TuneLab
The Cover Mix: RÜFÜS DU SOL
Mixmag
Another Mixmag cover mix lands, and we collectively hold our breath, bracing for a playlist of unreleased demos. RÜFÜS DU SOL, bless them, have instead constructed a proper DJ narrative, the kind you sink into during a long train ride home. The vibe is that of a hushed, after-hours loft session, where the only light comes from laptop screens and the smoke of spent incense. Technically, this is a masterclass in melodic and progressive house, locked into a hypnotic 121 BPM average with a harmonic core rooted in the poignant, open-ended key of 7A. The energy profile is fascinatingly bottom-heavy, with a 0.55 low-end average providing a warm, constant thrum that lets intricate melodies and ethereal vocals shine in the mid-range.
The mixing is fluid and emotionally intelligent, using subtle modulations to 5A and 4A to guide the mood without ever resorting to cheap peaks. It’s a set designed for depth, not drops. For the crate diggers, the selections are a delight. YOTTO’s ‘Hyperlude (Dosem Extended Edit)’ is a perfect, tension-building opener. The inclusion of Shouse’s ‘Love Tonight’ feels like a respectful, crowd-pleasing anchor.
Vimu Babilonia’s ‘Short D**k Man’ is the hilarious, funky curveball that breaks the fourth wall, while Peppou’s ‘Beliefs (Patryk Molinari Remix)’ introduces a welcome, driving rhythm. Don’t sleep on South Street Player’s classic ‘(Who?) Keeps Changing Your Mind? (The Night Mix)’ for a dose of pure deep house soul. The journey is impeccably circular: it begins with the atmospheric promise of ‘Hyperlude’, finds its emotional heart in the soaring, melancholic peak of RÜFÜS DU SOL’s own ‘No Place’, and closes by bathing in that track’s extended, serene breakdown—a full tracklist that feels like a complete thought.