Winter Break was an event created by eFusion to coincide with the end of university exams. Cheap tickets, including student discounts, combined with three big Aussie DJ names it was surely enough to entice plenty out to beat the cold.

Sean Quinn made it down to Perth for his second visit to Globe since the opening night of Technique@Globe that was held in March. He was set to play after Chad D, in the main room, at 2am. Chad D, with his distinctive blend of funky bass ‘n’ beats already had the crowd warmed up for Quinn. Quinn did not take over from Chad D as I expected with a banging style that I felt would be an appropriate one to move to. Instead he started in a relatively slow, melodious style, which is the wisest thing he could have done seeing as he was slated for a four hour set.

His decision to start slow proved to be a right one as it allowed him to get the crowd jumping many a time soon after. When Quinn dropped the Airscape Mix of Silence by Delirium the crowd went particularly crazy, as this may have sounded fresh to many ears and a good change from the original. Another highlight track was the breakbeat mix of It Feels So Good by Sonique, which although rather “commercial” in nature, it got those on the dance floor excited with the new feel of the rhythm.

It must be noted that, although Quinn may play well known tracks, which in some respects may make him less of a pioneer with sound, he does however respond extremely well to the crowd as does the crowd to him, which results in an overall quality set as shown by his performance on this night.

There was a perfect amount of space to dance. The DJ’s played on the usual elevated booth, not on the stage as some recent internationals have done. This turned out to be a good move as it provided for a lot more space for dancers and those walking alike. Sean Quinn played an encore “mini-set” that lasted 30 minutes which I was not around to listen to, however I heard that he finished appropriately for the night (considering he was playing a four hour set).

The upstairs warehouse space was designated as the Winter Break techno room. Arriving at around 10.30, it was immediately apparent that eFusion had devoted reasonable attention to the overall “feel” of the room. In this regard, the room had been fitted out with two Roboscan lights on each side of the DJ console, with a further four suspended from lighting rigs in the middle of the room. Perhaps most comforting, however, was the sight of the large air conditioning tube running the length of the room.

First up to bat for the techno team were Joel and Essx, playing back to back. The two played well together, alternating after every 2-3 tracks. It was the performance of Essx, however, that provided one of the highlights of the techno room. Despite having little experience in playing publicly, Essx presented a solidly mixed set that stood out for its freshness. Particularly welcome, were some ass-shaking tech-killers from the past, which Essx peppered in amongst her new tracks. Those who ventured into the techno room early were certainly rewarded. Those who didn’t should catch Essx at her next performance, which hopefully won’t be too far away.

At midnight, MRW stepped up. Following on from the hard techno tone set by Joel and Essx, MRW ploughed through some decidedly hard and funky techno in his 90 minute set. Like Essx’s set before him, MRW’s set was noteworthy for its high proportion of quality fresh tracks, like Turia’s Disq 3. Mixing on 3 decks, MRW discharged his duty amiably, drawing a good crowd onto the dancefloor before the arrival of Kazu Kimura and Simon Coyle at 1.30pm.

The crowd, whilst not in danger of filling the room, was probably equal to the largest I’ve seen there for a techno event. Enthusiasm compensated for capacity, however, and a cheer was elicited as Simon Coyle presented himself behind the decks. The next hour was filled with the sort of techno that you’d expect from Coyle: jacking, party techno thrown down at a breakneck, Melbourne pace. Selections like Chris McCormack’s There Are Better Ways; Ignition Technician’s Eject EP and W. Jorge Henze’s Break Your Nape all got the dance floor moving during Coyle’s first hour. Coyle didn’t forget the funk, though, and threw in tracks like Russian Roulette’s Believe EP and a (pitched up to the hilt) Bangin by Ken Lou 6 for good measure.

Coyle’s first hour was flawlessly mixed in his trademark, energetic style: though perhaps with less cutting and scratching than could be expected from him. Unfortunately, it may be the case that some of those in attendance were somewhat unaccustomed to such a relentless pace as, by the time his first set had finished, a number of people had drifted to the edges of the room for some respite, or had left the room altogether.

The site of Kazu Kimura substituting for Simon Coyle saw many of these people return to the dancefloor. It didn’t take long for Kazu to stamp his tone on the room, manipulating the vibe expertly towards a distinctly deeper aesthetic. Tracks that fans have come to know as Kazu staples, like Jeff Mills’ The Bells and Alter Ego’s Betty Ford made their appearances, but were accompanied by new additions such as Speedy J’s remix on CLR2 and The X EP by Umek.

Kazu’s set, as always, was technically flawless. It was clear, too, that he was excited about appearing before a Perth crowd again: the reaction to his set at the Globe last December having reportedly left an impression on him. In this regard, the first half hour of his set contained several rare instances of Kazu pumping the air with his fist. In return, the crowd reacted by lifting the vibe significantly. This was possibly best illustrated by one punter who stood directly in front of the DJ booth for at least 15 minutes, with both arms extended in praise to Kazu’s performance. That’s something you definitely don’t see at many techno gigs!

After Kazu played his introductory set, Coyle returned to the decks for the promised Coyle+Kazu back-to-back show. By this time, the crowd had dwindled significantly, which is a true shame as the back-to-back format between two techno headliners is a rarity.

In any event, the reduced numbers didn’t seem to bother Kazu and Coyle, as both continued to groove away behind the decks during their respective performances. Those that remained on the dancefloor maintained their enthusiasm, perhaps slightly rejuvenated after Kazu’s less-than-breakneck opening set.

Unfortunately, at this point the musical direction waded, with both feet, into anthemic territory. This might be the jaded refrain of a trainspotter, but surely we’ve all heard tracks like Man Alive; Remainings 3; Remanipulator; Bon Voyage and Love Story enough times in the last 6 –12 months? It’s true that they’re all great tracks and, equally, it’s true that they are probably still welcomed by a reasonable section of the crowd. I’m quite sure, however, that there is a growing group of punters who, like me, can’t bring themselves to look at any of those records in their own crates anymore.

To their credit, the back-to-back sequence from Kazu and Coyle was still top quality, with Kazu’s selection of Metaphysical by Oliver Ho, for example, going down particularly well. For his part, Coyle injected several tracks in succession with seriously funky vocal loops, such as Percy X’s Break it Down and the Space DJz’ Worq It. Points for bravery and innovation, too, should go to Coyle for his decision to drop a Jodeci vocal over the top of a techno bassline towards the end of the night.

All in all, the techno room at Winter Break, from start to finish, delivered excellent value for money. While a period during the Kazu and Coyle back to back performance may have been heavily laced with tech-hits, there was plenty of variety overall, to go around.