PRETTY SIMPLE LIVE! Well what can I say it was another great night for techno in Melbourne, with an all-star line up of locals and internationals to boot, just check that line up: Kazu Kamira, Ignition Technican, Machina, Voiteck. And that was just the headline acts!

As I walked into F4, having just missed Dave Pham and Matt Raddy’s set, I was greeted by the sounds of Voiteck. Jumping around on the mini stage that had been erected with a constant smile on his face, Voiteck had an exhilarating vigor about his presence. This was a totally hot set, the epitome of what a musical journey should be layer upon layer of dense percussion with grooves undertones and melodies, coming at the precise moments needed.

At this stage I decide to take a little break as the first of Kazu’s three intermissions began. That’s right, three! But we’ll return to Kazu a little later in our story. Next up to bust out a live set for our pleasure, Wilko AKA Ignition. This dude just invented a time machine transplanting us back to the height of the rave movement, with one hell of a pounding techno update. If any body says rave is dead I think they need to take the argument up with Wilko, but he’s the kinda guy that looks like you wouldn’t wont to get on his wrong side. Samples, snippets and the occasional slab of classic early nineties dance tune grooved away to Ignition Technician’s trade mark shuffling beats eventually making way for Kazu part 2.

Kazu’s second intermission was a lot more chunky and upbeat (not that there any issues with his first set),with some very fresh futuristic tune-age goin’ on. Heading out to the suite for a little detour, Carlos AKA Matic & McWhinney had just stepped off the decks (and from all reports I heard good things) to be replaced by Sam McEwin, droping some deep hypnotic robo funk and tech-house. Meanwhile back in the main room Kazu was getting quite tuff and bassy in usual Kazu layered goodness with Machina waiting in the wings ready to unleash his machinery on the masses.

As Kazu closed his second instalment, the mad mathematician that is Machina fired up his crazy array of elaborate instruments that looks more like the instrument control panel of an Airbus 380 than the usual modern layout of just a plain old laptop. Precise crisp, slightly tribal beats pounded from the Function 1 system set up for the live PA’s of the evening by no other than Simon “Ishtar”.

Returning to the suite, relative newcomer Lingfish was handed the reigns from Sam McEwin. Breaking out some very nice strong rolling tech, and grabbing everyone’s attention up to the dance floor. With Mike and Charlies I Get Live (Fat Boy mix) getting an outing about mid set, gaining a round of cheers and who’s from the smiling appreciative crowd. Still busting out the fat tunes as the lights came up no one wanted to leave and even as the last beat echoed out through the back room speakers, there was instant chants for and encore, but this was not to be and so this adventure into techno land would end the nights proceedings here.

A special mention goes to the visuals playing in the main room, helping ad to the quality atmosphere.