If I were to select two words to describe MyAeon, I would probably choose ‘anything goes’. After experiencing Spectrum on Friday night, ‘wrestling hippies’ also springs to mind. But I will fill you in on that later. When I heard that the guys at MyAeon would be hosting a new night, and that old-skool boy Danny Bonicci of Nubreed fame would be a guest, I could not resist.
Visiting MyAeon feels like spending time in a good friend’s lounge room. That is, if your friend’s lounge room is occupied with old, comfy armchairs, a respectable sound system and smells like incense. It is one of Brunswick’s best kept secrets, nestled among Turkish grocery stores, a motorbike shop and a butcher. One thing I always notice upon entering MyAeon is its relaxed vibe. As I walked through the front door to attend Spectrum on Friday night, the vibe was a chilled one as people lounged in the worn armchairs, whilst soaking up U_One’s minimal tunes.
At this stage there were only a few enthusiasts on the dancefloor, perhaps a sight U_One is unaccustomed to, having played at Rainbow Serpent and more recently the*Maya Festival*. I took this opportunity to grab a drink from one of the uber-friendly bar staff, and it wasn’t long before the boys of Julika (Christpopher Smith and Steve Ward) were delivering live mixes of some dynamic, techy tunes. There is nothing like a good twosome behind the decks. There isn’t enough of that these days!
The boys built up the tempo, enticing people from their armchairs and onto the dance floor, easing the punters into Danny Bonnici’s set. I was interested to see what this Melbourne boy had to offer. With seventeen years of experience behind him it was of no surprise that his set was sophisticated and diverse, drawing on a fusion of deep, techy, and progressive tunes. The music wasn’t too heavy and just the right tempo for a 2am set, as illustrated by the comfortably filled dance floor.
Maybe it was his vast experience as a DJ, and as the front man of Nubreed, but Danny seemed extremely comfortable behind the decks, or should I say ‘Mac’. It was great to see a DJ so lively, and have so much fun. Despite a technical difficulty (should we blame Ableton Live?) causing the music to falter mid-set, the crowd’s mood did not waver, and once the technical problem was attended to, Danny continued to take the crowd on a journey. Danny has pleased crowds the world over with his raw stage presence and energetic live shows, and tonight was no exception.
As Danny packed up his Mac and left the stage, Rachel Orchard took the reins, the music became harder and driving. Her tech and psytrance infused tunes sustained the energy on the dance floor, and even enticed some hippies to start wrestling in front of the decks. That’s one thing I love about Aeon – where else would you get to witness such a thing?
As Rachel finished her set, and Tony Loucas from Big Red Bus came on board, I noticed the sunlight cracking through the small windows above the dance floor. It was time to head out into the drizzling rain and go and get some shuteye. Spectrum: a first-rate night of addictive tunes, a lively dancefloor, and extremely friendly punters. What a buzz!
