TuneLab
ARMIN VAN BUUREN in The Lab NYC
Armin van Buuren in The Lab NYC is a pilgrimage for trance devotees, a chance to hear the maestro work outside the festival megastructures, and we’re all here for the ID-hunting scramble. The vibe is intimate yet epic, a paradox only trance can truly embody, with every melodic rise feeling personally bestowed. This is a trance and progressive house journey par excellence, with a BPM that climbs from a progressive 128 up to a euphoric 164, averaging 133 for a driving, forward-moving pace.
The harmonic backbone is a mix of 3B and 12A, allowing for shifts from melancholic depth to uplifting resolution. The energy balance is notable for its powerful mid-range presence (0.56 avg), carrying those iconic melodies, while the low-end provides a solid, four-to-the-floor foundation. Armin’s mixing is textbook smooth, using long, harmonic blends to create a continuous, wave-like flow that’s designed for emotional immersion rather than club shock.
The tracklist is a treasure trove: the mysterious, cinematic opener by 唐小力 sets an intriguing tone, while Andrew Bayer & Ilan Bluestone’s ‘Destiny’ is a modern trance anthem in its purest form. The inclusion of Dom Dolla’s ‘San Frandisco’ is a clever, funky interlude that shows range, and the double dose of Above & Beyond’s ‘No One On Earth’ – both the Gabriel & Dresden mix and respray – is a history lesson in progressive perfection. The journey launches with enigmatic beauty, peaks with the tribal fury of ‘Great Spirit’, and closes with the stark, beautiful ambience of megacity music’s ‘Brutalist Ambient Liminality’.