TuneLab
Kai Alce in The Lab Atlanta
In an era where 'house' can mean anything from faceless tech to corporate EDM, Kai Alce's Atlanta Lab session is a comforting reminder of the genre's soulful, foundational roots—a set for those of us who still believe the best groove is a feeling, not just a frequency. The vibe is pure classic loft party: warm, unpretentious, and focused squarely on the dancefloor's collective shoulder-roll, where every track feels like a cherished friend reintroduced. Technically, Kai builds a deep house sanctuary around 124 BPM, expertly navigating between the soulful warmth of 12A and the slightly melancholic shades of 7A and 3B to keep the emotional texture rich.
The energy balance is masterful, with a deep, swinging low-end (65% lows) providing the heartbeat, while crisp mids and occasional vocal highs (like those in the Fingers Inc. classic) deliver the songful punch. His mixing is intuitive and musical, often using long blends that honor the original track's arrangement, a refreshing contrast to quick-cut culture.
As crate diggers, we're in heaven: he opens with the sleek, modern deepness of Dosem's 'All Locations (Edit)', then time-travels with the pristine 'Mystery of Love' and the raw Chicago bump of Kerri Chandler's remix of 'Can't Get Enough'. The bold ska detour via Bad Manners' 'This Is Ska' is a hilarious and brilliant curveball, while his own 'KZR Vocal Mix' of The Lounge Lizards adds a contemporary, driving sheen to a classic. The journey is a heartfelt tour: from Dosem's spatial modernism, peaking with the raw house energy of Chip E.'s 'Like This', and closing on that very same iconic, stripped-back dub, bringing the history lesson full circle.