Anticipation was high at the Rise last Friday night as the crowd waited patiently for one o’clock to roll around to see trance masters Stoneface & Terminal. By the time they kicked off the venue was almost at capacity as the crystal clear sounds of the pair reverberated throughout then club.

Young, mature, freaky and conservative punters combined as one to form an extremely eclectic crowd mix. Many came dressed in Halloween costumes. There were witches, ghouls, hoods and Transformers all over the place. But, with the euphoric nature of Stoneface & Terminal’s music it is little wonder they have broad appeal. And not only that, but the obvious warmth and comradery of the pair is something anyone would enjoy. Matthias AKA Stoneface and Henry AKA Terminal were like two children playing with the decks, having beers, having a laugh and giving the crowd what they want.

The guys are out from Germany to play some select shows around the country and they are very excited to be here, particularly in Western Australia. “There is something special about a Perth crowd”, Matthias told me. The setup on stage was simple, featuring a screen and a couple of lounge chairs behind the casually dressed and relaxed looking pair. The chairs acted as an ideal metaphor for the show because it was all about a couple of good mates sitting in their lounge room making music and at times it seemed they were oblivious to everything and everyone else around them, as they became completely drawn into their set.

And Matthias was really pleased that we got what they were all about. “That’s exactly it, were a couple of mates having fun,” said Matthias while giving me a warm hug.

Some of the most noteworthy tracks were Steve Augello Tivoli, First State Brave, as well as the Stoneface & Terminal mixes of Hearts and Onyric . However, an hour into their set the highlight of the night occurred when the heavy beat driven Onyric merged into a fantastic remix of the classic Rui De Silva track Touch Me. The crowd responded with admiration as they had been lifted to another level and then given a rewarded.

One of the pleasures Stoneface & Terminal bring to electronic music is the way Matthias and Henry work together. Musicianship and theatrical ability are the key elements that make them so good. The guys move and twist around each other in perfect synchronicity whilst sipping on their Corona’s. It is obvious these two can anticipate almost every move the other is about to make and able to respond with precision timing.

And it is the precision timing that gets you hooked as the guys take you on a euphoric ride from start to finish. The set started simply with sharp beats, but as it progressed the mood of the music became increasingly atmospheric and intense as though they kept upping the ante and taking you from one level to the next.

By the closing set the die hard fans were screaming and begging for more like they wanted the moment to last forever. And the charismatic duo was more than happy to respond in course by clapping and urging the crowd into a frenzied state. The Rise dancefloor was fully occupied and going completely nuts. Matthias, Henry and the crowd looked as they were have the time of their lives.

Stoneface & Terminal gave a quality show from start to finish, and where completely focused on giving the crowd everything they wanted. The production, mixing, sound were superb and combined with these two highly charismatic performers made for one of the most delicious sets that you are likely to hear. And the crowd was truly appreciative with the dance floor fully occupied throughout the night. I can’t wait to see these guys in Perth again!