TuneLab
POTION in The Lab LA w/ THE MAGICIAN, THE ASTON SHUFFLE & BOBBY NOURMAND
We've all been there, hunched over a laptop, living vicariously through a Lab LA stream, and POTION's curated affair with The Magician, The Aston Shuffle, and Bobby Nourmand is a masterclass in pretending your living room has a Funktion-One. The vibe is one of controlled euphoria, the kind where you might actually clean your apartment while nodding along to sunny-side-up house. The Lab's clinical lighting is betrayed by the warmth of the grooves, creating an intimate studio session that feels globally shared. Technically, this is a smooth operator: averaging a cozy 122 BPM with a tight range from 118 to 125, the set lives in the Camelot wheelhouse of 7A and 12A, a harmonic playground for key-locked transitions. The energy profile is decisively low and mid-centric, with a 0.53 low and 0.43 mid average, crafting a journey that's more head-nod contemplation than fist-pumping aggression.
The mixing is fluid, allowing each track's melodic core to breathe and blend. The crate digging here is exquisite. Bobby Nourmand's 'Smokin' Joe' (Extended Mix) is a slow-burn, bass-driven foundation piece. The inclusion of RÜFÜS DU SOL's 'Say a Prayer For Me' as the opener sets a devotional, almost hymnal tone. Hannah Wants & Chris Lorenzo's 'Rhymes' brings a welcome swagger of UK bassline, while Bicep's 'Just' remains a timeless lesson in melodic tension.
For the deep cut enthusiasts, Blagoj Rambabov's 'Right to Be Wrong' offers a percussive, Eastern-tinged twist, and Pumzia's 'Light Will Dawn' is a shimmering pool of atmospheric depth. The journey is perfectly arched: it begins with the atmospheric plea of RÜFÜS DU SOL, builds through the infectious, rolling bass of 'Dansson & Marlon Hoffstadt - Shake That', finds a peak in the classic house euphoria of the Claptone remix of 'The First Time Free', and lands softly with the aching, guitar-laden resolution of Bob Moses' 'Tearing Me Up'. A full tracklist that proves melodic house doesn't need big drops to move people profoundly.