In recent years, Egypt’s underground electronic music scene has entered a new phase of growth. Alongside established festivals and long-running promoters, a new generation of platforms has emerged, focused not only on booking artists but on building communities around music. Among them is PlayHaus, a project founded by Marwan Geniedy that has steadily developed from intimate gatherings into one of Egypt’s most respected underground brands.
“PlayHaus started very organically,” Marwan explains. “After years in hospitality and operations, I naturally shifted into events through private gatherings in Gouna. What began as small-scale experiences quickly evolved into something bigger.” The idea was never simply to organise parties. Instead, Marwan wanted to create a platform built around quality and connection. “The vision was simple: quality over quantity, both musically and experientially. I wanted to build something that felt intentional. A safe space where every detail matters, from the lineup to the flow of the night. It was about building a community.”
That sense of community is also what first attracted him to underground electronic music. Unlike more mainstream dance music, it offered something deeper. “I discovered electronic music gradually. Being a music lover and working in hospitality exposed me to many different sounds, but underground electronic music stood out because of its depth and culture.” It wasn’t just the sound that drew him in, but the storytelling that came with it, the journey created and the people around it. “All this translated directly into how I approach events today.”
Like many independent promoters, the early years involved wearing all the hats. “I was involved in everything. Logistics, bookings, operations, even solving problems on the spot during events.” Building an audience wasn’t easy at the beginning. “The first crowds were a mix of curious people and a small core that really understood the music. We had to educate the audience without losing the energy, at the same time balancing budgets while still delivering quality.”
As PlayHaus developed, so too did the wider Egyptian scene around it. Marwan has witnessed significant changes over the years, both in audience awareness and the overall maturity of the market. “The scene has grown a lot. There’s now a stronger audience that understands underground music and smaller promoters pushing boundaries.”
One artist who has grown alongside that evolution is Cairo-based DJ and producer Ramez. Surrounded by music from an early age, he spent his teenage years teaching himself to DJ. When speaking of his influences, Ramez remembers fondly of the late Ahmed Samy, who tragically passed away in 2023. “He was pioneering the underground movement here in Cairo, and meeting him was huge for me. He was foundational, and really shaped my sound here and the sound of the city. He’s the one that led the road.”
Encouraged by his father to study sound engineering, Ramez developed an approach centred around musicality rather than genre. “I see my music as a reflection of my personality, and I don’t believe a person is one thing. The same person can carry a lot of messages, whether they’re happy, sad, angry or introspective, so I don’t lock myself into one sound and I always think of what the situation and context needs. What stays consistent is the style. I’m drawn to deeper sounds that have musicality and harmony.”
For artists like Ramez, the Egyptian scene has had specific limitations that in turn have also become a source of motivation. “It was hard to get records, hard to get equipment and exposure was limited. That scarcity forces you to put in ten times the effort.” This drive has led to more recent milestones, including releases on MINDHELMET, Karnak On Acid and OPAL Milan, alongside appearances at CDV and Superluminal x Discarded Gems. “Every step I’ve made in Europe is a milestone for me as it means the music has traversed a continent.”
Both Marwan and Ramez have noticed new challenges in the Egyptian region as underground culture has become more visible. “There’s more competition now and we’ve seen a gradual shift towards commercialisation.” Marwan reflects. “But overall it’s a positive evolution. Egypt is becoming a key player in the region and I believe PlayHaus has played a role in that.”
Part of that growth was strengthened when PlayHaus joined Human Figures alongside Ahmed El Ganzoury, a move that expanded both its reach and influence. “This partnership gave us the platform to do things on a bigger scale. It allowed us to tap into a wider audience and push more underground music into the spotlight, without losing the crowd.”
When asked what separates a PlayHaus event from a regular night out, Marwan returns to the same principle that inspired the project in the first place. “It’s the intention behind everything.” From artist bookings to crowd dynamics and space design, every decision leads to creating a specific feeling. “It’s less about spectacle and more about atmosphere. People come for the music, stay for the experience and leave feeling like they were part of something, not just attending another night out.”
That philosophy is one of the reasons PlayHaus has become such an important platform for local artists like Ramez. This year he joined the family as an official PlayHaus resident, although the collaboration started long before. “It’s been a genuine pleasure working with them,” he says. “We’ve become close friends and I’m a real fan of what they’ve built, especially in Egypt where the limitations are very real.”
Of course, not every event goes exactly to plan. One particularly memorable moment dates back to Marwan’s earlier Misfits days in Gouna, when a party featuring Kolter (then performing as Djoko) nearly encountered disaster. “The wooden beach platform started cracking mid-party.” Rather than shutting the event down, the team adapted. “We quickly secured the area with a buffer zone and kept it going. The crowd refused to leave and somehow the energy only got stronger. It ended up being a memorable night for everyone.”
Looking ahead, Marwan’s ambitions extend well beyond individual events. The long-term vision includes strengthening PlayHaus internationally while continuing to refine its identity at home. “Locally, it’s about continuing to raise the standard. Internationally, it’s about taking PlayHaus to key cities and building meaningful collaborations.” Crucially, he isn’t interested in simply exporting the brand. “It’s not about exporting events. It’s about creating experiences that fit each market.”
Alongside that expansion sits a growing focus on artist management and the recently launched PlayHaus label, both of which form part of the project’s wider ecosystem.
For Marwan, however, success remains tied to the same values that shaped those first gatherings in Gouna: community, trust and a genuine passion for music. In a landscape that often prioritises scale, PlayHaus continues to prove that careful curation and authentic experiences can still resonate most strongly. What started as a small gathering among friends has become something much larger, not through chasing trends, but by staying true to a simple idea: building with intention.
More info on PlayHaus
Instagram | SoundCloud | Bandcamp
