For many months, I had promised myself that I would pop my Minimal X-posure cherry. I can’t quite remember what had stopped me from attending one of their monthly gigs earlier in the year, but when I headed on up to the Velvet Lounge for the very first time to attend an MX gig on Australia Day 2008, I realised quickly that I really had no excuse for not sharing in the spoils of one of the best productions in town. The MX boys had a real surprise in store for their ‘Ostraya Day’ showcase; a live performance from genrebenders Beat Build Forms. The stage was set for a night of decadent techno indulgence!
I could not help but chuckle at MX’ promotional spiel: when you’ve seen one fireworks display you’ve seen them all, and the same could be said about bangin’ techno really. As the name suggests, Minimal X-posure is all about purveying the more subtle side of techno. Moreover, this ain’t one of your run of the mill club nights. Given the venue and the sounds on offer, you can either dance to your heart’s content or you can sit down and chillax with a beer as if you were at your local. As you might have guessed, I did not attend the fireworks, opting instead to arrive early at the Velvet Lounge so as to enjoy Bokchoy’s opening set and secure a seat on any one of the comfy couches.
Given that it was Australia Day, the atmosphere inside the Velvet Lounge was vibrant and upbeat. Shamus took over from Bokchoy at 10pm to deliver a smooth and well executed set of minimal grooves. Most people, like me, were content with an ice-cold ale in hand as the day had been a fun but hot one. Indeed, the music provided the perfect relaxant and the visual effects looked rather cool too. The MX team sure do know how to put on a good party. Beat Build Forms assumed control at 11pm to deliver their much-anticipated live performance. By the end of their one-hour stint behind the decks and effects I had to retrieve my jaw from off of the floor. One does not chance upon sounds as dynamic, complex, creative and innovative as those showcased by Beat Build Forms on a regular basis. I felt compelled to just sit there in a state of relaxed inertia, whilst the music took over me and leeched every last bit of tension from within my mind, body and soul.
Rather unfortunately, I had to cut my night short immediately after the conclusion of Beat Build Forms’ set so as to catch the last train home, which meant that I would miss out on Flaunt and The Goose vs. Richard Parker’s sets. Not to worry though, as this Minimal X-posure gig shall not be my last and I am sure that I will be able to see these boys in action in the not too distant future. MX have indeed provided Perth with a breath of fresh air in its clubbing scene and if you, like me (until now), have not been to one of their parties yet and you like your cutting edge techno music, then you jolly well should!
