With the recent Godskitchen and now Independance, rise seems not only to be providing an avenue to see excellent international acts away from its tried and tested commercial dance regulars, but also breaking through the midweek freeze that seems to have the grip of clubs recently. Those remembering the glory days last year when you could wander down to the Globe for a midweek party have been sorely disappointed by what has been a winter of discontent in our fair town.

Clubber apathy or entertainment glut, Wednesdays have been a sad, quiet affair recently. Given the numbers that have stirred from theirdens to hit the dancefloor in recent weeks, it looks like rise may be giving a shot in the arm to sort those midweek blues after the abrupt death of the Leederville as a viable dance music destination.

Things were moving from the word go on Wednesday night, the club decently filled by 11pm. The most noticeable thing on entry was the décor. With balloons and hangings doing the red, white and blue thang as far as the eye could see, it certainly gave the impression of being part of a celebration of freedom for the good ol’ U.S of A. Now, it’s unlikely that the rise staff are particularly patriotic as far as the emancipation of America goes, but it was a nice homage and the actual physical arrangement enhanced the experience without being over the top.

Dressing staff members up in US themed costumes was another nice idea, gaining plenty of attention specifically for the poor girl standing posed for an eternity in the dance box as the Statue of Liberty. Try standing with one arm in the air for an hour or so and see if you’re still smiling at the end of it. Hope she got paid real well for that.

Resident Simon Barwood had the place moving to the trademark rise anthems and commercial dance hits – quite fitting for a celebration of Americana. Given the high numbers of “non-commercial” attendants who had come along for the cutting edge techno of Tang and MRW, it was amusing to see those who might take themselves quite seriously elsewhere bobbing their heads to the tunes. Seems that even the really cool folks still dig the cheesy stuff….when they think no-one is watching.

The man of the evening wandered up to the DJ box early on, checking out the crowd and taking it easy. The place was fairly pumping by midnight, those partial to the high energy positive tunes giving the place a warmly euphoric atmosphere that was a pleasant contrast from the biting cold outside. Tang seemed very pleased by his crowd, quietly taking their measure before hitting the decks. Technical skills aside for the moment, Calvin Tang has the presence of a top flight DJ. Calm, precise and assured for the most part. He read the dancefloor expertly. He moved with the mood of his audience, reinforcing the key moments with jubilant displays that showed he was actually linked with those he played to, an extreme contrast to the
frantic arm waving or rigor mortis displayed by less talented performers.

His tunes truly showed why he has developed a reputation for producing his own style, an eclectic melange that showed heavy influences from the wackier side of trance with hard techno lines thrown in amongst spatters of hard house. His music may have been rather outré’ but the floor didn’t stop moving as he maintained the positive attitude that characterised the night.

Cynics may point to alcohol or herd psychology being the motivation for the commercial crew to keep boogieing to the Tang tunage, but these folks were actually getting off to what they were hearing. rise seems set to prove that you don’t need to have a subscription to Mixmag or an empty (but immaculately kept) DJ satchel to appreciate good music. Half of these punters wouldn’t have known what Psi trance was if it belted them across the head, but their enjoyment was none the less for that fact. For over two hours Calvin played what would likely be the most left-field set rise has heard, and by the end not one person in the building, blue jeans or Jeremy, would disagree that DJ Tang deserves a niche of his own in the world DJ annals.

In the theme of bringing something different to rise, MRW took to the ones and twos in the wee hours to bring the good word of contemporary techno to the faithful. Playing a set almost as far from standard Rise fare as that of Tang, the reaction of the crowd was no less. Like Tang, MRW clearly plays the music that fulfils him to the highest level and no crowd could ever ignore such heartfelt enthusiasm. As the tunes pounded out, dedicated electronic music addicts were moving alongside folks who were still fully entrenched in the belief that DJ Jean represented “techno”. It was a Wednesday night, early in the morning, yet the MRW experience kept punters away from warm beds and the beckoning of a fun day at the office with a constant projection of sheer, solid energy and drive.

Charlie Ash rounded off the evening with his last Perth set for a while, giving the walls a good shake before leaving for warmer climes. Rise will miss his talents sorely, as he is the man who brings the hard edge in the wee hours, the primal energy that those who pike early don’t even know exist. Something of a man of mystery, in and out while most people are tucked up safely in bed, Charlie Ash is going to leave a ragged hole in the scene until he gets back. His set? If you need to ask, then you don’t know the man. Well ‘ard.

Independence was in all respects an excellent night, and congrats to Rise for bringing the midweek party back in force. However, the diversity displayed in Calvin Tang’s set brings an unpleasant rationale to the face of much contemporary dj’ing, illustrating that talent notwithstanding most folks these days display relatively little variety in their sets. Given that in the halcyon days of yore a “techno” DJ at a warehouse rave would likely be playing tracks that spanned across the spectrum from house to hardcore to jungle, it illuminates that the splintering of dance music into distinct sub
genres does mean that your average DJ will be playing a lot of VERY similar tunes. For purists of each genre that’s fine, but plurality seems to be a lost dream in the face of a genre smashed into shards by the encroachment of big money, twirling glowsticks and embarrassing “urban fashion” ala furry leg warmers. God bless Calvin Tang for helping keep the dream of dance freedom alive amidst the twin prisons of commercialism and elitism. Liberty and justice for all, and while we’re at it why not get back to basics and lose the divisive attitudes?