TuneLab
PAUL OAKENFOLD epic house and nu-trance DJ set in The Lab LA
Paul Oakenfold in The Lab LA for an 'epic house and nu-trance' set—the title says it all, and we're here for the unabashed, large-room melodrama, the kind that makes you feel like you're in a 2002 festival video montage. The vibe is pure spectacle: a haze of laser beams and raised hands, a temporary cathedral for the euphoria addicts. This is a trance and progressive house journey, holding a steady 124.3 BPM and weaving through the anthemic, emotional landscapes of the 12A and 5B Camelot keys. The energy is perfectly balanced between driving rhythm (0.45 lows) and soaring, melodic layers (0.43 mids), creating that signature lift-and-release dynamic.
Oakenfold's mixing is grand and narrative, building sets in distinct acts with long blends and dramatic breakdowns. The harmonic progression is key to the experience, using compatible modulations to slowly elevate the mood from introspection to outright ecstasy over the course of the set. The track selection is a mix of classics and contemporary trance: his own 'You Could Be Happy' with Angela McCluskey is a soaring, vocal-led future house moment. Dropping Traumer's 'Hoodlum' in an edit shows a savvy nod to minimal tech, while The Scumfrog's 'Wave2' is a driving, progressive builder.
The double dose of Dotan's 'Home'—original and The Him remix—is peak hands-in-the-air trance fare. Bobby D'Ambrosio & Michelle Weeks' 'The Day' gets a lush, piano-driven remake from Alaia & Gallo, a classic house gem repurposed for a trance context. He opens with a mysterious, atmospheric ID to set the scale, builds to a colossal peak with the layered synths of 'Wave2', and concludes on the 13-minute epic sweep of his own 'Lonely Ones', a fittingly grandiose closing track.