- In recent years, Achim Brandenburg, AKA Prosumer, has become a frequent visitor to Australia, and it's easy to see why his sound—a blend of house, techno and disco rooted in golden-era Chicago, New York and Detroit—pulls enthusiastic crowds again and again. This time he was booked by Sydney's Picnic, who pulled together a strong lineup of local DJs in support.
Magda Bytnerowicz opened with her funky and sometimes dark take on underground house. She was followed by Picnic favourite Kali and rising local star Adi Toohey, who played back-to-back. They avoided overplaying their hand with too much energy too early, toying with delicate piano lines, swirls of acid squelch and lilting, almost trancey melodies.
Prosumer, wearing an Act-Up T-shirt with the words "Silence = Death," used Brooks' hip-house re-rub of Clyde's "Serve It Up!" to signal his arrival. From there, he kept the crowd wrapped around his little finger, incredibly tight in the mix while seamlessly flitting between eras of dance music. There were chunky '90s house classics alongside disco-not-disco excursions like Was (Not Was)'s "Wheel Me Out" and Divine's "Jungle Jezebel." Italo-disco cuts like Electra's "Feels Good (Carrots & Beets)" were woven into bouncy Masters At Work dubs. Rounding out the night was moody and melodic Detroit fare from labels like Kevin Saunderson's KMS and Planet E (Paperclip People's "The Climax").
Because Prosumer was so good, the dance floor stayed heaving well past the call for last drinks at 3 AM, which are forced on inner-city clubs as part of the stifling lockout laws. The laws have shaken the local underground dance music scene, leading many promoters to branch out by organising daytime parties or seeking remote venues beyond their reach. The Picnic crew, though, has persisted with throwing club nights throughout this tough period, accumulating a loyal following in the process. Last weekend was proof that, despite the challenges, there's still room for killer parties in central Sydney.