TuneLab
Wehbba techno set in The Lab LA
Of course we're here, elbow-deep in another Wehbba set, desperately trying to ID that one twisted lead that's been looping in our heads since 3am. The Brazilian techno stalwart brings his A-game to The Lab LA, and we're all willing victims. The vibe is that of a focused laboratory experiment, all clinical lighting and serious head-nods, a world away from the festival mud but no less sweaty. Technically, this is a masterclass in peak-time propulsion, locking into a muscular 131 BPM average and largely residing in the harmonious 12A key, with strategic detours to 3B for added tension.
The energy balance—a dominant low-end (0.54) supporting intricate mid-range patterns (0.43)—creates a deep, driving tunnel vision. Wehbba’s mixing is efficient and powerful, using long blends to let tracks like Maceo Plex's 'Destination Mars' unfold their cosmic narrative, while the BPM range quietly escalates from a 126 BPM groove into faster, more frenetic territory. The crate digging is both savvy and playful: HI-LO, Space 92 & Oliver Heldens' 'Mercury' is an obvious but effective peak-time bomb, Bambook's 'Give It Up' (Audiofly Remix) offers a percussive, tribal reset, and Eli Brown's 'Believe' is a raw, unadulterated dancefloor sledgehammer. The real curveball is the inclusion of Gigi D'Agostino's 'Bla Bla Bla (Dark Mix)', a genius, slightly ironic nod to trance's past that somehow works perfectly.
The journey is a calculated ascent, beginning with the hypnotic, nine-minute sprawl of Maae's 'Descartes'. It builds through the relentless pressure of Kicks' 'Wo warst du?' before concluding with the chaotic, joyful destruction of Tiga & Boys Noize's '100' in Johnny Aux's frantic remix, leaving us both satisfied and scrambling for track IDs.