Have you ever wondered what darkness sounds like?



For only 2 short years, the Killrockstar team have been holding their Pharamacy parties, which is astounding because they have become the highlights on Melbourne’s Hard Trance / Acid Techno calendar. “Left of centre” DJ’s that “can offer something a little different from the usual” have become residents, the arenas have been distinctively transformed into darker fortresses and the sound emitted can only be described as “dark”. Major international acts such as Scot Project, Hennes and Cold, A*S*Y*S, Trance Generators and Nick Sentience had previously headlined Pharmacy parties and put smiles on thousands of punter’s faces. It was now Dumonde’s turn.



It took only a few seconds for me to discover the sound of darkness. New speakers provided a really loud (sometimes too loud in certain areas) and crisp sound. Kross vs Jules were first on stage playing to the small, but eager crowd. But the small crowd didn’t appear to hinder their enthusiasm, as they pumped their fists to the bass line and laughed together. One punter even described the music as ”...so dirty, I feel like I need to wash myself!”. The songs “Hallucination Generation” and “Resistance is Futile” were definite highlights for me as I strolled around the arena, stopping briefly to warm up my dancing shoes.



A Pharmacy resident, Eris waited anxiously on couches behind the DJ booth, tapping his knee in time with the beat. He began his set with a number of Acid Techno tracks, which have been synonymous with the Pharmacy parties. Although the music continued to be dark and somewhat scary, there was a very positive and happy vibe already floating throughout the ever increasing patrons. Eris’ set progressed to some hard trance later in his set, and my dancing feet were getting warmer when he played “Café del Mar (Cosmic Gate Rmx)” and “Push- Universal Nation”.



With a deep English accent, it was hard to believe that Rude Boy had played at Pharmacy 4 times. He’s run Club Filter in Melbourne for 10 years now, and he brought all of his experience with him to the turntables. He played a lot of dark acid techno, including an old time favourite “Steve Mason- Conception Vessel” and like Eris, played hard trance towards the end of his set. Recent humid weather in Melbourne had created some stuffy air within Billboards, and the rising numbers of fashionably late people made it even hotter. A faulty air conditioner made a large puddle on the left hand side of the dance floor, leaving only a couple of fans to keep us cool.



Stumbling over the rail guard between the dance floor and the stage, resident DJ Stevie B arrived. Fresh from his set at Transmission in Sydney last week, a wry smile from the young 21 year old showed that he was already having fun. As Rude Boy’s last record came to an end, Stevie opened his set with “Utah Saints- Something Good” to a loud applause and cheer. His energy levels never ceased as he jumped around behind the decks and let loose with some more great acid techno. The eq’s and faders rarely stopped moving as he gave the crowd ”...something a little different from the usual” that has cemented his place as a Pharmacy resident. The song “Pulsar 2002” dared me to head to the dance floor again, but instead I headed to the bar to find some respite from the still growing temperature.



Up next were the men we had come to see. DJ’s Jam X and De Leon aka Dumonde settled in immediately to provide the near capacity crowd with songs that almost demanded to be danced to. Their style (as evident in the many songs they have produced or remixed) was a shade lighter on the darkness scale than had been heard previously in the night, but still kept the dance floor full. They played a lot of “hands in the air” trance, combining songs we all know and love (“Remix of Rank 1- Awakening”, “Delirium- Silence”, “Can You Dig It?” and “God Music”) and some other songs destined for record bags world wide like “Dark Monks- Insane (Steve Murano Remix)”. Occasionally taking time out to sign vinyl covers and shake hands with the crowd, they lifted our spirits and our hands.



Then a great darkness fell over the arena. The self confessed “Darkness between two lights (he was playing between Dumonde and Master Kaos)” DJ Hellraiser brought out songs that could make grown men cry like babies. If Dumonde were a shade lighter than dark, Hellraiser was 100 shades darker. A thunderous applause greeted him to the stage and he showed his gratitude by playing the dark songs that the crowd now craved. His set was filled with his trademark fist pumping and facial expressions that he’s legions of fans pay to see. Topless, and with an eerie contact lens in his left eye, Hellraiser lurched over the decks to perfect his mixing and keep the crowd on it’s feet.



Some form of sanity returned to the arena when Master Kaos appeared on stage. The darkness in the air lifted slightly, but it didn’t mean that the tracks would get any softer. Made famous for his scratching abilities, Kaos played an incredible set that really tested the chains that held the turntables from the roof. They swayed back and forth as he seemed to add his own little flavour to each song he played by using the cross faders and of course the scratching sounds that have made him easily one of Melbourne’s top Hard Trance DJ’s. Occasionally smiling, but always concentrating, he put the crowd in a frenzy and by this point, my dancing shoes were near boiling point.



Sydney’s DJ Nervous next took the reigns to continue Melbourne’s journey further down the spiral. Appearing on the new Transmission CD with Dumonde and mixing the demo CD given free with early bird tickets, Nervous was an excellent addition to the line up. He kept in tune with the darker feel that DJ’s before him had created, and looked very comfortable playing to the full crowd. Hard Trance echoed throughout all corners of Billboards, even into the toilets (which appeared to have been left out of the renovation plans).



Only two people could get away with playing “My Sharona” at this party without emptying the whole club. Melbourne favourites Scott Alert and Nexus were left to finish out the party and play to a weary, but faithful crowd. Scott has made a name for himself doing closing sets at all the major parties in Melbourne. Nexus is arguably the best technical DJ Melbourne has ever seen. Combined, they provided us with a wonderful collection of uplifting hard trance songs and seamless mixing skills. “Barthez- On the Move” was a personal highlight as the two friends made the art of being a world class DJ look as easy as riding a bike.



I took some time out to interview a few of the DJ’s before their sets. These are a few of their thoughts when asked about what it means to them to play at Pharmacy parties and why they play for the Killrockstar team.

Eris: “The Pharmacy vibe, the people and the best organizers.”

Rude Boy: “Pharmacy has the best productions.”

Stevie B: “Stoked to play for them. The best party!”

Hellraiser: “Because they have a team that’s 100% dedicated to putting on a good party.”

Scott Alert: “Music is harder here, and they always bring in a great crowd.”

Nexus: “Great crowd that is always up for a party and organizers allowing new sounds to be brought into the scene.”



Another fine example set by the people at Killrockstar. Even more international stars (Hennes and Cold, A*S*Y*S and Uberdruck) are being brought to Melbourne in the near future showing that the Pharmacy sound is going to be here for a long time. I didn’t only find out what darkness sounded like. I had it crammed into my ear drums with a sledgehammer and I loved every second of it.