TuneLab
DJ BONE techno and house set in The Lab LDN
Only a selector of DJ Bone's Detroit pedigree could open a techno set in The Lab LDN with a 'Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball' remix and make it feel like a serious, subversive statement rather than a cheap gag. The vibe is pure, unadulterated warehouse intensity—dim lights, concrete echoes, and the collective nod of approval from those who know. This is a relentless, 130.4 BPM march through the heart of techno, dominantly set in the driving key of 12A with detours to 7A and 5A for tonal tension. The energy is fiercely low-end focused, with an average low of 0.70 creating a physical, chest-rattling foundation, while mids at 0.18 and highs at 0.08 are deployed with surgical precision for rhythmic punctuation.
Bone's mixing is authoritative and direct, often using sharp cuts and long blends that respect the raw, mechanical soul of each track. The progression is linear and hypnotic, building pressure through repetition and subtle modulation rather than obvious drops. His crate digging is legendary: after that absurdly brilliant Miley opener, he drops into the industrial dredge of 'Caiazzo - Dredge (Behzad & Amarou Remix)' and the ancient call of 'úlvar - Call of the Ancient'. A true highlight is the epic, 11-minute journey of 'Underground Resistance - Final Frontier', a masterwork of militant funk, while the Michael Cassette remix of 'Paul Keeley - A Sort of Homecoming' offers a rare moment of melodic respite.
The set is peppered with weapons like 'Jeff Mills - Alarms' and 'Anti-Slam & W.E.A.P.O.N. - Bang'. The journey starts with pop deconstruction, peaks in the UR epic, and concludes with the self-referential stomp of 'DJ Bone - Cultural Variance', a full-circle statement on techno's enduring variance.