TuneLab
BENNY RODRIGUES in The Lab LDN
Benny Rodrigues in The Lab LDN is a nod to the masters, literally, with the opening splice from Masters At Work's mixtape series—a reminder that some foundations are sacred. The vibe is warm, intimate, and soulful, a room where the history of house music is felt in every filtered chord and swinging hi-hat. This is deep, soulful house at its purest, locked into a steady 122 BPM groove with the harmonic warmth of 12A providing a consistent, comforting blanket.
The energy is beautifully balanced: lows at 0.41 give a solid, grooving foundation, mids at 0.49 allow for rich, musical expression, and highs at 0.10 add just enough crispness. Rodrigues's mixing is classic and fluid, respecting the length of tracks like DJ Joe Lewis's 12-minute 'Midnight Dancin' Mix', letting the music breathe. The selections are a digger's dream: M-Soul SA's 'Nazreth' is a deep, spiritual cut; Lood & Masters At Work's 'Shout-N-Out' is a raw, jacking dub; Shaun Escoffery's 'Days Like This' in its Spinna & Ticklah mix is pure soulful sunshine; and Phil Weeks's 'She Can't Love You' brings a touch of raw, Chicago flavor.
Andy Compton's 'That Acid Track' reappears as a squelching highlight, and Ralphi Rosario's 'All Right Now!' offers a classic piano-house moment. From the foundational opening, the set builds through the acid-inflected peak, winding down to the uplifting, vocal close of 'Days Like This', a perfect Sunday session bookend.