Unlike a more typical gig, where the first hour or so hosts a few early arrivals with a somewhat lonely DJ playing almost for their own enjoyment, the suitably scaled venue was already teaming with relaxed and happy people who were keen to get the party started. It does help, of course, to offer a ‘happy hour’ at the bar – a lovely generosity in itself. But it was much less about that, and much more about the enthusiasm to share quality music and the company of trusted friends.

The secret to the electric atmosphere so effortlessly generated by this gathering was the nature of the people themselves. The room was teaming with DJs, producers and various satellite folk, such as myself, who had come specifically to enjoy and support the work of the specific artists on the decks.

Once Sass got rolling the room pulsed with solid groove. She kept the first half of her set beautifully restrained, yet never dull, such that people fell well in to the mood whilst carrying on their vibrant conversations. However, towards the close of her set she really cranked it up and produced a twenty or so minute output that, in my opinion, was one of the highlights of the evening. With a sudden thickening of intensity and flow the driving beats took us up three gears in one transition, and the friendly crowd responded enthusiastically by rapidly descending upon the dance floor and offering wild whoops and whistles of delight.

This set the stage for Danni B, who leads the Tickled Pink crew, with partners Sass, Nadine and Nugget. These girls have been at it for a while and now have themselves well established as perhaps one of the most highly cherished local Melbourne groups. Danni B kept the momentum of the dance floor up through her entire set. Towards the middle it broadened in aural scope and developed really nice edge to the sound. She mixes with great confidence and attentiveness, whilst somehow remaining very open to enthusiastic involvement with her numerous fans. The music combined with the exquisite visuals (twirling and converging geometric patterns, fluid and animated fish-like creatures that then morphed to a space shuttle cruising through deep space, to falling flowers) propelled a radiant brightness in to the space.

Having enjoyed the delightfully unabashed feminine presence of the primary team, it was Continuum that took the stage next, and they rapidly established an equally masculine influence. They presented like a smoothly coordinated and well-practiced olympic luge outfit, bopping and rolling over their instruments.

Each member of the Continuum team held focus over their particular aspect of the combined effort whilst carrying on free and live-to-air communication with each other. They used a Mac laptop running live playback software, MIDI controller with moving faders, and a freely configurable keyboard. With energy and engagement the trio pulsed out beats and tunes that gradually rose in intensity, complexity and depth.

It was a splendid evening. Top marks for the Tickled Pink team – they sure know how to bring the love.