TuneLab
HOTEL GARUDA & BONES in The Lab LA
A back-to-back set with 54 tracks in the listing is either a recipe for disaster or a testament to two DJs with telepathic synergy and ADHD, and thankfully, Hotel Garuda & Bones in The Lab LA firmly fall into the latter category. This is a frenetic, joyful sprint through the brighter, more melodic end of the house and tech-house spectrum, where every track feels like a potential peak-time anthem. The vibe is energetic, colorful, and relentlessly upbeat, perfect for a sunny LA afternoon converted into a club.
With an average BPM of 125.6 and a overwhelming reliance on the euphoric 12A key, this set is engineered for maximum forward momentum and harmonic cohesion. The energy is well-distributed, with a strong melodic mid-range leading the charge, supported by a solid low-end and just enough high-end sparkle. Their mixing style is quick and energetic, often using short cuts and loops to maintain a frenetic pace that matches the track count.
The crate digging is a festival of recognisable hits and slick edits: they start with the bouncing fun of Minimax's 'Bam Bam' and later drop instant crowd-pleasers like The Shapeshifters' 'Lola's Theme' and Sirus Hood's 'Don't Stop'. Deeper moments shine too, like the beautiful progression into Jan Blomqvist's 'The Space in Between' (Ben Böhmer Remix) and the driving tech-house of Christian Smith's 'Traction'. The journey is a non-stop thrill ride from the playful opener, through peak-time heaters like Will Clarke & DJ Funk's 'Booty Percolatin'', and finally winding down with the melodic, rolling conclusion of Pablo Say's 'Crescendo'.