TuneLab
FABIO & GROOVERIDER 'RAGE' classics set in The Lab LDN
When Fabio & Grooverider tag a set 'RAGE classics', we brace for a history lesson delivered via sub-bass, a reminder of when 'hardcore' wasn't an adjective but a state of being. The vibe in The Lab LDN is one of collective memory, a room full of people hearing their youth rewritten by a brutal sound system. This is a rave archaeology dig, spanning hardcore, jungle, and techno, with an average BPM of 128.5 that belies the frantic energy within, all glued together by the pounding key of 12A. The energy is overwhelmingly low-end focused (0.85 avg), a tidal wave of bass pressure that makes every breakbeat and synth stab feel apocalyptic.
The mixing is raw and energetic, cutting between eras with a DJ's instinct for what will cause the next eruption, celebrating chaos over cleanliness. The tracklist is a hall of fame. Starting with Bloodhound Gang's 'Uhn Tiss' is a brilliantly stupid, rock-tinged joke that immediately sets the irreverent tone. E-Dancer's 'Velocity Funk' is pure Kevin Saunderson techno soul, while Dragon Fly's 'Visions of Rage' is the literal, iconic peak of the title.
Sash!'s 'Ecuador' in a Klubbheads mix is a hilarious slice of euro-trance revisionism, and the inclusion of 2 Bad Mice's 'Bombscare' is a mandatory junglist pilgrimage. DEADWALKMAN's 'Rhythm 11' is a deep, hypnotic curveball. It kicks off with the rock-rap nonsense of 'Uhn Tiss', detonates the dancefloor with the amens of 'Visions of Rage', and closes, perfectly, with the timeless, terrifying dystopia of Joey Beltram's 'Energy Flash'—a tracklist that is the very definition of a classic set.