NB. This party was helped put on by inthemix.com.au


Christmas party. That was the official reason behind Kink’s first December weekend, although any excuse would do to showcase the killer beats that went down at the Arthouse.

As it was, the sense of occasion brought out what seemed like every night baby in Sydney, and those who walked through the doors picked up the festive vibe instantly. Three rooms over two levels provided variations on the club-fuelled theme. Broke’n’Beats featured breaks that ranged from pop remixes (like a suprisingly funky version of Kylie’s “slow”), to the increasingly pulsating style that developed through the night. This was the first room to open and its status as the brightest room gave Broke’n’Beats a noticebly lighter atmosphere (pardon the pun). Credit to the DJs who kept the floor packed pretty much all night, despite the lighting of the room limiting visuals to rotating shadow slides. The music really dominated the production side of the night anyway and, together with an awesome crowd, was the strong point from start to finish.

Upon entering the House dance floor, it became obvious why it was also the Main Room. Here the stars that twinkled on the front and back walls matched the stellar tracks that were spun non-stop. Whether it was DJ John Glover with Kelis’s “milkshake” or Ajax throwing down “shiny disco balls”, the crowd was eating up the perfect House beats. Anyone passing through the Galleries Victoria would have heard the Main Room’s bass flooding through the arcade and damn, they should have been in.

Inthemix made their presence known in the progressive room with a banner raised above the DJ box. This was the upper level that opened at midnight although there was a queue visible upstairs long before it opened (this was later discovered to be the queue to the female toilets). But the scale of the upstairs area made the progressive room the most accomodating dance space and within an hour both the floor and the couches were filled. Ben Korbel warmed up the room with a sharper edged sound which defined the overall feel that was maintained by the entire Progressive line-up.

Each room had its own style in both music and general character, but the crowd was nicely balanced across them, i.e. there were people chilling, dancing and chatting no matter where they were, rather than one room being exclusively linked with one dynamic. Out of all options on offer, the Main Room could not be beaten. The music was pumping all levels and as a whole, Kink was going off, but the House room was for sure the most alive. As is often the case with most big nights, there was a staggering amount of people keen to get in with the entry queue at one stage stretching back at least half the block; so the first 500 inthemix members had a definite adventage over the rest of the night babies. This was a bit of a downer for everyone else who was hoping to get in gratis, but nevertheless a reality of the club scene. For those who were Xmas party-ing at the Arthouse; it was a jackin’ night for you, and those who made it happen; you guys put on a sexy show, Cheers!