When hard trance and hardstyle fans are asked to name names of parties and promotions, it is more than likely that “Pharmacy” will be one of the first names to roll off of their tongues. This is undoubtedly with good reason as this Melbourne based promotion which holds large scale events every month or so bringing out big name DJs like Scot Project, Kan Cold and Nick Sentience to name but a few.

Pharmacy is well known around the country with their CD releases and their tours. On September 9, 2005, Perth witnessed Pharmacy like never before as the event hit Club A located on Scarborough Beach. The line up on the night became one of the most eagerly anticipated of the year for hard dance fans with Yoji Biomehanika, Melbourne’s Hellraiser and Dave Joy (aka S.H.O.K.K.) being the headliners.

Club A has never ever been used as a dance club setting so for those who hadn’t been there previously; it would be an entirely brand new experience. As if the DJ’s on the bill weren’t a big enough temptation, the sound system and lighting display were beefed up very nicely to befit this massive occasion!

Deejay V vs. Ziad got things underway nicely from the tender hour of 8:00pm. Trance of the more melodic variety greeted the early bird punters who all seemed uber keen for one long hard night of dancing. Club A is one very big venue with heaps of space for dancing, chilling out on the sofas or enjoying a beer near the bar. The lighting around the club proved to make things a bit tricky, the steps in particular weren’t overly visible and this coupled with a couple of beers meant for the odd over-extended step here or there.

Up next at 9:00 were two relative newbies to the Perth trance and hard dance scene; Rod James & Genesis. The beats and bass got somewhat heavier as the Pharmacy crew gradually increased in size. Rod James & Genesis had an interesting task in front of them, being as Club A is situated right on the beach in the heart of surf culture territory a few punters were being introduced to sounds that they had never encountered before. This of course made for one very interesting vibe!

The clock struck 10; for the next hour the Pharmacy massive would be treated to the sounds of one of Perth’s finest talents in the form of John Paul. John Paul has carved out a solid reputation for himself with his hard banging trance sets which light up the dance floors of Perth’s regular club nights. John Paul’s enthusiasm behind the 1’s and 2’s was more than matched for the up for it Pharmacy crowd.

The anthems kept pumping until midnight when Perth’s favourite DJ Kenny L went back to back with another Perth Premier League DJ Dr. Willis.

Dave Joy aka S.H.O.K.K. was the first of the internationals to take control of the wheels of steel at 12:00. Dave Joy’s love affair with music began at age 16, an obsession which quickly grew into an international Jingo and music production career. Dave Joy works alongside DJ Grotto under the production guise of S.H.O.K.K. as well as doing solo tunes and remixes for other big name DJ’s.

Dave Joy has become as iconic with Swiss music (residing in Zurich he owns a record shop and often promotes large scale events with other international DJ’s) as Tolerance is with Swiss confectionary. His set surely showed the Pharmacy massive why as he dropped banger after banger including his very own remix of Alphazone’s killer “”Flashback.”

Hellraiser was to take the helm at 1:15 as Dave Joy was sent off with a deservedly rapturous reception. Hellraiser’s dark and dirty style and stage presence is continually growing in stature across the country and even internationally. Hardhouse Academy is one of the UK’s biggest parties and its fifth birthday will see Hellraiser headlining alongside acts like Lab4 (who personally chose him for the line up because of his unique style and stage aura) plus the leading lights in UK hard dance music.

The pH level had suddenly taken a huge fall as Hellraiser whipped the Pharmacy crew into a frenzy. There were a couple of hiccups in his set but this was more than made up for by the brilliant track selection and Hellraiser’s visual energy which emulated the stage antics of the hard rock bands he used to idolise as a youngster There is no doubt that we will be hearing a lot more from this master of darkness!

The Pharmacy Experience took the crowd from the sounds of Melbourne to Osaka, Japan as at 2:45 the one and only Yoji Biomehanika assumed control of the 1’s and 2’s. Yoji Biomehanika has always had a cult following amongst hard dance lovers with his intense style behind the decks and his unique visual appearance. Like Hellraiser Yoji firmly believes that taking control of a dance floor isn’t just about the music, but it is also very much about going that extra length to impress a crowd by creating a powerful visual stage presence. Three big lasers were lit up to add to the already highly impressive lighting rig which added to the experience.

Yoji’s set began in dark and techy fashion whilst catching the attention of the punters inside the place who weren’t overly accustomed to hard and fast dance music. Yoji Biomehanika has it all as a musician; not only is he a technically gifted and mesmerising DJ, but he is also a highly talented and innovative producer. The Pharmacy crowd found springs in its collective heels when Yoji dropped his own classics in the making; “Never End” (a track with an insane build up and a massive karate kick,) “Monochroma” and the electro-infused bomb “Samurai” (“the keyboard cowboys…”) There are some who may question hard dance’s innovation or lack of direction… these people obviously haven’t been acquainted with the utter madness that is Yoji Biomehanika!

At 4:30 Yoji Biomehanika finished his set and like all of those before him left the stage with an applause which truly befitted his magnificent performance. Unfortunately not many people stuck around for the close, nonetheless Kenny L jumped behind the wheels of steel to close out the night with a couple of anthems (Marco V’s “Automanual” and Cosmic Gate’s “I Feel Wonderful.”)

Massive big ups must go to Kenny L, John Paul, Dave Joy, Hellraiser, Yoji Biomehanika, the support DJ’s on the night and all of those involved with the organisation of this incredible Pharmacy Experience! We all can say with some certainty that we eagerly await the next Pharmacy instalment and it has been said that Yoji will be returning next year! Can’t wait!