Italian techno evangelist Francesca Lombardo sets up her forthcoming album on Crosstown Rebels with the ‘Perseidi’ EP, paired with a remix from highly revered producer Aril Brikha. “Perseidi is named after a meteor shower called perseids,’ explains Francesca, ‘Perseidi is the Italian name for it, which comes from the constellation Perseus. The astral shower happens mid July till 15 August so this record is coming out at the right time. 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. Featuring live instrumentalists, merging the world of electronic music with Francesca’s classical upbringing, the Perseidi EP 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. Aril Brikha’s remix of the title track is equally as cinematic, fusing sweeping chords with subtle beats to create an epic classic. Francesca’s classical musical training started on piano at the age of six. Her first release on Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels label came in 2012, since which she has had several nominations for ‘Breakthrough Artist Of The Year’ and conceived a live set incorporating a group of instrumentalists, varying from a string quartet to a 40-piece symphony orchestra; collaborating to compose and conduct intricate new productions. 2015 welcomes a new phase of her career as she prepares to unveil her debut album, a body 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. Born in Iran and raised in Sweden, Aril Brikha forged his career with one of the biggest techno records of all time, ‘Groove La Chord’, picked up by techno luminary Derrick May for Transmat Records. Since then he has delivered two critically-acclaimed albums and worked with acclaimed labels such as Peacefrog and Poker Flat. More

Fast-rising Rebel queen Francesca Lombardo is back on Crosstown with her seductive new single ‘What To Do’ featuring remixes from Infinity Ink, Matrixxman and a Luca Cazal Dub. Showcasing Francesca’s undeniable raw talent and pure, fluid vocal flair, ‘What To Do’ is another example of the producer’s sublime song composition in an electronic framework. The sultry mood evoked by Francesca’s voice wraps around the infectious melody as spooky ethereal tones rise and fall with the subtly driving groove. Infinity Ink strip down the elements with mechanical precision, injecting some darker bass and a more solid kick. Matrixxman revels in the twilight zone and delivers an alternative trippy tapestry of jagged synth stabs and melodic bleeps with only waves of the vocal. Luca Cazal’s Dub is a perfect late night builder with added sonic textures More

After her incredible Changes EP on Crosstown Rebels earlier this year, new lady of house Francesca Lombardo continues to impress this time through the Rebellion arm of the enterprise with her Eyes of Nature EP. ‘Eyes’ is first up and opens with a slick percussive grove characterised by lots of organic elements coalescing to paint a mesmerising, ritualistic picture. Bells, shakers and cymbals rattle and echo while deep haunting synths climb and fall to create a real sense of drama. Francesca utilises her vocal training to devastating effect intermittently throughout the track, panning her own heavily FX'd vocals across the mix further adding to the suspense. On the flip and Julien Riachi’s vocal and a tabla drum riff set the tone on ‘Wander and Wonder’ before an ever returning woodblock melody signals the arrival of a killer baseline which takes the track straight to the dance floor. Exquisite production skills ensure that sonically and elementally the track is constantly going somewhere, whilst Lombardo's classically trained ear ensures that she can effortlessly make perfect musical sense of all the different parts within her tracks. With Halloween just around the corner, this release will definitely be heard at a few spooky soirees across the globe... More

98 releases strong and showing no signs of slowing when it comes to unearthing fresh talent and delivering high quality house music, This time Crosstown Rebels might just have discovered the new lady of house in Francesca Lombardo, judging by her exquisite debut - ?Changes EP?. After a fateful meeting with Damian Lazarus at WMC 2011, London based DJ, Vocal Techniques graduate and classically trained pianist Francesca Lombardo began a 12 month process that has culminated in an incredibly diverse and accomplished debut EP. Having gained over 17,000 plays in the past few months on her ?Introducing? podcast for Crosstown Rebels and with an album in the pipeline for the label next year, there is much excitement surrounding this musical protégée. ?The Change? kicks off the EP energetically, in traditional Crosstown fashion - straight up underground house aimed directly at the floor and characterised by a beasty kick drum, neatly arranged vocal snippets and a wonky synth lead. Evolving with a more song-based quality, ?Is It True? moves the EP into ambient textures, sweeping the listener away into a lush, Burial-esque soundscape encapsulated with Francesca?s own haunting vocals and eerie synths, before dropping you straight back onto the dance-floor for an epic climax. Hitting the peak time, ?Old School Anna? is a heads-down, motor-city style, deep house affair, and for the fourth and final cut, the electronic sculptress displays an acute skill for toying with emotions, bringing the listener back down for the ethereal intro of ?Sofiel?, and very gradually introducing a warm, deep groove to see the EP out. As Crosstown edges closer towards its 100th release, Francesca Lombardo upholds the indelible standard of the label, showcasing intricate technique and personal style. Effortlessly switching between dance-floor workouts and more song-based material, Francesca is a major electronic artist on the verge of global stardom.

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