Kink. More then simply a club night. It was a brand, the place to be, a dominating force in Sydney clubbing for over force years. After all, we all heard it at Kink long before it was Famous. But with Kink saying goodbye to its weekly parties at the Arthouse late last year I couldn’t help but wonder whether we had seen the last of this prolific brand. While since then they’ve taken a bit of time off for a short break, Kink has reemerged with monthly parties ahead of it’s upcoming weekly relaunch (rwad the recent ITM interview with promoter Scott Robertson for details) and last Saturday night, to celebrate their 5th Birthday they had one of techno’s finest duos headlining in the form of Pig and Dan. Signed to the Cocoon label home which is to such other techno luminaries such as Sven Vath, I knew I would be in for a treat and with Kink’s reputation for throwing legendary parties. A birthday at Sydney’s latest hotspot the Oxford Arts Factory would no doubt be something special.

I arrived shortly after midnight just in time for Pig & Dan, and I made my way through the door without any hassles. I first decided to have a look around the Oxford Arts Factory as I had been meaning to check this place out for quite some time. It’s a very intimate venue, something that I’m always a fan of as I had really never enjoyed the Arthouse because to me, it always just felt like a big school hall. The Factory was certainly busy although it was not as packed as I thought it would be. I’d say it was about 75 per cent full at this stage, but the night was still young.

Pig and Dan played separately during their set which I wasn’t expecting, and they would each play for a while before switching over, with both of them taking the set down their own tech-infused path. The music was quality techno as I had expected and was looking forward to, and some serious chin-stroking action was now in order. The set started with a bit of progressive techno before changing noticeably after 30 minutes to become a bit harder and more driving. Not really any minimal to speak of in this set!

Some track spotting throughout the set included such tracks as _Space Bird (Dubfire remix _ by *System 7 and Micro Kitchen, Moths and Globe Trotter all by Pig & Dan themselves. Thanks to my fellow ITMers for a bit of help with those tracks! After about an hour or so into the set I decided the chin had been stroked enough, and I made my way down to the dance floor where it was now bustling and the club was packed. Pig and Dan switched again and the set changed, and I felt at times the set was a little disjointed. While the music being played was impeccable, the order and programming in which it was played left a bit to be desired at times, building things up and then changing the tempo rapidly to something totally different. But maybe that’s just the chinstroker in me talking…

Towards the end of their set they dropped a track which some of you may have heard, Roadkill by Dubfire, and this epic song builds into a massive climax that’s been heard at clubs all over Sydney in the past few months. It is a personal favourite of mine, and I can’t wait to see Dubfire perform at We Love Sounds. At around 3am the sound changed noticeably to a sound that Sydney is more familiar with – electro. Pig and Dan appeared on stage and were met with a round of well deserved applause. Shamus then followed and the people started to trickle out, as the music played was fairly average I thought. I heard Things You Say by Cicada, which was big about a year or so ago, surely Shamus has something a bit fresher in his bag of tricks but nevertheless people were enjoying it.

Reno & Foundation then came on a bit alter, and switched it to some great minimal/tech that was much more my personal taste. Reno was certainly very animated behind the decks getting right into it. However at this stage the numbers were dropping and there was no real vibe left in the venue, and I decided to call it quits not long after that. Overall I had a great night, and Kink proved why they are still a force to be reckoned with in this ever-fickle Sydney scene. I cannot wait to see what Scott Robertson has planned when he unveils his new club in the coming months, and if they continue to throw parties like this I will certainly be returning!