Melbourne institution Darkbeat is notching up its eighth year on the scene in 2011, and it’s time to celebrate. The birthday party is set to stretch over 17 hours from 2pm Saturday 23 April to 7am on Sunday.

As the Darkbeat guys themselves put it: “As many have already experienced with our previous birthdays, it’s usually a no-holds-barred affair and this year is no exception.

“This time we are showcasing artists who have been an integral part of the international Darkbeat family over the past eight years and providing them with extended journey sets to give them the license to cover all bases of their sound.”

Sounds too good to be true? Well, wait till you see who they’ve got on board. UK maestro Desyn Masiello is at the top of the bill, returning to Melbourne for his first solo tour in several years. He’s joined by Japan’s Satoshi Tomiie, whose SAW.RECORDINGS continues to be a bastion for quality house.

Add to that mix homecoming hero Anthony Pappa, UK tech-housers Audiojack, Pacha flag-bearers Jon Cowan and Marcos Paz and Circoloco resident Andrew Grant, and you have a blowout befitting Darkbeat.

The Darkbeat 8th birthday takes over Brown Alley from 2pm, Saturday 23 April.

Desyn Masiello (Alternative Route, Balance) [UK]
Satoshi Tomiie (SAW) [JPN]
Anthony Pappa (Bedrock, 1605, Balance)
Audiojack (Get Physical, Diynamic) [UK]
Andrew Grant (Circo Loco, USA)
Marcos Paz (Pacha, Argentina)
Jon Cowan (Pacha, USA)