After the best ever results in the 2008 Sony inthemix50, in particular Queensland, it was timely to stage a series of events that showcased our immense local talent. The first event was held at chic warehouse-style gem Barsoma.

I entered a very busy bar filled with classy ladies in stunning cocktail outfits, and lots of boys keen to present their best front. It was clear that the atmosphere of the bar and the style of tunes drew a crowd oozing maturity. The bar staff showed industrious talent, in particular Steve, who attracted a queue for his French Martinis. Posters adorned the walls reminding punters of the occasion and a projector smartly displayed the ITM50 logo andd visuals.

An early timeslot for Therapy duo Nat Monaghan & Shannon L Marshall saw them serve up a back to back set of hot house. Nat tended to flow more smoothly, using lots of melody and throbbing bass. The resounding beats from both was ear catching, although Marshall – while starting confidently – abruptly drifted off course after some time. Ricki Newton of Subtrakt had a good time slot to work with. Minimal bleeps resonated throughout the room, and the dancefloor filled with a swirl of cocktail dresses lending a ghostlike ambiance under the subtle lighting.

The headline act for the evening was Nick Galea, and when he took to the stage his head was only just visible above the elevated decks. True to his personal style, Nick moved the underground set through minimal bass filled tracks, iced with melodies. Determined not to pigeonhole himself, Galea maintains an underground sound, but also progressed the set through to funky house and even a remix of Snap’s Rhythm Is a Dancer; certainly a crowd pleaser. Whilst the crowd had thinned by this stage, Galea continued in his desired direction. Look out for Galea throughout the packed festival calendar!

Fergus Alexander & BPM from Logic rounded out the evening, skilfully assisted by Ableton. Given the progress of the evening to date, their late set was unlikely to draw a big reaction, but I’d like to see the gents again playing an earlier slot with a crowd to feed off. So there you have it, the first in a series of events celebrating Queensland’s success on the inthemix50. Quality surroundings and an assortment of DJ excellence made for a refreshing night. Next time I might even have a chance to get amongst the stunners filling the dancefloor. Only to hold some of them up though, at least that’s my excuse,