TuneLab
LAURENCE GUY in The Lab LDN
Another day, another Lab session where we collectively pretend we're not just here to Shazam every other track. Laurence Guy’s turn at the decks feels like being invited into a particularly well-curated afterparty, where the only VIP is the music itself. The vibe is that classic Lab intimacy—dim lights, close quarters, and the shared, slightly desperate hope that this set will yield at least one new obsession for our playlists. Technically, Guy operates in a sweet spot around 123 BPM, anchoring much of the journey in the warm, familiar territory of key 12A, with thoughtful detours into 3B and 4B to maintain harmonic interest without disrupting the flow.
The energy profile is a masterclass in mid-range dominance; with highs barely registering, he builds a deep, pulsating groove that’s all about tactile bass and percussive detail, perfect for the sort of dancing that involves more shoulder rolls than fist pumps. For the crate diggers, this tracklist is a treasure trove: the opening salvo of Jinny’s timeless 'I Need Your Love' sets a soulful, vocal-house tone, while KAYTRANADA’s 'Drip Sweat' injects a modern, swung funk. The eight-minute expanse of Copyright’s 'Kama Yeah' in its Roul and Doors Remix is a percussive odyssey, and the inclusion of Gene Hunt’s 'Inspire' (Balmoral St. Mix) is a deep-cut lesson in stripped-back elegance.
He even manages to fold in Boris Brejcha’s 'I Want You' without it feeling out of place—a testament to a deft selector’s ear. The journey is beautifully linear: from the emotional opener through the peak-time weapon of R.A.W.’s 'Unbe', and finally down into the hypnotic, rolling closure of Joe Napoli’s 'Due To Human Nature'. This is deep house and tech house done with a curator’s precision, for those of us who find euphoria in the details.