TuneLab
Akkujava x Nurboogie
Almaty | VIHOD Takeover
Almaty’s VIHOD takeover by Akkujava and Nurboogie is a blessed relief from purist dogma, a set that argues a Salt-N-Pepa sample can coexist with deep techno if you just have the guts to play it. This is for the dancers who believe a club night should feel like a chaotic, joyous house party. The vibe is electric and slightly unhinged, a smoke-filled room where the only rule is to move. Technically, it’s a wide-ranging ride from 128 to 146 BPM, averaging 133, with a tonal center often in 12A for its bright, open feel.
The energy is overwhelmingly low-end focused (76%), with mids (19%) and highs (5%) used sparingly for accent, creating a thick, groovy tapestry. The mixing is eclectic but assured, jumping between genres with a DJ’s confidence rather than a playlist algorithm’s randomness. The tracklist is a treasure trove of 'how did they think to play that?' moments. Opening with Salt-N-Pepa’s 'Push It' is a power move that immediately claims the dancefloor.
Basement Jaxx’s 'Flylife' is a timeless house injection, while David Jackson’s 'Up! Up! Up!' brings peak-time tech-house drive. Deetron’s 'Cycle' offers a moment of melodic, hypnotic depth, and Gigi D’Agostino’s 'Bla Bla Bla' is deployed not as a meme but as a genuinely effective rhythm tool. Tassilo Hagström’s 'Berlin' provides a sleek, modern techno interlude. The journey is a riotous tour: from the hip-hop bravado of the opener, through the euphoric peak of 'Flylife', and into the raw, loop-based conclusion of Manitou’s mysterious 'Mntu 001' track, leaving us buzzing with possibilities.