It was a relatively cool December night in Melbourne – no major surprises there – but at Room 680 in inner city Hawthorn, the temperature was set to rise. Venue for the 2006 celebration of the release of the inthemix.2006 magazine and CD, and featuring a host of local and international talent, the night held loads of potential. Ultimately, it would deliver.

As a group of us walked in half way through Luca Silverii’s set to the Soulsearcher anthem Can’t Get Enough, and despite the relatively early hour – there was enough ‘movement at the station’ to suggest that the potential was well and truly going to be delivered on. As we settled in for the night with our drinks of choice – the bar staff draped in inthemix gear – Saturday became Sunday, the crowd, the cages, the clothes (from golf pants to animal print corsets), the clamour around the bar – it all augured well for the next six or so hours. People were getting ready for a big one – some more than others – and with the line up that had been secured – it had all the tell tale signs of being a cracker.

Everyone was heavily anticipating the main attraction for the night – Ben Watt – and his arrival behind the decks, but there was to be no rest beforehand. As Chris Kaye continued to belt out anthem after anthem, the temperature seriously began to rise, and by 1am – as the smoke machine near us appeared to go into overdrive, so did the tempo, with some chunky beats and equally fat bass lines resonated through the big venue. Anyone that was perhaps still holding back quickly changed their collective tune though – as when Mr Watt got up and took it all before him – given the synonymity his name has with electric power – he got the place well and truly sparked.

He took over where Kaye had left off – and had the place going off tap in almost no time (_check out the photos on this site for proof_) – and as people began to seemingly lose all control it appeared that with all the Red Bull – and everything else that was being consumed – the podiums and cages did not stand a chance. He dropped into his genre of choice – electro infused house music – at its very finest. The crowd showed its merit, and as he dropped into two tracks straight off his inthemix release in the Trentemoller remix of Djuma Soundsytem’s Les Djinns and Hystereo’s Executive Memo – people went nuts. I’ve used the term before, but this my friends was a group joygasm – and I was in the middle of it, and absolutely loving it.

As mayhem ensued he went on, and in a night of musical highlights, the one that stood out for me was when he dropped into ‘I was always there…were you unaware..” in the form of Tiefschwarz’s Damage; this song has recently taken on added meaning for me personally, and on Saturday night, the crowd and I became one. When you start chanting lyrics to the people around you that you’ve never even met before at the absolute top of your voice – it’s definitely a night to remember.

We kicked into the front room for a bit of R&R – thinking that some time on a couch may have been required. However, when we waltzed in to see TKO taking it all before him – we realised that there would be no resting here. When you’ve got some of the year’s hottest commercial anthems playing – Chris Lake’s Changes and Misirlou’s All this Love to name but two – rest becomes the last thing on your mind, and everyone was absolutely loving it. It may have been a smaller crowd in the front room, but what it lacked in numbers, it made up for with pure energy.

The highlights continued in the main room, and by the time local boy Andrew Padula stepped up to the plate, the night was well and truly complete. As he threw himself and everyone else into a tight set – typical of what has made him so successful here and abroad – you got the sense that he knew he was home – this was his crowd – and as he pumped that crowd up, it was pure enjoyment on his face, and everyone else’s.

All up, an awesome night and one that will stay with those that were present for a long time yet. For many therein, they will already be looking forward to inthemix.07 – I know my crew is.

Hats off to all involved, a stellar night.