Godskitchen 2006 - 7.10.2006
Author: Elander Cooparez
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Future's broad promotional arm delivered the European mega-rave to the doorstep of house, techno and electro lovers alike, inviting them all to enjoy the culinary pleasures of the world's most popular electronic music genre. Enticed by the promise of lasers, some of the biggest names in trance, house and techno, all-star locals and other rave paraphernalia, like many others, we were more than excited to attend this holiest of affairs.
On arrival the absence of a line was a little bewildering, however, I was quickly reassured by the faint resonations of a few thousand watts of amplifier power. After being separated three times from my rave-posse in the first twenty minutes, our eagerness proved too
much: my cohort and I decided, we would have to enter together, minus the crew.
The scale and quality of the sound in the main arena made for an instantly epic, if not surreal, experience. Also epic were the many
'Muzzas' who were in fact very friendly, and surprisingly willing to educate me on various dancing techniques. One was kind enough to pick up a friend and mount her on his boulder-like shoulders. Being female in the 21st century definitely has its advantages. From there, she was fortunate enough to witness the genius that is Eddie Halliwell. The man that took out the number one position in the 2003 Mixmag DJ poll once again delivered an outstanding performance on Australian shores. His blend of records distinctively trance and techno made for a set that was both entertaining and somewhat educational to trance and techno fans alike. Matt Hardwick continued on Above & Beyond's progressive tip, dropping classics like Mark Pledure's 'Ultraviolet'. Although I was thrilled to hear Armin Van Buuren's 'Control Freak' three times it did leave me questioning whether the DJs had bothered to listen to each others sets.
Musically, the Wetmusik arena failed to bring its A-game. Whilst Kevin Saunderson's skilful manipulation of 'Ableton' left many house fans with delighted expressions, his meager flirtation with techno left a few with appetites that were never quite satisfied.
Particularly for punters who may have had a similar experience at his gig just one night earlier (this, admittedly, was advertised as a house set). While Pham and Cromack may have delivered the kind of sound Wetmusik is better known for (as they no doubt very well can), the disappointment of earlier performances deterred myself and others from returning to find whether this was the case. The sound system in this arena, particularly compared with Magik Muzik and Rod Laver, also left something to be desired.
The final Godskitchen performance was by the stellar Cosmic Gate. The once uber-commercial Germanic duo turned progressive trance superstars delivered a set that was received with mixed response.
After a tentative first hour that included the somewhat out of place D.Ramirez remix of 'Yeah Yeah', the duo found their feet returning to a more classic sound for the second hour that culminated with
'Exploration of Space' and 'Firewire'. By the end of the festival there was not so much as breathing room. The arena was at full capacity, and by the time the lights turned on, it was clear that many were happy for this most hallowed of banquets to have arrived at Melbourne's door.
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