TuneLab
BEN PEARCE disco set in the Lab
at #Smirnoffhouse
A Ben Pearce 'disco set' in a sponsored lab is exactly the kind of wonderfully absurd premise we cherish; will it be authentic boogie or a corporate funk simulation? The answer is a resounding, glitter-ball-twirling celebration. The #Smirnoffhouse backdrop is quickly forgotten as the room fills with the unmistakable pulse of a four-on-the-floor disco edit. Operating in a playful 115-130 BPM range, the harmonic center often sits in the funk-friendly 3B, giving the whole affair a warm, soulful cohesion. The energy is buoyant and mid-heavy, driven by bouncing basslines, string sections, and those immortal vocal hooks.
Pearce mixes with a party DJ's flair, keeping the pace upbeat and the transitions energetic, ensuring the dancefloor never stops moving. The tracklist is a disco edit enthusiast's dream. Talamanca System's 'Balanzat' is the perfect, sun-kissed opener, and its Tuff City Kids Remix later on shows a tougher, more contemporary edge. The Reflex's edit of Chaka Khan's 'I'm Every Woman' is simply a weapon, its soaring vocals guaranteed to unite the room.
Sound Stream's 'Inferno' provides a deeper, driving interlude, while Vaudafunk's 'Plage Privée' adds a touch of French-touch swagger. He takes us from the balearic beginnings of 'Balanzat,' up to the colossal, hands-in-the-air peak of Armand Van Helden's 'You Don't Know Me,' and sends us home grinning to the extended diva energy of Whitney Houston's 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' remix.