HVOB club set in The Lab LA
There is always that one bloke at the front of the crowd who won't stop talking about his modular synth setup, and he is absolutely thriving at this gig. The room is filled with chin-stroking techno tourists who have convinced themselves that nodding solemnly with your eyes closed is the only acceptable way to dance. The stripped-back, intimately lit space of The Lab LA feels more like a secretive Berlin basement than a sunny Californian office. Analysing this HVOB live set, you have to respect the sheer live instrumentation on display.
Averaging a brooding 121 BPM, they navigate obscure 2A and 4B key progressions to build a uniquely melancholic Rominimal atmosphere. The energy arc is a slow, methodical burn, relying on live vocal loops and drum machines to build an organic, hypnotic tension. The HVOB The Lab LA tracklist is incredibly focused, acting more like a live concert than a traditional DJ set. They masterfully weave in HVOB - Let's Keep This Quiet, a gorgeous, understated track that completely hypnotizes the anoraks in the room.
The performance draws you in immediately with the lush, drawn-out opening track, Mildlife - The Magnificent Moon. The absolute peak of the set is the sprawling, emotional delivery of HVOB - Tender Skin, which causes absolute scenes, before they gracefully exit with the closing track, Percyl - The Taurus Diversion.