For El Senor Hernan Cattaneo, it is all about the deepest, longest wave. It flows incessantly from the disarming russet kinks of his naturally-waved South American hair, to the eloquent, undulating bass lines that pulsate beneath compelling melodies. He floods a room with his magnetism, all piercing blue eyes; prodding with each resolute drum beat to resonate from the triple deck setup through immense speakers and across floors. The room vibrates from the sheer joy of this especial affair.

To last a Hernan Cattaneo set is a quest only for the dedicated; praise be those who can remain ‘til the end. Even the bar staff are helplessly ensnared within his polyrhythmic web, bodies at the mercy of this siren song. His Latin roots are certainly at the forefront where compound patterns feature equally in both rhythmic and melodic themes. The muted timbres of deep cowbell tones pulse against cascades of synthetic keys, all running alongside a lambent lighting show where his sinewy frame is outlined in streams of red, blue and tungsten. In many glittering facets, the scene is prophetic.

Certainly on this night from The Main Room of The Family, the coming of Mr Cattaneo is met with as much reverence (dare one say “more” even?) as the coming of The Messiah himself – and with as much speculation. Will he or won’t he? The panic in the lead up to the man’s arrival was fraught with conjecture and alarm. At the maw of mother nature herself, The Old World had been at the mercy of a capricious Icelandic volcano. It seemed best to leave Yahweh, Monseigneur Jesus or The Holy Spirit to work miracles against the plight of grounded planes.

But one man chose not to submit to mother nature. One man had the ear of All Powerful, All Knowing, Absolute Being. One man could defy the odds, doggedly aiming for the insignificant dot on the global map known as Brisbane, after being stranded a week in Paris and enduring twenty three hours in flight. In the dark hours of the night, Hernan Cattaneo En La Casa De La Familia. The roar of greeting when he materialises wraithlike, is one of ardent admiration. While it is a school night, a worthy crowd of house, techno, progressive and plainly Latino lovers are intent on sharing this journey. For some, it is a fresh breath of cloaked enthrallment. For others, it is merely the lingering aftermath from the previous captivation of May 2009.

Hernan Cattaneo is undoubtedly a craftsman with an ear for detail. This electronic virtuoso emits a siren song formed from subtle textures, irresistible harmonies and oscillating meters. Such bliss as this is characteristically divined in quivering moments of religious ecstasy. Certainly, it is at much humility, sacrifice and with all the guile of his musical psyche that this Dios Latino assumes the dark mantel of devouring our souls. It is however, from this perpetually measured motion and with profuse willingness, mercifully, we surrender.

Congratulations yet again to Ulterior and Ritual Events for producing another incredible show featuring this Argentinian Spanish God of the decks. While the performance of May 2009 lasts as Mr Cattaneo’s gig for 2009, the after taste of El Senor Hernan in Brisbane for 2010 will no doubt remain as a special night to all who were in his divine presence.