Disorientation @ Uni Bar (19/07/03)
Reported by Tristan Sunday, July 20 2003
It’s one of the greatest mysteries of the Hobart dance scene, how hard dance is, the highest selling single genre of dance music locally, yet no-one knows anyone who listens to it. Musically harder events are always well attended, but no more so than all other events, regardless of musical policy. Hard dance is a bewildering genre with it attracting the more commercial crowd along with some of the most fanatical fans in music. With the ability to go from commercial to deeper sounds all within a minute, there’s something about it which appeals to a lot of people and conversely there’s something about it which annoys everyone. To sum it up, when it’s good it’s very good, but when it’s bad it’s atrocious. The problem is, that you just don’t know until it’s too late. So which was it to be? Only time would tell.
Supporting Scott and Sveta were the two DJs pushing close for a domination of the local scene. Provided with an opportunity to hammer a harder sound, Gillie and DSKO backed up after playing house nights, doing a house and breaks Edge Radio show and supporting a house and progressive DJ.
The candy raver is always an easy target for ridicule, yet it can’t be argued with, that with Scott Alert as resident, along with many other top DJ’s, Melbourne club Hard Kandy has enjoyed large success over it’s existence. Having Scott Alert play before Sveta was an interesting decision, yet a correct one in playing the much more well known DJ in the headline slot. While it surprised many, the decision was made to cater for the very general crowd who attend TUU events. In the grand scheme of things it didn’t really matter in the end, with Scott Alert still pounding out his Nukleuz flavoured crate and being more than happy to do so.
For what I saw of it, his set was pure hard trance thankfully avoiding the hard house which hard trance DJ’s all too often stray into. Scott played a great set which reflected the energy that he displayed so well. Without a doubt, a little enthusiasm goes a long way and the way Scott pumped his arms and threw himself into his set, rubbed off on the crowd who got into it far more than for most recent interstate DJs. Big tracks for him included the still on promo DJ Roosta – Realise, the new Australian track by fellow Hard Kandy residents Ajax v Krash - Right Between The Eyes and the hard trance classic by Mr Scot Project himself Arome – Hands Up.
Scott Alert and Sveta have both played some massive parties in their time, but surely it’s time for Sveta to let it go. In Sydney, the nu-breed of DJ is so antagonistic that surely it’s only a matter of time before she confines her DJing to the more underground parties she forged her career on. Devoid of the Sydney promoter faith which she used to enjoy, she seemingly relies on the novelty aspect she provides for the commercial crowd. Having said that, she’s still and always has been a good DJ, it’s just that lately she does nothing that our locals don’t. Though after starting with Benny Benassi – Satisfaction it was always going to end in tears. Fuck I hate that song, though at least she didn’t play the Steve Murano mix.
It was always going to be interesting how she bridged herself away from Scott and in the end she didn’t do it particularly badly. Moving from hard trance to dark percussive techno, it was well done, but did lose some for the energy from the previous two or so hours. She pushed through to driving electro, pitching Tomcraft – Loneliness up to something crazy in the vicinity of 7.
The problem I always have is that I expect new and fresh tunes which break new boundaries yet the Hobart crowd isn’t large enough to do this due to the type of general people who go. DJ’s have to appeal to the majority so all you ignorant fucks who don’t know anything about dance music, how about you go and learn something so poor Sveta doesn’t have to play Satisfaction AGAIN. I only lay a portion of the blame on Sveta for playing Twisted (I shudder) and Marc Jerome – Rock It! Mind you, perhaps she shouldn’t have packed such crap in her crate the first time. Unbelievably, she played the classic One Fine Day by Kirsty Hawkshaw, remixed recently by Mike Koglin, so she’s obviously got taste, it’s just that it’s led astray to a degree by having to play to a commercial crowd.
Activities Council estimates put the crowd at around 700-800 people with the combined factors of the advertising limitations and not great attendance to 33/45 making this a very shiny feather in the cap for all involved. The lighting was good, the sound was excellent and very clear if you weren’t directly in front of the speakers and the visuals were also a welcome addition to the night. For an admittedly last minute event, the production was undeniably very good for a non FE or FD event. While Disorientation was always going to be successful, the extent to which it proved so would have surprised even the most optimistic of organisers.
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