TuneLab
ÖONA DAHL in The Lab NYC
There's a specific, glorious kind of techno that feels both muscular and melancholic, a sound Öona Dahl expertly navigates in The Lab NYC. This is for the late-night warriors who find solace in a driving kick drum and a haunting pad, a shared catharsis on the dancefloor. The vibe is dark, intimate, and introspective, with lighting likely reduced to strobes and smoke, emphasizing the music's physical and emotional weight. Operating at a firm, driving 124.9 BPM and predominantly using the powerful key of 12A, this is melodic techno with a deep, progressive heart.
The energy is heavily skewed towards a thick, enveloping low-end (0.61), with melodic elements and atmospherics occupying the mid-range (0.31) and minimal abrasive highs (0.07). Dahl's mixing is long, layered, and narrative, building tension through texture and harmonic progression rather than abrupt drops. The tracklist is a connoisseur's dream. Opening with deadmau5's 'XYZ' is a bold, melodic statement that immediately establishes depth.
The inclusion of Masters At Work's 'To Be in Love' is a genius move, transforming a soulful house classic into a techno anthem through context and driving percussion. Christian Smith & John Selway's 'Transit Time' remix is a timeless piece of driving, peak-time techno machinery. For the heads, Drumcell's 'Empty' remix offers a dose of industrial-tinged darkness, while the Lazy Dog bootleg of Everything But the Girl's 'Tracey in My Room' is the perfect, emotionally resonant closer. The set begins with the cinematic sweep of 'XYZ', builds intensity with tools like 'Hyperbolicity', reaches a peak with the relentless drive of 'Transit Time', and resolves with the nostalgic, vocal-led bliss of 'Tracey in My Room'.