For the first time since 2008’s edition of Parklife, Perth party people were treated to a venerable breaks fiesta on Saturday, March 19, when Villa nightclub played host to the talents of UK DJs Foamo and Slyde. After being starved of their favourite Slybeats boys for such a long time, Perth breakbeat fans turned out in force to welcome them back to Western Australian soil.

Local boys Marty McFly and Tee El did an amazing job of warming up the relatively small early crowd. The skills displayed by the duo was highly indicative of the talent being produced by Perth, as the pair constructed a tight set of breaks and electro as well as mixing in a bit of drum & bass and hints of dubstep.

By the time the first international Kye Gibbon, aka Foamo, took to the decks the crowd had almost doubled in size. With a set featuring tracks from his entire (and quite expansive) career, Foamo placed a smile on the face of new and old fans alike. His blend of heavy basslines and house styled wobble proved a hit as he dropped tracks including his latest remix of *Breakage*’s Fighting Fire alongside productions from his extensive back catalogue.

It was surprising to see that even as an experienced international DJ Foamo was still noticeably anxious, his hand shaking uncontrollably above the cross-fade. Despite this, for all intents and purposes he held it together to produce an amazing set.

Proceedings were then placed in the very capable hands of Jason Laidback, aka Slyde. While Foamo dusted off many of his older productions, Slyde stuck fairly exclusively to a traditional breakbeat set, despite deferring to some dubstep towards the end of the night.

Featuring many of Slyde’s own smash hits from the debut LP Everyone’s Entitled to Our Opinion, including Sex N Drugs and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Laidback impressed everyone who had turned up to hear some true breaks.

What really stood out for me was the way in which he never stood still. Constantly on the move, Laidback danced the night away, with the rest of the crowd following his lead. It was great to see a DJ get so much enjoyment out of what they do – a trait that has become increasingly rare. By the time his set had come to a close the crowd had well and truly worn down the soles of their shoes.

Breakbeat fans revelled in an aural feast of fidget, big bass, wonky beats and electro provided by some of the best DJs the international and local scene has to offer. I for one was impressed by the display of talent over the course of the entire night, and while the club cleared out I couldn’t help but wish I could do it all over again.