For it to occur that both floors of The Empire to be overrun by the Brisbane underground dance massive there would need to be a good deal of talent involved yes? Trust then that the responsibility for such a feat be hefted upon the shoulders of two of the city’s best loved event promoters; Sidechain Music bringing Elements:9 to the moon bar and Logic taking over the middle bar. A stellar line up filled the bill to create a fertile ground for weekend beginning silliness.

As this gent of the night is oft want to do, I took my light step and week wearied brain up the well trodden stairs to the gloom of the moonbar for a slice of the Elements action. A rather scantily populated dance floor didn’t keep Kris-Ko from unleashing a barrage of progressive house nastiness, a Funkagenda remix of Underworld’s Dark and Long did the trick and filled the floor quick before another appearance from Segue.

Segue’s sound seems to have slowly yet naturally progressed to much harder and darker depths without alienating their audience. They certainly put the moonbar’s sound system through it’s paces, the sound pressure levels reaching incredibly intense levels. A ruptured bowel and/or perforated ear drum would have kept neither the duo or the baying crowd they had amassed from attempting to leave little but splinters to remember the Empire by in their enthusiasm. Let it be said that it if Segue were to play for another hour or two no-one would much mind.

Whilst Sy-Fi would have been a blast to catch from start to finish Jamie Stevens of Infusion fame was set to start downstairs almost immediately after Segue and given the fuss made over the man it seemed the prudent thing to satisfy curiosity and check his tunes. It turns out that the fella is just as at home on the CDJs as bashing the be-jesus out of a keyboard and reports of his sound being a quality crossing over of minimalism, techno, garage rock and breaks were aptly displayed. Whilst Stevens may not have a particularly gob-smacking level of skill in mixing he certainly played a beautifully engaging set veering quite seamlessly between dark, dirty and jacking to uplifting and full styles of music. It all sat at great odds with the winter chill lurking outside. Whilst Jamie Stevens Djs irregularly he is certainly worth shelling out the hard earned to see.

Similarly, fellow Melburnians Bubble & Squeak were the biz with an Electro set which had plenty of Berlin about it with spiky percussion and bubbling step sequenced synth lines. Bubble & Squeak were every bit as brash and balls to the wall as the acts which had pummeled the room before them yet possessed a much more mature sound and approach to performing. Fans of the Bpitch Control Electro sound would most certainly approve.