- Author's note: special thanks to the people that kicked my ass about getting this baby online - this is for you!
After proving to Melbourne they still had ‘it’ at F3 in June, the Fokus crew had fallen silent. We should’ve known that they were busy scheming up something, but it was a very pleasant surprise when out of nowhere Fokus announced a five buck party with a million dollar lineup a couple of weeks ago.
Giving only ten days notice and with an advertising budget of $0, the Fokus boys showed that their brand of techno has lost none of its loyal followers when the guestlist reached capacity with almost a week to spare.
The only question now was, ‘How are we going to get out of that other party?’
Punters abandoned weddings, absconded from birthdays, and generally parted seas to get to Deep 11 on the stroke of, erm, 11pm. And I knew why they were so keen to not miss even one beat – it’s not every day this mild-mannered reporter gets invited to a party in a million dollar Tanner St penthouse, but leave that party before it properly started was exactly what I’d done.
So, along with the rest of the fabled Fokus Family, I followed my heart, ears, and dancing shoes and arrived in North Melbourne to hear the first act of the night: Craig McWhinney.
Into the fray then and the place was already jumping with lots of excited people. When word spread late in the week (thanks to a residentadvisor news story) of Craig’s latest inclusion, the Fokus crew had gotten even more excited. Fokus was continuing its tradition of giving talented up-and-comers their first club gig – would Craig be up to the standard of Cecille, Finn Whitla, Quentin Eastop, and the rest?
From the first beat, the answer was a resounding ‘YES!’
Craig has been a familiar face at Fokus since opening night at Sub Club and perhaps it was this influence that so connected him with the crowd. But then again, this was a style all his own. Jackin’ European techno with a heavy slant on the Belgian sound was the soup du jour, a set that started funky, ended harder, and allowed no respite in-between.
It was this consistent sound which set Craig apart from other DJs which might try and encompass electro or booty within a slammin’ set. No such distractions here, just the best fucking music on the planet.
Oops, was that hyperbole? Guilty as charged – for me, this was indeed the epitomy of techno. Tunes such as ‘Lost and Found B2’ and ‘Undisputed Life (Technasia Remix 2)’, which are both in my top two tracks of all time, were wheeled out along with many similar bombs. I was in heaven.
Never has a DJ been so on my level for an entire set. Wow. Peeling my lower jaw off the dancefloor, it was plain to see I was not alone in this adulation. For me this was a personal highlight, but the rest of the Fokus crew lapped this set right up too – cheering manically at literally every mix.
If you want to hear techno, book Craig McWhinney. With more gigs, he will become more comfortable behind the decks, and his already masterful skills tweaking a DJM600 will come to the fore. Do Yourself A Favour: Book Craig Now.
The familiar hairstyle of the bemulleted Slack was next up, starting out on a more doofy sound but eventually allowing slammin’ Swedish-flavoured straight up techno to infiltrate and take over the mix. Straight up and flowing along nicely, or should I say, ‘relentlessly’. A very enjoyable set, particularly in the latter stages.
A brief breather in the midst of all this took me past Glow Bar where lots of tarted up girls with fake IDs hung off the arms of Fubu-jacketed acquaintances and sipped Stolis over rnb. Next to Deep 11, the Mercat Cross was packed with women drunkenly rolling their ankles whilst attempting to play air guitar to ‘My Sharona’ and then sing along to ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’.
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Back at Deep 11 a now capacity crowd was primed to be further whipped into frenzy at the hands of Fokus regular Dave “Superstar DJ” Pham. Dave Pham continues to reduce techno lovers everywhere to giggling schoolgirl groupies, and this effort was yet another example of why.
Crafting the set slowly but surely from an electro beginning, the dancefloor knew their ultimate destination would be something a lot more sinister. Soon enough the shriek of ‘Nervehammer’ was like a signal triggering mass hysteria, and from there on in there was not a seat occupied in the whole joint.
As for Pham’s trademark curveball track, he saved the most blissful moment for last, when the techno gave in to Radiohead’s lush ‘Idioteque’. The haunting rhythm and vocal arrested the dancefloor, eyes closed, bodies swaying, possibly even hands in the air and Zippos alight.
A triumphant finish for a deserved crowd favourite.
Speaking of favourites, the one and only Ben Cromack was left with the dubious task of somehow following on from Pham’s finish. But Cromack is a man who has a history of making a dancefloor his own, and that’s exactly what he did, with a funky start darkening more and more to Cromack’s distinctive brand of Detroit tech. A whole catalogue of Ruskin/Millsart-esque records were interspersed with booty selections, and, of course, Cromack’s amazing mixer destruction.
By this stage of the night Fokus founder Mike Callander was rather pleased with the success of the night, and next it was his turn to add to the highlights. Yet again he would impress with a memorable set that, in true Callander style, drew on many sounds with many familiar tunes.
Electro numbers like ‘Missy Queen’ had us singing along whilst Technasia’s ‘Cyclone’ kept us honest. Starting with Fischerspooner and ending with ‘Player 3’, Callander’s variety kept the dancefloor cheering with every change.
But there was more applause to come, Dallas Raft instantly bringing the crowd to attention when pulling out a DJ Tools record and scratching up a sample.
What ensued was another classic Dallas set. Flowing along furiously, keen ears noticed him mixing tunes in during breakdowns, keeping the momentum of set going from peak to peak. This superbly crafted style was then peppered with Dallas’ amazing ambidextrous scratching and tight EQ tweaking.
Add to that an hour of relatively unknown records (Raw 10 was one I caught) and you have a riveting set, delivered with finesse from one of Melbourne’s best. Dallas was as ever a true professional, storming home to well-warranted applause.
Speaking of professionals, to close off the night was one of the tightest DJs going around, the rarely booked but highly regarded Astroboy. His quirky disposition dissolves into a focused artist behind the decks, but his music always delivers some offbeat surprises.
Ranging from funky techno to poppy bouncy electro, Astro, like Dallas, played a catalogue of lesser-known vinyl. His inspired choice of ‘Genedefekt’, however, is a good guide to this early morning rinse-out. His absorption behind the decks is a pleasure to watch, but the music he pumps out is a pleasure to dance to as well!
But, like all the best things, this Fokus party had to come to an end. At 6am the remaining faithful reluctantly trickled out. This was another hugely successful, exceptionally well received special event for Fokus.
On Sunday evening I watched the news. The newsreader glowed that the previous night "two of the year's biggest shows" graced Melbourne.
Wrestling and Kylie?
I pity the fool.
I was somewhere else that beat those two 'spectacles' hands down. Along with the rest of the loyal fans, I eagerly await the next chapter in the post-Cartel chronicles. Given the success of this one, it can’t be too far off - but like this surprise, will we see it coming?