It sometimes takes two events in a single night to make you realize the sheer diversity and quality of techno that Melbourne continues to churn out. Last Saturday I was lucky enough to get to check out both Jorge Watts at Miss Libertines, as well as Petter at F4’s Pretty Simple Saturdays. Now while each of these crews share resident DJs and arguably simillar musical philosophies, bouncing in between gigs (which were conveniently located round the corner from one another) was a real novelty.
While the boys at Nano have been one of the few Melbourne outfits to consistently represent the minimal genre, it was good to see Jorge turning out some really banging techno, perhaps reflective of his time in the Detroit scene. Though the late night surge Nano has become notorious for didn’t seem to materialise, the gig stood on its own two feet musically – a reminder that electronic music can be satisfying just to hear, with or without a sweaty crowd to accompany it. Big props to the VDJ as well, as the visual set up at Miss Libertines back room has been upgraded dramatically, and it was definitely being given a good work out by some truly original material!
A couple blocks away, the atmosphere at Petter was heaps more lively without sacrificing an inch of musical depth. The sound quality was far superior at the edges of the dance floor rather than right in front of the decks, and this may have affected the crowd, who seemed to randomly surge and dissipate in waves. But it only took a half hour for the Swedish maestro to really get into his depth and maintain a throbbing audience, consistently elevating the intensity to a point even the dance floor seemed surprised by. Bass drops and fade ins delayed just that one second longer not only kept the crowd on their toes but listening to every change, hard.
For a Saturday night before a long weekend, I don’t think I could’ve asked for more. If you truly consider yourself a techno devotee, either move to Melbourne or give the nearest promoter a fat slap on the back, as they deserve it.
