TEKNO which became the leading UK label for raggatek, hardtek, and jungletek.

Speedbass represents a bold new chapter as a genre, a label, and a cultural phenomenon that opens up space for innovation, inclusivity, and next-level rave energy. Carving their own lane, Mandidextrous champions freedom of expression, big sounds, and bigger love that has landed them shows across the globe. Kicking off with their own UK tour in partnership with Teletech, as well as joining Teletech for their upcoming Berlin takeover they are also set to play at WHP Presents for Nia Archives’ Up Ya Archives, and present their own Spectrum 360 takeover at The Underground in Bristol, anticipating a sell out event.

Also on the horizon, Mandidextrous leans into their early inspiration for D&B alongside Matt Scratch with a 10 track D&B album ‘Nobody Plays the Second Drop Anyway’ forthcoming on the infamous label Neuroheadz. Written by themselves and Matt Scratch, the album will also drop alongside an entertaining mini documentary over the coming months. 

Not only celebrated for breaking musical boundaries but also for championing equality and inclusion, M is a fierce champion of queer visibility, trans rights, and inclusive spaces, and their voice resonates far beyond the music. By using their platform to celebrate diversity and spark meaningful dialogue, Mandidextrous continues to empower communities and inspire the next wave of boundary-pushing artists and ravers.

Now fueled and ready for club season, “Ravers Anonymous” is more than just a track, it’s the definitive antidote for every dedicated raver. Proudly presented on Mandidextrous’ own Speedbass Recordings, expect to see huge crowd reactions to roll in across the dancefloor.