TuneLab
I_O in The LAB LA
Mixmag
i_o in The Lab LA is a lesson in how to make techno feel dangerously populist without selling its soul to the mainstage gods. This is for the crowd that wants their drops heavy and their melodies just melancholic enough to feel deep. The room is a strobe-lit crucible, all kinetic energy and laser-focused intensity. Sonically, this is driving, accessible techno with a hard edge, averaging a relentless 132 BPM and using the anthemic, major-key thrust of 12A as its primary weapon.
The energy is firmly in the low-end at 59%, creating a pounding, physical bedrock over which razor-sharp synth lines and vocal hooks (like Roddy Ricch’s ‘The Box’ sample) can slice through. i_o’s style is aggressive and precise, favoring long builds and sudden, impactful releases over subtle blends. The crate digging is smart: flipping Run-DMC’s ‘It’s Like That’ into a techno framework is a genius nod to both hip-hop and rave history. His own tracks, ‘Another Level’ and ‘Low,’ are the set’s brutal, melodic cornerstones.
Deeper cuts like Angel Stoxx’s ‘Breadholes’ (Stefano Kosa Remix) and 2pole’s ‘Alone’ provide moments of darker, more hypnotic texture, while Skream’s ‘You Know, Right?’ offers a welcome dose of dubby atmosphere. It kicks off with the ominous, chopped vocals of ‘The Box,’ reaches its punishing, melodic peak with ‘Another Level,’ and slams shut with the iconic, driving synth riff of Robbie Rivera’s ‘The Main Room,’ a classic used as the ultimate victory lap.