TuneLab
Maxinne
for Toolroom Virtual Festival (April 24, 2021)
Maxinne's set for the Toolroom Virtual Festival is a textbook example of why the label remains a powerhouse: it's all about no-nonsense, expertly engineered house music that works on both the body and the brain. Beamed into our living rooms in 2021, this was a masterclass in building a peak-time groove without the luxury of a crowd's immediate feedback, a testament to pure DJ instinct. The vibe is driving, polished, and irresistibly danceable, pure Toolroom business.
Locked at a rock-solid 125 BPM and navigating primarily through the driving 12A and emotive 3B keys, the set is a model of harmonic mixing and energy control. With 67% of the power in the low-end and 26% in the mid, this is house music built on robust, swinging basslines and crisp, functional percussion, with melodic elements like the iconic synth line of Dinka's 'Children' used as strategic highlights. The mixing is tight, purposeful, and professional.
For house heads, the selections are premium: the timeless, emotional prog-house of Dinka's 'Children' is a perfect, heart-swelling opener, the dark, driving rework of 'Take Me Down' by Yousef for TMPLE is a serious heads-down moment, the classic, bumping groove of The Deepshakerz' 'Watching' is a deep house staple, and the unabashed, horny funk of Mousse T.'s 'Horny' '98 mix is a glorious, crowd-pleasing curveball. The journey begins with the melodic thrust of 'Children', builds pressure with the moody 'Take Me Down', and closes out on the raw, jacking funk of Nick Curly's 'Rack & Run', a no-frills finale that leaves you wanting more.