TuneLab
JOE GODDARD
Joe Goddard of Hot Chip in The Lab LA is exactly the kind of eclectic, vinyl-obsessed journey we hope for from a proper musician-DJ—it's witty, slightly unhinged, and packed with songs you forgot you loved. This is for the dancers who appreciate a leftfield turn, who don't mind a disco edit bumping up against a deep house tool. The vibe is loose and fun, the LA lab transformed into a playful, inclusive party where genre rules are happily discarded. Technically, it's a house set at its core, averaging 122.3 BPM and firmly anchored in the versatile key of 12A, with playful detours to 5A and 8B.
The energy balance is more mid-forward than typical deep house (0.37), allowing for prominent melodies and vocals, with a solid low-end (0.45) and a surprisingly present high-end (0.19) that gives it a crisp, lively feel. Goddard's mixing is musical and instinctive, often riding the funk of a bassline or a vocal hook rather than strictly following harmonic convention. The tracklist is a delightfully personal selection. Dennis Bovell's 'Heaven' is a blissful reggae-dub opener, while Daphni's 'Face to Face' is a modern, syncopated house burner.
James Curd's 'Treat Treat Treat' is pure, silly fun, and Rowan Echo's 'Baila Conmigo' offers a lush, Spanish-tinged groove. Brainstorm's 'We're On Our Way Home' brings a touch of cosmic disco, and BLR & Rave & Crave's 'Taj' injects a shot of driving, tribal energy. The journey, starting mysteriously, weaves through these eclectic picks, building a warm, communal peak, before ending on the perfect, percussive deep house mantra of Joe Claussell's 'Je Ka Jo (Drums of Passion)' as the closing track.