There are few nightlife devotees as chock full of joie de vivre as those who call themselves ITMers. These are the people for whom the camaraderie of a party is of untold value. A dedicated community of house heads, trance addicts, tech enthusiasts and general electronic aficionados, one can only imagine the debauchery that would occur should they all be united under one roof in the name of that illustrious icon of merry making we fondly call: Santa. And this indeed was the case at the annual ITM Xmas Bash, held at Brown Alley and featuring a DJ at the forefront of the Spanish scene – Paco Osuna from the revered Minus label.

I arrived around 11pm only to receive a complimentary CD, drink card, and the cheery greetings of the ITM staff kitted out to suit the festive season. Who says ITM doesn’t take care of us? In the week leading up to the event, ITMers were asked to nominate and vote for local talent to be given the opportunity to play. Melbournes own Ben Vapid came out on top by a landslide majority, but the first act of the night to really catch my attention was the legendary lady who placed second – Becy. Playing a live set up and drawing exclusively from her own productions, Becy reminded punters that females can bring unadulterated electronic goodness to the floor too. In fact, she didn’t so much remind them as grab them by the throats and relentlessly force feed them an infallible genre blend of chunky depth. Kudos, amiga.

After an indulgent groove to Becy’s set, the upstairs room opened and i was out onto the rooftop to catch some air. Man I love that deck. Who thought that ripping the roof of the top of a club could make such a difference? And despite the showers, a marquee had conveniently been set up to shelter attendees – a simple manifestation of the maxim ‘party on, whether rain, hail or shine’. And though the gig was a little empty when I first arrived, the venue was soon pervaded by an undeniable exuberance. Almost as if 200 people were creating the good time vibe of 2000. Its a little disheartening that just as electronic music has become more accessible, so it has become more disposable. At an event which has managed to draw a large crowd, there seems to be also a tangible disconnect in the unity of that crowd. Perhaps it due to the ease with which people, particularly younger people, move in and out of the scene. But last Friday, for the first time in a long time, I felt the energy in the room was being produced by people who didn’t care if there were 10 people on the dance floor or 200 – they were there to have a good time. Kudos, ITMers.

As 1am drew nearer, I absconded to the main room to enjoy a refreshingly spacious dancefloor (a rare pleasure) for the beginning of Osuna. Resident DJ at legendary Barcelona nightclub Club4, Paco is a tried and tested performer and producer, and his delivery over the course of his three hour set was no exception to his solid reputation. His roots in house music shone through his current tendency towards techno, as solid hard-edged snare and percussion lines were complimented by a satisfyingly full and round bass accompaniment. Each bass line seemed to grow fatter than the last, and though they all had something tangibly in common he still managed to keep it interesting and progressive. Kudos, Paco.

Deck the halls with house and techno, fill that stocking with synths, and don’t forget to mark it down on your calendar for next year because the ITM Xmas Party is here to stay.