TuneLab
SHIBA SAN ghetto house vibes in The Lab SYD
Of course we're here, frantically typing into our phones as SHIBA SAN drops another bassline that feels like it's vibrating up from the sewer grates. This is the kind of tech house set where the 'ghetto' in the title isn't an aesthetic choice but a state of mind—a commitment to the raw, jacking funk that makes you forget you have a day job. The Lab Sydney is all low ceilings and sweat-damp walls, a perfect petri dish for this strain of unpretentious, four-to-the-floor therapy. Technically, SHIBA SAN operates in a tight 125 BPM pocket, with the harmonic center of gravity firmly in 12A, creating a consistent, rolling groove.
The energy profile is a masterclass in mid-range pressure; the average low energy sits at 0.46, meaning the sub-bass is a constant, physical presence, while the mid-range at 0.41 carries the rhythmic funk, and the restrained high-end at 0.13 keeps everything feeling warm and contained. His mixing is functional and direct, prioritizing track momentum over flashy blends, letting each percussive loop and vocal snippet breathe before locking into the next groove. The journey is a linear build of pressure, with subtle key shifts from the dominant 12A into 7A territories adding just enough melodic color to prevent monotony. As for the crate dig, this is where the set sings: the opening salvo of Gasho & Maxi Raffone's 'Good News' sets a deep, driving tone, while Larisse Van Doorn's 'Biotic' offers a slick, modern tech-house pivot.
The curveball is the Hugel remix of 'Bella Ciao', a crowd-pleaser that somehow doesn't feel cheap, and Andy Compton's 'That Acid Track' is a welcome, squelchy deep house detour. We also get the relentless drive of Dosem's 'All Locations (Edit)' and the pure, unadulterated funk of Phil Weeks' closing track, 'Funk In Your Trunk'. The set builds from the deep pulse of 'Good News', hits a peak with the extended, hypnotic grind of Detlef & Green Velvet's 'Issues', and winds down with that Phil Weeks finale, leaving us in a state of buzzy, satisfied exhaustion.