Willie Burns in Melbourne

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  • The fourth Animals Dancing New Years' Day party was perhaps the biggest yet. So big, in fact, that the hardest part of the day was figuring out who to see. There were three dance floors: a large-ish warehouse, a smaller carpeted office and a rain-bothered forecourt. Together they formed The Peoples' Market, a makeshift industrial space that normally hosts food trucks and artwork. The event retained some of the venue's usual vibe, with two trucks on hand to deliver preemptive hangover strikes. Early on, they were the only thing keeping the outdoor area occupied, as people scurried through the drizzle to score burgers and noodles. It was a miserable scene to spin for, but local DJ Andras Fox and American import Suzanne Kraft made the best of it, laying down slow and easy house shortly after midday. At the same time, young duo Sleep D were carving up the warehouse with a staggering array of live gear. The atmosphere was somewhat affected by the space's many hard surfaces, which seemed to muddy the sound. Japanese artists Chida and Cos/Mes made this easy to forget. With patient blends and tunes of oceanic depth, the duo hypnotised the floor in short order. It was just a pity that literally half the room was held up waiting for drinks during this time. (Apparently, the bar crew didn't complete their setup the night before, leaving glassware and mixers in short supply.) Willie Burns' set almost seemed like a reaction to the seriousness of Chida and Cos/Mes. His first half hour was reminiscent of DJ Sprinkles, sailing through a parade of exuberant house classics. The rest was a trainspotters' delight, taking in cuts as unexpected as "Age Of Love" by Age Of Love. (It's trance. From 1990). This played particularly well to the passionate Animals Dancing crowd, where everyone seems to be a DJ or at least a record collector. Wherever Burns went, the hands-in-the-air vibe was never far off. With the bar troubles resolved, Big Strick and Thomas Bullock were charged with closing out the increasingly rowdy party. This was a simple task, seeing them continue smartly on Burns' pre-ordained path to close out the event just before midnight. Leaving wasn't easy.
RA