Wow. Oh, wow. And, err yeah… wow. You’ll have to excuse the monoslab, I mean the monosill, I mean the use of short words. Usually I don’t start writing the review for a gig until the next day: all I do when I get home is to make a few notes in the shorthand pad (pretty brief notes, because I can’t read shorthand anyway). But as I’ve just walked home a full six inches off the ground aided by no levitational substance stronger than Cascade Pale Ale, I’m compelled to fire up the laptop now to try and find some words to describe yet another stunning triumph for the Dust Tones crew.

Tonight Dust Tones was back at its spiritual home, The Clare on Broadway, an establishment most notable for its ‘no two couches are exactly alike’ policy. On arrival, broke:kabel (or perhaps half of them – they’d been a late replacement) were on musical direction duties. Musical philosophy – bass that is heavy and beats that are broken. Nothing too tricky, just deep solid grooves.

Then, something of a change – a short set from Doctor Scientist playing 15 minutes of his own breakcore music. I had a chat to him after the set and it’s hard to be too critical of someone you’ve talked to – partly because you get a sense of the obvious passion they have for what they’ve created, and partly because of the fact that they know what you look like. But if you are going to walk the precipice that separates music from noise, you’ll be needing some pretty fancy footwork (you don’t want to be wearing no hob-nailed boots.) Although some melodic elements featured, they were just there to lure you in until the aural equivalent of being hit over the head with a sock full of lead shot resumed. It’s always nice to hear something different, but 15 minutes was not too short.

Next up were Sub Bass Snarl, those doyens and stalwarts of the Sydney electronic scene (your somewhat ageing reviewer resists the temptation to use ‘veteran’ for those not all that much older than himself). The group set an excellent example of the distinction between quantity and quality; the quantity is often unknown, but the quality is always known (that is, top shelf.) Tonight, Seb the Snarl was poised over his laptop with the air of a man who can see over the horizon and rather likes what he sees coming, while Luke the Snarl prowled, triggering, adjusting and pressing various bits of kit. Sub Bass Snarl sets makes fools of people who insist on trying to categorise music into genres, but there was proper electro, reggae, dubstep, and more besides. And if Luke the Snarl would have liked a little more bass, well, who on their deathbed ever looks back on their life and wishes they’d had less bass? Quality promised; quality delivered.

The Clare had been a little quiet up to this point, but people were steadily streaming in as an o||o DJ set was next to fill the space. Joyous, glorious eclecticism is a hallmark of pretty much everything o||o do (including their typography) and tonight was no exception. Whodini’s Mr Magic’s Wand was a highlight and the people who’d been streaming in were now dancing in. We were now ready for Spoonbill. Or so we thought we were.

Because this where the review drops back into “err yeah, wow” territory. The Spoonbill live show (which consists of Mr Bill himself as well as Glory B on keys and flute and VJ DropBear on brilliantly conceived and executed visuals) is just something else. I had come to this show without ever having heard any of Spoonbill’s music (an error I remedied at the merchandise stand on the way out) but even having heard the records wouldn’t really have adequately prepared you for the sensory goodness that their show delivered.

The music is absorbing but still inherently danceable electronica: shot through with vocal samples that are entirely unexpected but somehow perfectly placed, permeated with gorgeous shards of sunlight and boiling thunder clouds in equal measure. Tracks from the new album Nestegg (which was being launched at the party) and the first album Megafauna were both being featured. Looking around me I saw familiar faces and unfamiliar faces, but all sharing much the same grin for the whole of the set. And the showmen themselves were also enjoying things it appeared. The set was over much too soon (albeit we got more than the hour we’d been promised). Dear promoters, please bring Spoonbill to Sydney more often. Will visit again. Will recommend to others.

Deepchild was on DJ duties for the last part of the night, but dancing to Spoonbill had left only just enough juice in my battery operated legs to propel me home. So I was, and so here I am. Dust Tones parties offer a righteous reply of the very best kind to people who complain about music being all the same in Sydney. If you scratch below the surface, you can raise more than just a little dust: you can find quality parties full of the finest music and the finest like-minded souls. See you at the next one!