Manfredi Romano, AKA DJ Tennis, has played many roles: computer studies major, chef, tour manager, and of course, semi-professional tennis player. Over the past decade, however, he has established himself as a respected producer and prominent figure in the house community. His record label Life and Death is known for its versatility, including classical elements of house as well as drawing on Romano’s past experience managing left-field punk bands. Among his recent achievements was a performance at the Rakastella festival, an Art Basel-linked collaboration between Life and Death and the Berlin-based house label Innervisions.

Ahead of his upcoming European tour dates, DJ Tennis shares a playlist of tracks from artists who inspire him both as individuals and musicians. “These are songs that are coming from people who are very inspirational for me because they have a very wide reach without being identified by a specific genre—not only as artists, but also as people who gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge by showing me new music.” The playlist features a track from Redrago, the collaborative project of DJ Tennis and indie-duo Red Axes, as well as the trance-inducing work of Italian composer Caterina Barbieri, and a recent release from the beloved Flying Lotus. The eclectic mix is best summed up in the words of DJ Tennis himself; “Exploring diversity and differences is one of the keys to the future of culture in general because it stimulates curiosity and pushes us out of our comfort zone.”