Friday the 11th of November meant celebrations for Electric Circus, as the doors were thrown open for the club’s 1st birthday. The occasion saw the return to Adelaide of one of the hottest underground house duos in the world today, Slater Hogan and John Larner. Hailing from Indianapolis, the pair have been producing tunes together since ‘99, their work appears in the record boxes of House jocks the world over. Their jazzy funked up sound has been championed by Mark Farina and Derrick Carter to name but two. I had looked forward to the opportunity to see these two guys at the top of their game, and hopefully catch some of the jackin’ tracks that had been played through the US Summer.

I wasn’t disappointed. Neither was the crowd.

The dancefloor was packed by the time that Melbourne man from Deconstrukt, Anyo had gotten even half way through his set. Latin and funk-driven House tunes fill the Circus with a nasty kick, getting even the hardest-to-please chin-stroker in the mood. The vibe had built up nicely by the time John Larner brought his twenty-plus years of experience to the decks, making the bar readily accessible for the first time that night.

Underground House was the order of the evening and that is what the punters copped, as John & Slater moved effortlessly through some of the year’s dopest tracks and remixes… including examples of their own production work. The recently released DONS versus Kurd Maverick funky house remix of Technotronic’s ‘Pump Up the Jam’ was dropped early, giving a tongue in cheek start to the chunky tougher-edged brand of House tunes that dominated the set. Another fine example was the gritty but crowd-pleasing track from Cajmere, “Come”. The two gents behind the decks had the crowd eating out of their hands as they went back to back in bringing the House music to a clearly excited crowd.

The club was full until the wee hours of the morning after another instalment of quality Underground House. The last few months have seen Jason Hodges, the Lawnchair Generals and the legendary Johnny Fiasco amongst others stop by this venue. Its all about the music- and that’s just the thing that makes Electric Circus one of the best Underground House clubs in Australia. Keep an eye out over December and January for more of the same, as Electric Circus moves into its second year, with plenty more superb guest DJ’s and parties just over the horizon. Happy Birthday, Electric Circus!