TuneLab
Illyus & Barrientos in The Lab LDN [Toolroom Takeover]
A Toolroom Takeover in The Lab LDN with Illyus & Barrientos is a guarantee of slick, professional, and relentlessly groovy tech house. The vibe is confident and polished, the sound of a label that has the formula down to a science, yet still knows how to make a dancefloor move. Locked at a perfect 125 BPM and harmonically weaving through 12A, 3B, and 3A, this set is a model of modern tech house efficiency. The energy is well-distributed, with a notable high-end presence at 0.19 for those impactful drops and synth stabs, all riding on a solid low-mid foundation.
The mixing is crisp and energetic, with long, harmonic blends that create a seamless flow of buoyant rhythms. The tracklist is a showcase of the label's sound and their own digs: 'Mark Broom - Break 97' kicks things off with a tough, percussive statement. Their own 'Illyus Barrientos - VSR' is a driving, synth-loop monster, while 'Maae - Descartes' offers a deeper, more hypnotic groove. 'Solee - Shanti' is a beautiful, melodic deep house interlude, and 'KC Lights - Sol' provides a sunny, piano-tinged moment.
The peak arrives with the mighty 'Mark Knight & Armand Van Helden - The Music Began to Play', a timeless big room house anthem reworked for maximum impact. The journey is a smooth ride from percussive beginnings, through deep and melodic valleys, up to anthemic peaks, and ending on the funky, upbeat note of 'Livy Ekemezie - Holiday Action'.