The second installment of the Stereosonic festival kicked off in perfect 28 degree sunshine at the Claremont Showground to showcase a massive lineup of DJs and live acts. The schedule was packed with familiar names through the arvo & the crowd was well prepared to fill the venue early. A sea of denim-shorted girls and singleted guys made up the strikingly unfashionable throng in the seemingly endless battle for the drinks queues.

The stage nearest the entry was the Sneakerpeeps tent where Hudson Mohawke worked out some eclectic Scottish beats with some cuts from his debut album Butter. The crowd then swelled considerably as Zombie Nation took the decks for a proper elec-tech freakout. The trek to other side of the venue to check out the Outrage big top saw Renaissance Man rip out some hoover bleeps & squeeks to draw some sweat from the punters in the shade.

New York City’s Drop The Lime blasted some varied beats that had the crowd jumping. The DJ taking the mic to sing during the breakdowns was great to watch. He manipulated his voice with twisted echo, reverb & delay effects to create an exciting vibe. “Can’t you seeeeee”. Finishing with a bizarre Diplo-like mash up of old soul & a bit of Wipeout, his set was a highlight. The tent swelled under the gathering crush of the crowd amped for The Bloody Beetroots, who, by all accounts, delivered their brand of crazy Italian comic erect-ro to typically outrageous levels.

Meanwhile over at the main stage, the Chicane live show was smoothing out any rough edges in the afternoon sun with the classic Don’t Give Up. Swedish maestro Axwell was next up on the decks and continued the cheery vibe with a laidback house set of accessible tunes. His remix of Hard Fi Hard to Beat was noteworthy as was his huge shining silver button that sent the smoke cannons firing into the air around him. Axwell milked the breakdowns and buildups for all they were worth, constantly drawing them out and making it tough to know when the drops were coming. A dash of mini firework action and confetti at the finish proved him to be a diverse entertainer.

As the smoke cleared, Fedde le Grand then took over the ones & twos dropping Prodigy’s Breathe, and a bit of We Are Your Friends over a thumping 4/4 beat. His mixing was swift & adept and definitely upped the energy of the main arena. It was then time to revisit the small Sneakerpeeps tent where Laurent Garnier was set up behind various electronics along with a live trumpeter, saxophonist, and another muso alternating between keyboard and guitar. A surprisingly comfortable sized crowd witnessed a phenomenal set of live music that dwarfed everything on the bill due to its energy, diversity, musicianship, improvisation, and passion.

Utilising the full talents of the band, tech, & equipment, Garnier conducted the show with gusto, delving into a range of genres for a stunning experience. A bouncing dubstep section and then a blisteringly smooth drum & bass section had the groovers in raptures, and was the musical highlight of the day. His signature French house sound drew noticeable inspiration from jazz, dub, funk & soul. Favourite beats & riffs from Crispy Bacon and The Man with the Red Face were pulled out toward the end of the show & everyone in attendance walked away knowing they witnessed something special.

In the central paddock, the masses had gathered for festival headliner & producer extraordinaire Deadmau5 to provide the final beats for the evening. Playing most of his well loved cuts from his two albums and numerous singles, the giant Australian flag-covered mouse-head appendage was a striking symbol of today’s popular music. Hi Friend had energy, I Remember was a sweet ride, and Complicated overstayed its welcome toward the set’s end. It was an inoffensive & laidback way to finish a festival, definitely not the peak that many were expecting. The beats were easy to bump along to, but lacked the bite I would expect from a headliner. A strange keyboard cat appearance comprised the somewhat humorous but ultimately mystifying ending to a fun & diverse festival.