TuneLab
HUXLEY ANNE in The Lab LDN
Boxpark Croydon
Huxley Anne at Boxpark Croydon's Lab LDN is a controlled detonation of sound system culture, a reminder that 'bass music' can be both intellectually sharp and physically devastating. We're in the realm of the sonic sculptors, where halftime dubs and distorted textures are the primary colors. The concrete-and-glass confines of Boxpark feel like a pressure cooker for this kind of experimental energy. Technically, this is a masterclass in dynamic range and weight, spanning a BPM spectrum from 115 to 171 but finding its home in a dense, atmospheric 140 BPM average.
The key of 12A acts as a dark, resonant anchor for much of the set, allowing for explorations into dissonance and texture without losing coherence. The energy profile is mid-forward (0.31) with a solid low-end (0.61), meaning complex synth work and rhythmic patterns sit atop a foundation you feel in your bones. Transitions can be abrupt or glacial, using silence and sub-bass drops as powerful tools to reset the room's nervous system. The crate digging here is for the heads: Noisia & Former's 'Pleasure Model' is a brutalist piece of sound design, while Tsuruda's 'Heat Wave' offers a more swung, trap-influenced bounce.
Woolymammoth's 'Untitled' is a glitchy, beautiful closer, and the opening 'Hate Government' by Denzel Curry sets a defiant, punkish tone. Zora Jones's 'Moonstar' is a crystalline slice of future electronics, and NastyNasty's 'Loner' dives into abstract, percussive chaos. The set begins with the aggressive spoken word of 'Hate Government', builds to a peak of intricate noise with tracks like 'Pleasure Model', and concludes in the fractured beauty of 'Untitled'—a live set that maps the outer edges of bass.