- Is it just me or do the months keep flying by? Even though I had unfortunately missed the last Sweetchilli, it seemed to me that Anthony Pappa had only played a couple of weeks ago. I guess time flies when you’re busy like a mofo because before I knew what was going on, it was once again time to head back to one of Sydney’s favourite progressive nights, Sweetchilli. This month’s instalment featured the talents of one of the genre’s most respected producers, Holland’s Matthew Dekay. I don’t know what it is about that country but it seriously has some much loved talent.
The night was kicked off in style with Crispin playing a seriously dark and nasty progressive set. Very twisted in feel which I initially thought was a bit too early to listen to, it was only afterwards I realised exactly how right it was it that timeslot. This was a really enjoyable set because it showed another side of Crispin’s talents as a DJ. While predominantly hearing a lot of those darker sounds, my personal highlight during his set was Quivver’s ‘Space Manoeuvres (Part 3)’.
Looking fresh and relaxed after his successful sojourn in New York City, Robbie Lowe took over the reigns at midnight. Many, including myself, were looking forward to the return of Sydney’s best progressive DJ after what seemed almost like an eternity since his last set at Sweetchilli. Picking up on the dark and nasty tip established by Crispin, Robbie continued the flow with some truly warped beats, only to take the mix into an almost tech house sound. Where this talented DJ is concerned, I never tune spot because I always end up being wrong and that’s a good thing. This time around, his set had an added spice of the international flavour, which I thought was quite obvious. Regardless of the type of set he plays, it’s always of a superior quality and never, ever disappoints. As such, he has a massive fan base and that was quite apparent on this night. By the end of his set, Robbie had masterfully introduced a more progressive house feel into the night which was a perfect set up for the headlining Dutch DJ that everyone had come to see.
I don’t think anyone expected Matthew Dekay to be as fantastic as he was. I know I didn’t, even though I had a sneaking suspicion that at the very least I would find him ‘good’. From the moment he took over the DJ booth, he truly controlled that floor and kept everyone dancing and screaming until their feet gave out. From a personal perspective, his set was on par with Anthony Pappa from a couple of months ago but for different reasons. While Pappa’s set was more structured and a more typical progressive journey, there is no detracting from the fact that Dekay’s tunes were simply superb and extremely addictive. Every time I wanted to leave the dancefloor, I found myself thinking “after this one”. Eventually, I had to force myself off just to have a quick break. Not too long after, when I heard the opening riffs of my favourites of his production work, ‘Higher Thoughts’, I was sucked right back onto that dancefloor and didn’t leave until night turned into day.
This was mayhem in its purest, most unadulterated form. Dekay, from the get go, had the energy levels up and kept them there but never resorting to overly pounding beats. I honestly think that contributed to the vibe that could be felt within the Sweetchilli crowd that night. There was not one track that disappointed me. Not even those very few tracks that had a slightly cheesy but cheeky feel to them, including Dekay’s own reinterpretation of The Beastie Boys’ ‘Intergalactic’. Its placing within his set was perfect and greatly appreciated. While the crowd was enjoying this unexpectedly good set, Dekay’s time was up…. or so we thought! As those of us that were there know, Daniel Crocetti gave up most of his set time so that Dekay could continue playing and he did for another hour. It’s not often you see someone, who is primarily known as a producer, deliver the same superior level of skills as a DJ. Matthew Dekay is one of the few exceptions and as a result, I’m completely won over. His mixing on Saturday night was completely spot on and he didn’t miss a beat. While there were a few people (trust me, only a few) who weren’t fussed about his choice of tracks, no one can fault his technical prowess. Not only did he have the technical abilities, he had the personality to match! He was gracious, patient with his fans and above all, he was enjoying himself. So much so that, after putting on his last track, he came down from behind the DJ’s booth and had a dance with the crowd. How often do you see that? Hardly ever! And that kind of behaviour is class in my eyes!
If there were one person’s shoes that I wouldn’t have wanted to be in that night, that person would definitely be Daniel Crocetti. How do you possibly follow on from such an enjoyable set? How do you follow on from such an obvious crowd pleaser? Well, when you’re Crocetti, it’s actually quite easy! While he ended up only playing a 30-minute set, Daniel kept the vibe going and the punters happy right up until the sun was shining into the club through the bar window! Now that was a sight in itself! I can safely say that everyone had a fantastic time. The music was absolutely superb, not only from the international guest but from Robbie, Crispin and Daniel who truly represented the diverse sound Sydney has on offer for progressive fans.
As one of those people that remained in the club, watching that sunrise over the bar, I felt euphoric in the knowledge that once again I’d had the perfect night that I can only find at Sweetchilli. This really is Sydney’s best progressive night and long may it last.
Much respect!