Get to know Tini Gessler, the DJ wooing ravers with upbeat and melodic deep tech

In hindsight, it seems as though Tini Gessler’s relocation to Spain was directed by fate. “I’d still be listening to electronic music if I’d stayed in Germany,” Tini explains, “but I’m not sure I would have made a career in DJing. When I look back now I realise just how beneficial the connections I made in Spain really were.”

Born in Friedrichshafen, a small town situated between Munich and Stuttgart, Tini moved to the beautiful Mediterranean beach resort of Sitges when she was still at school. To help fund her university studies she scored waitressing work in numerous bars and nightclubs, where she was quickly immersed by underground club culture.

“I was really into techno and would always ask my favourite DJ/producers how they made their sounds,” she recalls. “After that, I started buying the equipment I needed for a home DJ setup – first vinyl turntables and later Pioneers – so that I could teach myself how to play.”

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Arguably the most important networking connection Tini made was Juan Arnau Jr, boss of global party phenomenon Elrow. “By then I was playing regularly for Pacha Barcelona,” Tini says. “But those sets were during the evening on the restaurant side of the venue, so I wasn’t playing full-on club music. Thankfully I managed to persuade Juan to take a chance on me!”

Tini’s first gig at Elrow’s Barcelona base took place on the Ker Beach stage. The music policy stipulated deep house, which suited Tini’s record box. “I think they must have liked me,” she laughs, “because after a few gigs they made me Ker Beach resident. Then, after three years on the second stage, Elrow started introducing me on the main stage, before finally promoting me to general resident across the entire venue!”

Alongside the completion of an accountancy degree, Tini’s current mission is to make a name for herself beyond elrow’s all-powerful umbrella. “I’m super proud to be a resident of elrow,” Tini emphasises, “but I also want to make my name as Tini Gessler; I know it will help me grow as an artist.”

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In 2019 Tini performed for a slew of big club and festival brands unconnected to Elrow for the first time, such as Serbia’s Lovefest and Lief Festival in the Netherlands, in addition to after dark performances alongside Solardo, CamelPhat and Fisher for Bodyworks at Hï Ibiza, not to mention The Warehouse Project back here in the UK.

Moving forward, Tini will remain a core member of the Elrow family, but she’s also determined to keep spreading her wings. “Elrow are super happy about what I’m doing,” she says. “We’re a really close family; it’s not just work. They are always so proud when any of their residents are ready to spread their name across the planet. In the long run it can only be good for everyone – not just me, but also Elrow the brand.”

Tini Gessler is at mUmU in Liverpool on February 8

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