TuneLab
FELIX DA HOUSECAT & CLARIAN in The Lab NYC
Felix da Housecat & Clarian in The Lab NYC is a masterclass in how to be cool without trying, a set that references thirty years of dance music history while still feeling like it's beamed in from the future. The scene is downtown NYC cool, a dimly lit space where the crowd is older, wiser, and here for the craftsmanship, not the drop. This is a tech-house and electro-tinged journey sitting at a cool 123.2 BPM, with a strong harmonic backbone built on 12A and 3B. The energy is balanced for maximum groove, with 61% in the lows and 34% in the mids, giving plenty of space for quirky synth lines, vocal snippets, and that signature Felix swing.
The mixing is stylish and unhurried, with blends that highlight the musicality of each track, often letting them play out to showcase their full, weird character. The selections are impeccable: Yaleesa Hall's 'Zoe Price' is a mysterious, looping opener that sets a hypnotic tone. Their own unreleased ID (the sole original) is a point of pride and curiosity. Dropping the Soulwax remix of 'Hey Boy Hey Girl' is a certified warehouse-rave resurrection.
Erre's 'Always the Same Eyes' remix is deep, driving tech-house, and Vinyl Speed Adjust's 'Retro' is a fittingly sleek, analog-sounding closer. Pional's 'Tempest' offers a moment of beautiful, melancholic tension. The set unfolds from the enigmatic loop of 'Zoe Price', builds to the explosive, big beat chaos of the Chemical Brothers remix, and winds down with the vintage-machine funk of 'Retro'.