TuneLab
Raketa
Mixmag Lab Pune
Raketa at Mixmag Lab Pune isn't here to ease us in; 'Run For Cover' by Mastiksoul hits like a freight train, and we're immediately in the thick of a hard techno onslaught. The vibe is dark and relentless, a sweat-drenched box where the only light comes from strobes slicing through the haze. This set operates at a punishing 137.5 BPM average, with a harmonic anchor in 12A that provides a sliver of melodic coherence amidst the storm.
The energy is overwhelmingly low-end focused at 0.57, a chest-rattling foundation that makes the mid-range at 0.34 feel like a respite, while highs at 0.09 are used sparingly for maximum impact. Raketa's mixing is aggressive and direct, perfect for this peak-time tempo, building pressure until the inevitable release. The tracklist is a cheeky blend of weapons: the nostalgic sledgehammer of Darude's 'Sandstorm', the emotional crescendo of Reflekt's 'Need To Feel Loved', and the brutalist techno of X CLUB.'s 'Scum 3 -03'.
We also get the bizarre yet brilliant inclusion of Gillette & 20 Fingers' 'Short, Short Man', a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously. Skin On Skin's 'Burn Dem Bridges' and Fragma's 'Toca's Miracle' add layers of trancey euphoria and late-90s nostalgia. From the opening salvo, the set builds to the communal scream that 'Sandstorm' always triggers, before descending into the gritty, industrial close, proving that sometimes, the biggest tracks are the smartest ones.