retrogroove: the Lebanese Collective Pushing House Music Across MENA

House music has been at a relative decline throughout the past decade with the rise of tech-house and melodic techno. Many seem to be shifting towards the underground sounds of genres such as juke, footwork, synthwave, and more. It’s been some time since we’ve seen a powerful collective focusing purely on house music. Luckily, Lebanese collective ‘retrogroove’ has been taking care of that, actively pushing house and disco music with every electrifying event they hold.

For the past 5 years, retrogroove has been hosting festival-like parties throughout Lebanon and, recently, on further horizons. With showcases in Jordan, Paris, UAE, and now more frequently in Egypt; the party collective likes to spice things up with each occasion, offering line-ups that are extraordinary and diverse in equal parts. With every party, the lineup is rotated mainly between co-founder Ralph Nasr, accompanied by residents of the collective Ronin, Klo, Allen Behlok, and whoisbibz, while also including local DJs from whichever country they visit as well.

With over nearly 10 years of experience within the music scene, Ralph Nasr has been an instrumental figure for electronic music in Lebanon. Having held residencies at some of the biggest clubs in Lebanon such as The Garten, B018, and The Ballroom Blitz; as well as playing alongside the finest DJs in the world (think Peggy Gou, Detroit Swindle, and more). Another prominent figure in the Lebanese scene is DJ, booker, promoter, and brand strategist Ronin, who’s been a jack-of-all-trades in the music scene, whether it be booking talents for parties or spinning the decks himself.

In a recent interview with both Nasr and Ronin, we got the inside-scoop on their vision for the Lebanese scene, their insight on everything happening underground, and what inspired the creation of retrogroove to begin with.If you missed out on retrogroove's previous showcases in Cairo, now is the chance to live the "retro" experience as the collective returns to Egypt on the 11th of March, so stay updated with @retrogroove_ on Instagram

If you missed out on retrogroove's previous showcases in Cairo, now is the chance to live the "retro" experience as the collective returns to Egypt on the 11th of March, so stay updated with @retrogroove_ on Instagram.