TuneLab
JOSH CAFFE Chicago house set in The Lab LDN
We’ve all been there: chasing that pure, unadulterated Chicago house feeling, and Josh Caffe’s set in The Lab LDN is a direct injection into the vein. No frills, just soulful vocals and that relentless 4/4 heartbeat for those of us who judge a night by the density of piano stabs. The vibe is intimately sweatbox, with red lights cutting through dry ice, a room packed with heads who silently mouth every diva ad-lib.
Technically, this is a masterclass in patient, soulful pacing, locked at a steady 127.7 BPM with a harmonic home base firmly in 12A. The mixing relies on long, luxurious blends that preserve the key’s emotional resonance, occasionally dipping into 3B for a subtle shift in mood. The energy arc is a slow, sensual crescendo, with the mid-range dominating at 52% to let those lush vocals and organ chords breathe, while the foundational low-end at 31% and sparing highs at 16% keep the focus on groove and melody.
For crate diggers, the highlights are a tour of house’s heartfelt corners: the soaring, secret-handshake anthem “True” by Tête de la Course & Mandy Jones; the fifteen-minute, deep-swirling epic of Venice’s “Venezia (Vocal Club Mix)”; the raw, jacking pressure of Andy Compton’s “That Acid Track”; and the sunny, Latin-infused invitation of the opening “Tequila y Limon”. Don’t sleep on Nu’s breezy “Who Loves the Sun” for a Balearic moment or SolyMar & Megamen’s driving “All I Need”. The journey begins with the warm, citrusy hook of “Tequila y Limon”, builds to its peak during the extended, hypnotic voyage of “Venezia”, and lands gently on the euphoric, strings-laden release of Smokin Beats’ “Dreams”.