Walking into the Vault, the night felt like it had started instantly – such is the effect of the room. There are numerous venues in Sydney that have been converted from old banks, but this has to be one of the best. It’s a high quality space well suited to a classy night of clubbing. The reason for this night’s spot of clubbing was the launch of Spin Cycle, the debut mix CD release from Renae Stanton. Renae is the first DJ to be signed to independent Sydney label Risky Records.

First on the decks was full-time funk chick and long time friend of Renae’s, Miss Gee, who injected a tsunami of energy into the opening slot. I really want to avoid the term booty-shaking here, but I checked my options in the thesaurus and there was a picture of Miss Gee. You just can’t avoid it. She effortlessly carried funk, soul and genuine musical heart through her entire set, dancing all the while and keeping the floor happy.

Miss Gee wrapped it up to enthusiastic applause, handing over to Risky Records owner Kris Gale who took the mic to deliver a heartfelt introduction for Renae. Then after some warm words of her own, Renae took to the decks. Renae’s style is one that keeps the floor on it’s toes – alternating between torso-grabbing bass hooks and rattling percussion, then bringing them together with a rare intensity – while weaving vocals and samples through the mix. It’s a sound that ties the “woo” and “yeah” of rave to fat and funky modern grooves, with the occasional well placed electro splash. The result is a punching funk style that she can truly call her own.

Accompanying Renae on percussion was Ace of Spades, who added a fantastic layer to the already-busy sound. It must be said, there was some excellent use of cowbell. These two should definitely do more gigs together. Always busy on the equipment, and never descending into pointless breakdowns, Renae is known for her refusal to be lazy on the decks, giving it every ounce of effort every time. Tonight was no different. To finish up, in a great display of showmanship, Renae invited Miss Gee back behind the decks to spin a few more tracks before Jules Beaumont took over.

With typical Beaumont skill, Jules eased into a perfect smooth funk without losing any of the room’s vibe. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of his set though, was his ability to jump out from behind the decks between virtually every mix for another shot of tequila and some kicking moves on the dance floor, without ever losing musical momentum. Bless him. God help you if you’re bored when Jules is in charge.

It’s hard to summarise a night that ended in so much drunken merriment – but perhaps that’s a good enough summary. Renae’s musical style was perfectly complemented at each end by her supporting DJs, and a grand old time was had.