TuneLab
MACHINEDRUM and BONOBO in The Lab LA
When a producer known for intricate footwork and a downtempo maestro decide to share a booth, you don't expect a linear club set. You expect a journey, and the MACHINEDRUM and BONOBO session in The Lab LA is exactly that—a heady, late-night voyage for the chin-strokers and headphones crowd. The vibe is that of a curated listening party, dimly lit and intellectually stimulating, where every sonic detail matters. This is an electronica and downtempo exploration, with a wide BPM range averaging 129.1 but often dwelling in slower, contemplative spaces.
The harmonic core revolves around the keys of 12A and 4B, creating a consistent, slightly melancholic atmosphere. The mixing is painterly and textural, prioritizing mood over momentum, with incredibly high low-energy values allowing every pad and field recording to breathe. The standout tracks form a map of sophisticated taste. Petar Dundov's 'Around One' opens with its mesmerizing, slow-burn arpeggios, while Axel Boman's 'Moon Dancer' closes with jazzy, downtempo warmth.
In between, Bonobo's own 'Samurai' offers a moment of cinematic grandeur, and Oni Ayhun's 'OAR003-B' provides a dose of abstract, percussive minimalism. The inclusion of the sprawling 'Boi' by Cash Cobain acts as a daring, genre-bending centrepiece. The narrative arc flows from the progressive dreamscape of 'Around One', through the rhythmic experimentation of the set's middle, and finally dissolves into the cozy farewell of 'Moon Dancer'.