TuneLab
Paranoid London
Mixmag Lab London
Only Paranoid London would have the sheer audacity to open a Mixmag Lab London set with Avicii’s ‘Levels’, a move so brilliantly trollish it immediately signals we’re not here for polite dancefloor conventions. This is a raw, sweaty, and wonderfully unpretentious dive into acid-tinged electronics. The vibe is pure basement alchemy, all exposed brick and the warm hum of overdriven 303s. Operating at a steady 125.8 BPM average, the set is anchored in the 12A key, with forays into 3B and 1B adding a touch of harmonic unease.
The energy balance is classic raw house, with a solid low-end (0.444 avg) and a prominent mid-range (0.403 avg) that lets those acidic squelches and vocal snippets cut through the mix. The high-end is used sparingly but effectively, like on their own track ‘Dunn 4 Money’. The track selection is a masterstroke in subversion and reverence. After the Avicii bait-and-switch, REAKTTOR’s ‘Vinyl Love’ establishes a proper, lo-fi house groove.
The Peggy Gou remix of Shakedown’s ‘At Night’ is transformed into a psychedelic acid journey, while Eelke Kleijn’s ‘Transmission’ remix offers a moment of shimmering, proggy release. Gerardo Delgado & Quinn Whalley’s ‘Headtrack’ is a percussive monster, and Arte’s ‘Shine’ provides a euphoric lift. It all builds to the closing anthem, Gangbangers’ ‘Looking at the Sky’, a track that somehow feels both anarchic and profoundly uplifting. The journey from ironic mainstream bait to heartfelt underground purity is executed with perfect, deadpan wit.