It’d been a long time coming. This reviewer first heard of protégé Canadian DJ/producer Frivolous, aka Daniel Gardner, two years ago care of one of Fabric’s fine compilations and even then, I knew his sound was unconventional, surprising and, to be honest, downright exciting. So goosebumps were the reaction when it was announced he’d play Mad Racket at Marrickville’s hallowed bowling club.

The Vancouver native, who trained initially as a classical pianist, now calls Berlin home but this little side trip, his first to Australia and the first Racket since June, meant he was always going to grab some attention. And so it was, as we arrived to a long queue outside the club which, while moving, was surprising since you don’t usually see that unless it’s a known international or New Year’s Eve. This of course was neither, so we gingerly stepped in, signed up and swung inside.

It didn’t take long before we’d bumped into friends and really, this is one of the things I love most about Racket. You’ll always find a friendly, up for it crowd from every walk of life and tonight was no different. Up front, resident Ken Cloud was playing a deep, emotional house set, its deep bass resonating off the walls and the Bowlo’s pressed copper ceiling. It brought a smile to our faces as we did the rounds, passing groups of friends along the way while reacquainting ourselves with our surrounds. This was the first Racket since the new smoking laws took effect and it was amazing how much clearer the air seemed and smelt. It also meant a new outdoor area had been opened, facing the greens, so we poked our heads out there – found more friends – and ventured inside for a few Southern Lemonades. We were in for a treat!

Kenny ratchet-ed up the Detroit vibe a bit more, breaking in a smooth synth line with deep soaring bass that we could see ripple through the crowd. I wish they’d recorded this – it was one of his best sets to date and the sort of thing ideal to dream to on a lazy summer evening – but to think this was just the warmup was really indulgent. The waiting ended at 1am, as Frivolous took the stage dressed in a tight black tee with a printed necktie on it, his laptop, and one hell of a cheeky grin. Just the sort of look you want to see on a DJ!

He began with a classical sound – soaring violins – and at once it almost seemed like you were at an art installation rather than a club. From here he stripped it back, wafting a trumpet through the mix before stripping it back, then back again to almost silence, before a soft kick drum clapped in. Down and down he went, the perfect compliment to Kenny’s final tracks, before stopping completely to give everyone a chance to applaud him. Then, he let rip.

The journey he took us on reminded me at once of the feeling behind Brennan Green (who I’ve really disagreed with before), the energy of Chris Duckenfield and the wizardry of Jamie Lloyd – that’s how incredible this guy was. And thankfully, the Racket faithful showed their appreciation for it, with the dancefloor filled out, eyes shut and feet shuffling. In some ways you could tell it had been a while since Racket fans had had their fix, but in other ways you could also see we were in the presence of one truly talented DJ having a ball himself entertaining us.

He stepped off after about two hours, and Simon Caldwell stepped up to deliver the knock out punch to Frivolous’s warm, fuzzy vibes, with a set that drew on house, techno, funk and everything in between. It all made for one hell of a knees-up – and there among them all was one Canadian DJ, someone I hope will make it to our shores again.

This was one special night.