TuneLab
Lazare Hoche
The American Cathedral in Paris, France for Cercle
Lazare Hoche playing a Cercle set from the American Cathedral in Paris is the kind of sublime, slightly pretentious concept we absolutely live for, where the architecture becomes part of the performance and we all pretend we understand French minimalism. The vibe is reverent and cinematic, with shafts of light piercing through stained glass, making every synth pad feel like a divine intervention. This is melodic techno and progressive house of the highest, most atmospheric order.
Technically, the set is a study in controlled escalation, maintaining a tight BPM average of 125.3 and building its harmonic world primarily around the expansive, open feeling of the 12A key. The energy is profoundly low-end focused, with deep, undulating basslines that resonate in the cathedral's acoustics, while ethereal melodies and delicate percussion float in the mid and high registers. Hoche's mixing is patient and architectural, letting tracks like the 23-minute 'Ascension' by Marsh & Volen Sentir unfold with cinematic grandeur.
For the diggers, the selections are exquisite: Kiddy Smile's 'Let a Bitch Know' is a bold, vocal-driven opener, Marcos Barrios's 'Tribaile' offers intricate, tribal-influenced rhythms, and DiSKOP's 'The Spirit' brings a haunting, melodic depth. Anthony Collins's 'Rabouine House (Dyed Soundorom Tropical Remix)' is a sunny, deep house detour, while Fred again..'s 'Hannah (The Sun)' provides a moment of intimate, piano-led beauty. The journey is a gradual ascent from the dramatic spoken word of the opener, through hypnotic peaks like Alpha Stream's 'Double Trouble', and finally reaching its zenith with the epic, slow-build climax of 'Ascension'.