TuneLab
Marion Hawkes
KH Live Belfast: Plain Sailing Takeover
Another night, another frantic search for that one track that's been looping in your head since last weekend. For those of us who caught Marion Hawkes at the KH Live Belfast: Plain Sailing Takeover, the hunt begins here, a melodic house excursion that feels like the perfect soundtrack to that hazy 4am stumble. The basement vibe of KH Live, all sweat and strobes, where the bass feels like a physical presence and the crowd is a single, swaying entity. Averaging a smooth 123.7 BPM, Hawkes built her journey primarily in the 12A Camelot wheelhouse, with strategic dips into 3B for emotional depth and 8A for brighter moments.
The energy profile is telling—over 86% low-end focus means this is a set for the hips, not the heart rate, with mixing so seamless you barely notice the transitions until you're three tracks deep. The BPM arc climbs gently from 118 to 128, using harmonic progression to glide between keys, creating a pulsing, physical groove that locks the room in, while subtle highs and mids are reserved for atmospheric flourishes and vocal hooks, shaping a warm, immersive soundscape. Standouts include Greg Ochman's 'Ocean Color' for its aquatic melancholia, a deep cut that sets the tonal blueprint. ESB's 'Going Away' brings a driving, almost tribal percussion that builds tension beautifully.
The Beckwith Extended Remix of Dantiez Saunderson's 'The Harp' is a masterclass in modern soulful house, with LaRae Starr's vocals soaring over a lush bassline. Then there's the audacious drop of a Gipsy Kings 'Medley' edit—a left-field curveball that works improbably well—and the Purple Disco Machine & Lorenz Rhode rework of Spiller's 'Groovejet', a weaponized dose of nostalgia that never fails to detonate. From the serene opening of Solee's 'Shanti' to the peak-time euphoria of that 'Groovejet' remix, Hawkes steered us home with the stone-cold classic, Stone's Radio Edit of Robin S.'s 'Luv 4 Luv', a journey from sunrise to last orders, perfectly executed.