Normally, heading to the city to find decent dance music is a bit like being a world leader trying to find a reason to invade Iraq. But, as with the Gulf War, this weekend proved to be one of those rare exceptions. Emerging as the city’s alternative hub for hard dance, Madison Nightclub has certainly been proving its worth. Tonight Evolution was intended to taking hard dance up a notch, showcasing some of Australia’s more underground hardstyle leaders, with such acts as Xdream, Hardforze, Hazard and Jigzee, among others. As the hardstyle scene grows, so too does the magnitude of talented DJs keen to impart their blazing beats and thrashing melodies.

As I walked up the stairs towards Madison I couldn’t help but notice the faint aroma of Chinese food wafting from the restaurant next door. This was soon forgotten, however, when the high quality of techno pumping out of the club reached my ears. Local DJ Hectic was playing as part of the lead-up into what would become a generous night of hardstyle. His set was a well thought out combination of extreme hard house, and it featured an interesting combination of pop culture references, including an awesome remix of Zombie by The Cranberries. Following Hectic was Hardforze, bursting onto the stage with a strong entrance of earth shattering beats and hard hitting melodies. With remixes of classic tunes like Sweet Dreams by The Eurythmics and Don’t Speak by No Doubt blistering through the system, Hardforze’s talents certainly stood out. Walking into the Hardstyles Room I couldn’t help but feel the intimacy thanks to the room’s smaller area. This created an entirely different effect to what the rest of the club had established. The Hardstyles Room was had DJs Daz, Lukas, Jigzee and Demize at the decks. DJ Jigzee stood out most, creating one of the most enthusiastic, energetic and creative set I’ve been privy to.

Meanwhile, Canberra’s own Xdream showcased her enviable turntable skills in the main room. As the only DJ playing on vinyl, this reason alone highlighted her as the primary interest of the night. Kicking off with the world famous Mario Brothers theme song, this girl showed us she was there to have fun. As a lover of dance and music, Xdream is an old hand in the scene, knowing what her audience craves and love to hear. Dropping many old favorites while still keeping the sound fresh and upbeat, everyone present could feel Xdream’s passion seeping into their skin. Most hardstyle sets are based around strong basslines and rhythm, but Xdream combines a refreshing influence from lyrically based music, with resonate bass and a thumping tempo. Her performance tonight convinced me that one should never miss seeing this DJ play!

Concluding this atypical adventure, we were treated to a furious battle of beats between DJs Hazzard and Inverse. While both were exceptionally skilled, the reigning DJ from the battle could be none other than Hazard, thanks to his scorching beat matching and high energy. Tired and mildly foot sore, I left Madison much happier and all the more benefited from the experience that was Evolution. A great night!