TuneLab
FRANCESCA LOMBARDO tech house DJ set in the Mixmag Lab Miami
Tech house, in the right hands, is not a dirty word but a precise science of groove, swing, and strategically deployed vocal chops. Francesca Lombardo's Mixmag Lab Miami set is a clinic in exactly that—functional, elegant, and designed to make bodies move without demanding existential contemplation. The vibe is all Miami cool: warm, humid air practically wafting through the speakers, a session for sun-kissed skin and slow, rolling hips. Locked into a steady 122-124 BPM groove and overwhelmingly anchored in the accessible, open key of 12A, this is tech house at its most effective and melodic.
The energy balance is textbook: a solid, driving low-end (0.65) forms the backbone, with crisp, funky mids (0.30) carrying the rhythm and subtle highs (0.05) adding just enough sheen. Lombardo's mixing is smooth and progressive, building sets within the set, like the epic 15-minute journey of Alex Kaddour's 'Got Me' remix. The track selection is both clever and crowd-friendly. Riva Starr's 'Feel It' kicks things off with a no-nonsense, percussive bang.
Biscits' 'Wait A Minute' is a modern tech-house weapon with its infectious bassline and vocal hook. The Claptone remix of Ultra Naté's 'The First Time Free' is a masterstroke of emotive, hands-in-the-air house. For the connoisseurs, the inclusion of Oxia's classic 'Domino' is a respectful nod to the genre's heritage, while Olibusta's 'La Pazz' offers a deliciously quirky, percussion-led interlude. The set builds from the opening groove of 'Feel It', finds its emotional core with 'The First Time Free', and rides a wave of timeless grooves before closing on that very same anthemic remix.