JOE GODDARD
There’s always that one bloke at the front in a vintage bucket hat, furiously refreshing his Resident Advisor app to prove he knows the underground. He's currently losing his mind to this JOE GODDARD The Lab LA tracklist, while the rest of the VIP section tries to figure out how to dance to an off-beat hi-hat without spilling their craft IPAs. The strobe cuts through a thick fog, illuminating a sweaty, joyous crowd completely locked into the groove. Watching this JOE GODDARD live set is an education, hovering effortlessly around 122 BPM.
Goddard anchors the room in 12A, creating a warm, resonant Rominimal atmosphere before occasionally spiking the energy into 5A. His mixing style is raw and deeply intuitive, letting the tunes breathe rather than rushing the transitions. He’s properly having a laugh with the crate digger selections, pulling out 'Daphni - Face to Face' and the absolute gem 'Dennis Bovell - Heaven' to keep the trainspotters guessing. The journey is an eclectic ride through club history.
After setting the mood with the opening track 'Unknown - Unknown', he casually builds the room's temperature. The absolute highlight hits when 'Brainstorm - We're On Our Way Home, Pt. 1' wraps the room in a soulful embrace. Finally, he brings it all home with the closing track, 'Joe Claussell - Je Ka Jo (Drums of Passion)', proving that true dancefloor enlightenment doesn't require a trip to Tomorrowland.