TuneLab
THE RANGE electronica set in The Lab NYC
We've all been that person, shushing friends at a party because the DJ has just slipped something achingly beautiful and obscure into a mix, and THE RANGE's electronica set for The Lab NYC is a ninety-minute masterclass in that exact feeling. This isn't a club workout; it's a headphone journey for the committed nerd, a lovingly curated selection that sprawls across tempos and moods with the confidence of a true selector. The vibe is one of intimate discovery, the kind you experience in a dimly lit backroom where the music, not the crowd, is the main character.
Technically, it's a marvel of pacing and mood, with a wide BPM range averaging 130.5 but feeling much slower due to the profoundly low-energy profile, dominated by lush pads and subtle textures in keys like 8B and 12A. The mixing is patient and atmospheric, using long blends and echo-outs to create a dreamlike, continuous narrative rather than a series of peaks. The harmonic progression is subtle and emotional, with the high end almost entirely reserved for delicate melodies that pierce through the warm, enveloping low-end.
Standout tracks are the entire point here: the opener, Todd Terry's 'Jumpin Original', is recontextualized as a jazzy, downtempo gem, while DJ Koze's 'XTC' floats in with its signature psychedelic warmth. Kristian Winkel's 'Magic Game' is a slice of pure, wistful electronica, and the closing choice of Azari & III's 'Reckless (With Your Love)' is a stroke of genius, its melancholic disco perfect for the final credits. The set begins with the shuffled, soulful house of 'Jumpin Original', finds a surreal, extended peak in the 11-minute dubwise journey of Vybz Kartel's 'Go Go Wine', and departs on the lonely, synthetic heartstrings of 'Reckless'.