DJ, Producer & Label Owner · Düsseldorf, Germany
Loco Dice
Loco Dice is the Düsseldorf-born house and tech house DJ who started out as a hip-hop DJ and rapper and co-founded the Desolat label in 2007.
quick facts
- Born
- 10 August 1974
- Birthplace
- Düsseldorf, Germany
- Based in
- Düsseldorf, Germany
- Labels
- Desolat
- Genres
- Tech House, House, Techno
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, de.wikipedia.org, locodice.com
Loco Dice came to house music late, and sideways. He spent his early career as a hip-hop DJ and rapper in Düsseldorf, opening for some of the biggest names in rap, before turning to electronic music and eventually building Desolat, a tech house label now in its second decade.
Early Life and Path Into Music
Loco Dice was born on 10 August 1974 in Düsseldorf, Germany, to Tunisian parents, according to Wikipedia, and still lives in the city. His official biography describes him as born and raised there with Tunisian roots, and as a rapper and hip-hop DJ who toured with names including Snoop Dogg, Death Row Crew and Ice Cube before moving into electronic music around 2000. Wikipedia adds that he had a residency at the Düsseldorf club Salon des Amateurs and turned to house and techno after a summer in Ibiza in 2002, encouraged by Timo Maas and Sven Väth.
His official site dates his breakout record, "Phat Dope Shit," to 2002.
Sound and Style
Wikipedia lists him under tech house, house and techno. Techno Airlines files his Desolat label under tech house with a groove-heavy, club-oriented sound, which is also the lane his own records occupy.
The Desolat Label Story
Desolat was founded in 2007 by Loco Dice and Martin Buttrich, according to Resident Advisor's label page, and is now run from Düsseldorf under the name Desolat Music Group. His official biography calls it his own long-running imprint and lists his debut album 7 Dunham Place, released on the label, as 2008, though Wikipedia dates it to 2009. Later albums include Underground Suicide (Desolat and Ultra Music, 2016) and Love Letters (Desolat, 2018), and Wikipedia adds Purple Jam on Universal Music in 2025 and the compilation 5 Years Desolat in 2013.
He has also released on other labels: Wikipedia lists Ovum, M_nus, Cadenza, Cocoon and Four Twenty among them. Our Cocoon timeline records him arriving on Cocoon with the mix album Green and Blue in 2005, followed by the Carthago and Sorted twelve inch in 2006 and, in 2009, the double disc Ten Years Cocoon Ibiza, mixed with Dubfire. The label's 25th anniversary coverage still names him as one of its techno stalwarts.
Career Highlights
Ibiza has been central. His official site lists residencies at DC-10 and Amnesia as well as Space Miami, and Wikipedia adds that he spent time at Space and Ushuaia with Carl Cox. Our report on the reopening of Printworks in London notes that the venue opened with Seth Troxler, Loco Dice and the Martinez Brothers. Wikipedia also records runway music for Marcelo Burlon at Milan Men's Fashion Week in 2019 and 2020, and his site lists recent work with Skrillex and Fireboy DML on "Heavy Heart."
FAQ
Who is Loco Dice?
Loco Dice is a DJ and producer from Düsseldorf, Germany, with Tunisian roots, best known for tech house, the Desolat label and long Ibiza residencies.
What label does Loco Dice run?
He runs Desolat, founded in 2007 with Martin Buttrich according to Resident Advisor and now based in Düsseldorf.
What is Loco Dice's real name?
Loco Dice is a stage name. Wikipedia gives his given name as Yassine, but English and German Wikipedia disagree on the surname, so we do not state one here.
How old is Loco Dice?
Loco Dice was born on 10 August 1974, which makes him 52 (age 52 as of October 2026).
Where is Loco Dice from?
Loco Dice was born and raised in Düsseldorf, Germany, to Tunisian parents, and still lives there.
What genre does Loco Dice play?
Loco Dice plays tech house, house and techno. He began as a hip-hop DJ and rapper before turning to electronic music around 2000.
What is Loco Dice's debut album?
His debut album is 7 Dunham Place on Desolat. His official site dates it to 2008 and Wikipedia to 2009.
festivals
Past appearances and announced lineups only, each checked against the festival's own records.