As I strolled up to the Brooklyn Hotel at around eleven, I was greeted by a line that seemed to stretch halfway around the block. Inside, was confirmation of what the queue outside only hinted at; this was going to be a slick party. Resound 2 was a refugee benefit with proceeds from the event, along with donations, going to assist refugee women on the Thai- Burma border. All the acts tonight- and it certainly was a mouth watering line-up- were lending their time for zilch.

The front room was absolutely packed so I opted for the courtyard, where Tracky Dax had the crowd grooving away. In between sets one-man hip-hop extraordinaire, Morganics had the responsibility of keeping the crowd in spirits. The crowd of the entire courtyard were like M ‘n’ Ms in the palm of his hand as he emceed, beat boxed and bopped out his unique take on Australian hip hop.

The Atrium was alive and rocking thanks to Frigid Sound System who opted for a tidy mix up of two-step, break beat and jungle. Great mix up as you weren’t limited to the monotony of listening to the one style of music for too long. Back in the courtyard, Good Buddha were working their brand of funk and hip hop and upheld their reputation for being the ‘party’ band.

Kuya, was to take to the decks next. Coming on after live bands meant that the first part of hit set was dedicated to finding the right mix. Once they got the sound right though, Kuya displayed his mastery of track selection. Mixing up a jungle version of Outkast’s ‘So Fresh, So Clean’, Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s ‘Give it Away’, Kool and the Gang’s ‘Jungle Boogie’ and Rage Against the Machine’s cover versions of ‘Pistol Grip Pump’ and ‘Renegades of Funk’, Kuya certainly doesn’t limit himself to one genre. Quality.

The smell of paint wafted over and I noticed a pair of graffiti artists spraying up a tarp behind the decks on the courtyard stage. It was evolving into a very smooth backdrop of a face and the word ‘Resound’.

Going in search of more randomness, I encountered Phil Smart who was filling the front room with some bleeps and breaks and Earthbrownkid in the atrium, who brought some cheese to the table in the form of bhangra.

It was at around this time that some guy pushed me while trying to get through the crowd and did my ankle in- a tap on the shoulder and an “excuse me” would have been sufficient, jerk-off. That pretty much put an end to my evening.

The vibe was right tonight though, and it might have had something to do with helping out refugees at a time when their situation in this country is just as precarious as anywhere else in the world. The music probably helped too though.