Darkbeat has become synonymous with the deeper sounds of progressive, techno minimal and breaks in Melbourne, having hosted some of the world’s leading figures in the scene including Hybrid, Chris Fortier, Dave Seaman, Kevin Saunderson, Danny Howells and many more over the years. They’ve helped push the city’s underground music scene in new and ever more interesting directions, so it therefore seemed fitting that to celebrate their 6th birthday they’d acquire the services of two legendary DJs who’ve recently released amazing compilations on two legendary labels. Nick Warren recently released his eighth Global Underground CD, while Satoshi Tomiie mixed the latest Renaissance Masters Series compilation. So we had two of the worlds finest, but it didn’t stop there; add Audiojack, Spencer Parker, Phil K, Dave Pham, Jamie Stevens, and the list went on, all playing during a 20 hour day/night party at that transformer of venues we know as Brown Alley.

Over four rooms, the day included more than 35 acts and DJs all putting their unique sounds into the melting pot, and we decided to start off with Melbourne’s own Phil K who was heading the main room when we arrived. Phil’s sound moved between deep and bouncey basslines, breaks, techno and more, and it was the perfect choice to get us ready for the long evening ahead. The crowd was a more mature gathering, dressed for comfort rather than glamour. Sporting loose jeans, boots, caps and sturdy dancing shoes, this was a selection of Melbourne’s more experienced clubbers. Covered in khaki netting and adorned with paper palm fronds, the main room ceiling was dressed up to look canopied and enclosed which helped give it a dark, underground feeling. In the background and around the DJ platform were flatscreen TVs blasting images that were being worked by live PAs from laptops and Pioneer DVJs.

Going up to the mezzanine floor, the balcony overlooking the downstairs main room had been closed to create a separate room being hosted by Intermission and Andrew Rose who was playing an upbeat form of tech house to a small gathering of people dancing or laying about nearby. On the top floor John Graham played melodic progressive in the well-lit Intermission side room (just a hallway really), and walking through this it led out to the Garden Rooftop terrace smoking room with its ceiling opened to the elements. Dubfunk from Egypt was doing a sterling job on the packed terrace, but unfortunately a concentrated room of smokers was a bit much for us so we left pretty promptly.

Back in the main room UK duo Audiojack were playing a well paced set of crazy tribal rhythms, deep/vocal house and techno packed with tunes from the likes of Dubfire and Carl Craig as well as their own productions. Around them visuals of psychedelic flowers swooped and swung around while a revved up crowd watched on (some guys were eating boiled eggs, don’t ask). Their hour and a half set was a definite highlight for me and really opened my eyes to the pair’s ability.

Next up was Rollin Connection’s sinister tribal set,which left us needing something a little lighter so we caught up with friends who were watching local lads Dave and Jimmy Juric in the Intermission side room again. Somewhat lower key, their syncopated sounds were easier on the ear and it gave us a nice opportunity to sit and chat. At that time, discussions were underway to open the top main room as all the other rooms were due to close at 9.30. This hadn’t been originally planned, but due to the popularity of the event it seemed necessary to avoid flooding the main room with people. I saw Dave Pham gearing up to take control when they opened the glass doors just after 10.

By 10.30 there was much anticipation as Satoshi Tomiie set up his Macbook and gadgets ready for his set in the main room. He took over smoothly from Rollin Connection, and the first half an hour ran promisingly with some deep stripped-back sounds that were played to an appreciative room. Unfortunately though, things soon got monotonous. Satoshi’s crowd interaction was all but non existent and he relied on the technology to the do the job. By about halfway through the music almost seemed to die off, the sound disappeared and listeners began to chat. Not good. Eventually though he responded to a few jeers with a thumping acid track following up with Slam’s classic Positive Education, and he gradually crawled through the rest of his 3 hour set. The last 25 minutes saw some action but by that point I was awaiting the next act.

Gavin Keitel took over where Satoshi had finally reached and expanded further on it. He gave an hours set of much more uplifting rhythms and hypnotic baselines and regained the crowds attention admirably. 2.30 and the room was back in action, Nick Warren (who I was hotly anticipating) started off for a 3 hour headline set. Nick is famed for his musicality and melodic choice of tracks, and that’s what progressive means to me. It needs to have a hook, it needs highlights to its layers, as basslines on their own just don’t cut it for 3 hours straight. This was what he gave us, a really classic set of very enlightened, uplifting progressive trance peppered with driving tech house and even some elements of acid and rave. I was relived that he had brought his ‘A-Game’. Highlights for me included Paul Woolford’s Erotic Discourse, Way Out West’s Spaceman and Sharam’s Say Yeah, class.

Darkbeat continues to be a shining light in Melbourne’s dance arena. Their 6th birthday party was another well organized display of their pulling power and although not 100 per cent successful, it was an excellent effort with plenty of choice and talent on display. At this rate their 7th is an almost guaranteed certainty. Easter Friday 2010, see you there.