TuneLab
Bart Skils x Layton Giordani
Awakenings Summer Festival 2022
A back-to-back set at Awakenings often means double the egos, but Bart Skils and Layton Giordani here operate as a single, well-oiled machine dedicated to propulsion. The stage is a temple of strobes and smoke, with two figures silhouetted against a wall of LED, passing the baton with telepathic ease. Operating at a brisk 135 BPM average, this hard techno set is harmonically rooted in 12A, with excursions to 7A and 4B for texture. The energy profile is notably low-end dominant, with the bass frequencies shouldering much of the weight, creating a physical, chest-rattling experience.
Mid-range elements are crisp and percussive, while highs are used sparingly to add sheen. Their mixing style is collaborative and fluid, with long blends that emphasize the groove over abrupt changes, crafting a relentless, driving narrative. Dropping Benny Benassi’s 'Satisfaction' is a cheeky, nostalgic bomb that never fails to ignite a crowd. Joyhauser’s 'Crawler' is a proper, driving techno tool with a menacing bassline.
The collaboration 'Mercury' from HI-LO, Space 92 & Oliver Heldens is a peak-time weapon with its relentless arp, while the Advent & Industrialyzer remix of Green Velvet’s 'Flash' is a brutal, industrial-tinged workout. Kicking off with an unknown opener, they build through techy rollers and classic rave revivals at the Awakenings Summer Festival 2022, peaking with tracks like 'Mercury', and closing on the obscure, trance-inflected 'Dead Can Trance'—a surprisingly melodic come-down after the onslaught.