The past 24 months has seen an influx of international Drum and Bass talent grace the decks of this city’s more Jungle-friendly establishments. Scene icons such as Calyx, Dom, Bukem, Bailey, Goldie, Pendulum, Concord Dawn, Krust and Die have all visited as well as lesser-known figures such as Dieselboy, Noisia, Evol Intent, Chris Su and SKC. If the regularity at which foreign artists visit a city is a measure of a scene’s health, then surely Brisbane Drum and Bass is in a period of prosperity unlike which it has experienced before.

No doubt veteran Junglists would have felt a small sense of disbelief upon entering the Moon Bar last Wednesday night. The sight of a rapidly filling room of bodies there to witness not one, but two, of DnB’s heavyweights in a mid-week mash-up was a laughably implausible prospect until very recently. Under the unified banner of Intensify, the amalgamation of local crews Junglettes, Rukus, Rogue Element and Pure Bred Expression have worked tirelessly to host a classy double-header that would‘ve otherwise bypassed this state. Given the somewhat strained relations of local Jungle history, it was encouraging to see that once again a collaborative effort had resulted in an event that simply would not have occurred in years past.

Entering the familiar surrounds of the Empire’s third level, one could be forgiven for thinking that it was indeed Saturday night. Far from the lacklustre energy that a mid-week slot usually implies, a lively, sociable vibe permeated the room. An unmistakable air of anticipation was evident, heightened by a flurry of flashes courtesy of the ever-present ITM paparazzi.

Early punters at the Moon Bar were greeted by the rolling liquid sounds of local man-of-the-moment, Sektile. Having recently played support for such luminaries as Calyx and Bailey, the man in black is proving a dab-hand at effectively setting the tone for many a fine evening. Favouring a lush, melodic tip for much of his set, Sektile wooed the crowd with a fine blend of old and new anthems. Dropping favourites such as D-Bridge’s ubiquitous ‘True Romance’ and the deep swoon of Chris Su’s ‘Solaris Theme’, the scene was set in anticipation for the man that they had come to hear.

Tensions ran high prior to Teebee’s appearance behind the decks with whispers of a possible no-show due to an untimely bout of Tinnitus which been plaguing the hearing of the Nordic don. Such rumours were quashed when the man known as Torgeir Byrknes to his mum finally put vinyl to the felt of the slipmatt. Looking dapper in a pristine white truckers cap, the Norwegian was met with a roar of approval as he cued up his first track. His fourth visit to the Queensland capital, Teebee is no stranger to our clubs – his 2003 set amidst 360-degrees of visual projections at Family’s ‘Pod’ reaching near-mythical status in Junglist circles. Local reverence for the man was evident as the crowd compressed visibly as bodies jostled for prime dancefloor positionings.

Teebee wasted little time setting the mood with a deep symphonic string intro which was peppered with customised vocal samples muttering his alias. Once the beats did finally drop, ruckus ensued. His set featured his deft scratching throughout, perhaps a superfluous element that served to overshadow the quality of his tunes. Others may disagree, but borrowing from the language of Hip Hop seemed to render his sci-fi soundscapes oddly retro.

Navigating through a showcase of forthcoming collaborations with Calyx and an ample selection of Subtitles dubplates, Teebee upped the intensity of the evening with his trademark dark, driving style. Offering little by way of surprise for those already acquainted with his sound, Teebee stuck rigidly to the palette of sounds on which he has built his reputation – a heady blend of crisp, rapid-fire breaks, molten bass and dense, sweeping atmospherics. Deploying his low frequency missives in quick succession, Teebee executed each mix a relaxed assurance that belied whatever affliction his hearing had suffered. Surely one of the highlights of his set was the heavy-duty Tech Itch and Dylan remix of Photek’s “Baltimore”, which received unanimous approval from both the chin-stroking massive and 2am gurn crew alike.

In stark contrast to his British counterparts, Teebee opted to rewind only one track during his tenure behind the 1200s, choosing only to reload one final slice of Viking funk. Englishmen would do well to take note of his restrained approach, the second drop serving to accentuate the dramatic finalé with calculated effect.

With the crowd waning ever so slightly, Black Sun Empire’s René Verdult stepped to the fore with unenviable task of satiating a now frenzied Junglist mass. Whilst not having the high profile of Teebee, the production unit of Black Sun Empire have a keen following in Brisbane, evidenced by the fact that they have guested at local events twice in as many years. René’s selection was anchored by several of their own tracks from 2004’s stellar ‘Driving Insane’ LP, each garnering boisterous vocal acknowledgement from the trainspotters. The sound was distinctly tougher than earlier in the evening, although perhaps not quite as tearing as was anticipated by some of their fans. Mixing lightness and dark, the Dutchman opted for a more balanced blend of sounds than his BSE cohort Micha had rinsed two years ago. Regardless, his set was well received by the remaining dancefloor soldiers – the stench of some particularly fragrant Junglists paid testament to the type of energetic response that the BSE sound invokes.

As with most events it was indeed that intangible “vibe” that made this evening so enjoyable – a synchronous melding of people, sound and environment. Given the notoriously mixed success rate of mid-week parties, Intensify are to be commended for having enough faith in the local massive to attempt to host a double-header of such magnitude. Bold moves indeed considering Brisbane’s Junglist movement is dwarfed by traditional juggernauts Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The success of last Wednesday night points the way forward for the continuation of international guests to our city. Roll on.