Despite the name ‘Pharmacy’ being synonymous with trance and the harder edge of the dance music spectrum, this crew has reinvented themselves. And how! I have to say that from the outset, this was a party which had its work cut out – but it delivered.

Arriving at around 11.30pm (I had to, the lineup was far too extensive to arrive fashionably late) Dee Dee had stepped up to the 3 turntables on the main stage at Metro. A magnificent venue in itself, Dee Dee warmed the already near-full room with some typically tasty treats. The trance and techno fans alike were treated to a quality set which lasted a little longer than the allotted hour – I think SupaDee left his wristwatch at home on this occasion! I read in the forums he finished up with Alter Ego – Rocker (Remix) – a super hot tune, which had the floor pumped, by the time Ben Sims stepped to the turntables.

Hair getting shorter with each visit, this time he was sporting virtually no locks – but was armed with a bag full of the latest tunes from Jooris Voorn, Paul Nice and Tyree Cooper. I noticed that his sound has changed considerably – maybe softened – over the years, from being a bang-bang merchant to a more soulful and refined purveyor of all things tech-house. Don’t get me wrong, this was no 125 beats per minute performance – it was storming – but at the house end of the spectrum. Needless to say, it was as consistent and tight as 3 deck mixing can get – never boring, and certainly never any less than 2 records playing at a time.

I noticed lots of newer stuff coupled with some older classics like his own Birmingham and Surgeon’s Midnight Club II. I also heard bits from Theory and Symbolism labels that sounded remixed or edited – options that I guess exist to label owners. While I enjoyed his set, it peaked only in places rather than for the entire time – which is what Liebing set out to do. Setting up quietly on the decks on the other end of the stage, Liebing had 2 Apple Macs – one running Ableton Live, the other Final Scratch. And boy did he rock it.

For the next 1.5 hours the crowd was held captivated while Chris danced and waved like a manic punter – the smile never left his mug. Quite simply, he was amazing. It was so tightly mixed and tune chunky, that you couldn’t help but dance. The buildups were typical of those associated with fluffy trance but without the cheese – and every time it happened, the lights and lasers bounced in unison to create an amazing effect.

Much of his material was also edited and remixed, snippets if you will – which is part of the benefit of playing with Ableton. The sound from the laptop sounded crisper and less bassy – a contrast to what Ben Sims produced – the bass in the early stages of his set was penetrating my chest 10 rows back (read: too loud!) For me, Chris stole the night. I will even stick my head out and call this the best the set of smashing techno since Sims played at Storey Hall, all those years ago.

Cosmic Gate took over from Chris about when I was ready to retire with Walt and A*S*Y*S following – by all reports they were good, but I must be getting old – I was catching zees by then.

So on the whole, this was a superb party. In order: easy and efficient entry, ample bar staff and security, and music fantastic with alternate rooms catering to most tastes. The sound system was totally premium – loud and crisp – while the internationals catered to all, with performances being generally, rather exceptional. I look forward to what the boys can put together next time.