TuneLab
Masters At Work
Boiler Room x Ballantine's True Music 10: Johannesburg
When Masters At Work take the decks, the pretense drops away; we're not here for trends, we're here for soul. Their Boiler Room set for Ballantine's True Music in Johannesburg feels less like a performance and more like a sacred rite conducted in a basement church, with Louie Vega and Kenny Dope as our high priests. The vibe is intimate and reverent, a warm, low-lit room where every head-nod is a prayer to the groove. Technically, this is deep house in its purest, most soulful form. The BPM is a steady, hypnotic 125, with the set largely orbiting the warm, jazzy tones of the 7A and 3B keys.
The energy is profoundly low-end focused (0.68), with those signature, walking MAW basslines holding down a lush, inviting foundation. The mid-range (0.25) is reserved for gorgeous Rhodes chords, whispered vocals, and infectious percussion, mixed with the effortless, timeless skill that comes from decades behind the decks. Harmonic progression is subtle and soulful, creating a seamless, undulating journey that feels both planned and perfectly spontaneous. The crate digging here is a lesson in history and quality. Raudive's 'Slave' opens with a deep, tribal pulse that immediately grounds the room.
Wade Teo & Charles Rickards' 'La De Da', with Kenny Dope's own dub, is a funk-laden masterpiece. Kerri Chandler's 'Rain (Atjazz Remix)' is a timeless, emotional centerpiece, and hearing the classic 'I Can't Get No Sleep' reworked as the 'MAWcid' edit is a goosebump-inducing moment for any house head. The journey is a flawless deep house sermon: it begins with the atmospheric depth of 'Slave', reaches a spiritual peak with the heartfelt vocals of 'I Can't Get No Sleep', and gently concludes on the smooth, jazzy lines of Jfbr's 'Avenue'.