TuneLab
MIKE DUNN house set in The Lab NYC
Mike Dunn in The Lab NYC. The man is a walking encyclopedia of house music, and this set is a sermon from the church of the jackin' groove. Forget the mislabeled genre tag; this is pure, unadulterated house history, served with a Chicago swagger. The vibe is a sweaty, intimate loft party where every classic vocal sample is met with a collective 'yes!'.
Technically, Dunn operates in a classic house tempo around 124 BPM, with a overwhelming majority of tracks harmonically locked in the soulful, resonant key of 12A. What's fascinating is the energy profile: a much more balanced spread across low, mid, and high (0.322, 0.360, 0.313) compared to his peers, resulting in a brighter, more dynamic sound where strings, pianos, and vocals shine alongside the foundational bass. His mixing is musical and celebratory, often letting anthems play out. The tracklist is a dream for heads: his own iconic '(I'm Sick) I’ve Been Infected Wit House Musick' is a flute-driven manifesto, the spiritual depth of Chuck Roberts' 'In The Beginning' is a necessary ritual, and the timeless diva power of Loleatta Holloway's 'Love Sensation' speaks for itself.
Deeper cuts like Ion Ludwig's minimal 'Classilion' and Jovonn's deep 'Hesperia Soul' show his range. He opens with the subtle, building tension of 'Classilion', builds a narrative of soul, funk, and pure jack, and closes with the gospel-tinged, percussive fire of Hurt 'Em Bad & The SC Band's 'Martin Luther', leaving us lifted in every sense of the word.