Madness was once again descending upon the drum n’ bass community for the Foundation Day Long Weekend. Loaded Dice again delivered the goods to Perth, with two international drum n’ bass and breaks artists hitting the Deen on the 3rd of June. Perth was in for a treat and this was one event not to be missed.

State of Mind are a NZ duo consisting of Patrick Hawkins and Stu Maxwell. They’ve hit our shores before, but were welcomed back after many hits and releases on new labels. Their sets are intense, full of energy and they definitely pack that party vibe punch. DJ Fierce also returned from the UK after tearing the roof off the Rosemount last year. He’s representing his own Quarantine Records label, working alongside producers like Break, Silent Witness, Optiv, D-Bridge and RymeTyme. Fierce has been down in the thick of the drum n’ bass scene since the mid nineties, and is known to be one of the most exciting and energetic DJs around; earning massive respect from his peers and fans alike.

Break was also present as a special guest, gracing Perth shores for the first time. A talented musician with a wide array of influences, Break’s sound is pushing the barriers of drum n’ bass. Heavy basslines, hard hitting breaks and strong melodies make his tunes widely recognisable and respected as some of the finest tuned tracks to date.

The festivities kicked off at 4pm with Bastian & Morry playing up a storm. When I arrived the sound levels were not that high just yet as it was still mid-afternoon on a Sunday. We arrived at about 8:30pm, unfortunately missing Diamond D & MC Assassin’s set, but were told that it was all quality.

State of Mind were up when we got there and the floor was packed. Party rippers and dance floor smashers were played one after the other, probably being one of the most intense and energetic sets I’ve witnessed. The crowd was moving with the music and State of Mind did not disappoint their fans and punters with such a relentless set. It was good to see both the boys here together instead of them taking turns in coming to Perth.

At about 10pm Break stepped up, much to the anticipation of many of his Perth fans. His set was charging, deep and soulful. With each bassline change and transition he showed us what he was best at doing: dropping tracks like Enigma, Cold Sweat, Vacuum, Locked Out and Diffusion. Break definitely played to the ears of his faithful fans. Local Perth DJ Wrath was certainly in his element, being probably one of the biggest Break fans this side of the hemisphere.

Fierce stepped up at 12 and they both went back to back for a bit – playing solid tunes from Quarantine and DNaudio. This was one of the best parties Perth had witnessed, with pretty much nothing going wrong in terms of technical problems. Big ups to Loaded Dice for throwing the party of the year in my opinion. Unfortunately I did not get to see the international breaks artist Vlad Sokolo, but I heard good things about his set.

Last but not least, Loaded Dice have organised a special 2nd show with State of Mind playing at the Ambar on Thursday 7th of June 2007. If you missed State of Mind on the long weekend, I suggest you make way to this. A great weekend with amazing tunes, vibes and company. If only all of them could be this good…