TuneLab
#AnjunaUnlocked: Jon Gurd - Crate Digging
There's a particular, quiet madness to dedicating two and a half hours to a live vinyl mix, a commitment to the crackle, the occasional wobble, and the sheer physical weight of selection. Jon Gurd's '#AnjunaUnlocked: Crate Digging' session is a love letter to that process, a deep, patient plunge into the warm end of the house spectrum. The vibe is that of a late-night living room session, the orange glow of the turntable's light the only illumination as slabs of wax are pulled from shelves. This is a deep house and melodic house journey, with a wide BPM range that averages out at a laid-back 127.1, anchored by the foundational key of 12A that threads through much of the mix.
The energy profile is tellingly bottom-heavy, with a whopping 77% residing in the low-end, creating a lush, sub-aquatic pressure that makes every mid-range melodic flicker feel like a revelation. Gurd's style is unhurried and linear, letting tracks breathe and evolve over extended runtimes, with harmonic shifts often subtle, moving between compatible keys like 7A and 3B to maintain a hypnotic flow. The standouts are a who's who of modern deep house connoisseurship: the opening with Makebo & Volen Sentir's 'Alchemist' sets a mystical, percussive tone, while Motor City Drum Ensemble's 'Raw Cuts #5' provides a raw, loop-based funk finale. In between, we get the cryptic, bass-warped genius of KH's 'Question', the immaculate synth craftsmanship of George FitzGerald's 'Every Inch (Deetron Remix)', and the driving, organic pulse of Sirvo Izza's 'Capitan'.
Each pick feels considered, a gem pulled not for cheap impact but for its textural contribution to the whole. The journey begins in deep, tribal mystery with 'Alchemist', builds through the soulful tension of tracks like Amin's 'Morker', and lands, satisfied, in the timeless groove of 'Raw Cuts #5'. It’s a mix that rewards the committed listener, proving that the best digs are often the deepest.