FreQualizer are dedicated to bringing Perth some of Breakbeat’s finest talents from around the globe and have had successful parties in recent times featuring the likes of Blastique and Hedflux. After a short hiatus this year they have quickly returned to show us why they’re a staple for any Breakbeat junkie. Teknoscape Contributor Sam Parker took the reins this week to check out what all the fuss was about.

I arrived around midnight, and entered Geisha with little wait and no hassle, as there was virtually no line. In no time I had gotten past the friendly front of house staff and ordered a drink. Luckily I had arrived in enough time to catch the last half hour of Dead-Easy’s set. Nice, relaxed down-tempo breaks was a perfect way to start the night, and had a respectable number of people on the dance floor considering how early it was.

As the place steadily started to fill up, Roxright set the place alight with his party break anthems. This is where the crowd began to show their true colours: the dance floor was packed, and in every breakdown were calling out for more. It really was a sight to behold, an enthusiasm rarely seen these days, the vibe of the place being nothing short of electric.

At 1:30 AM headliner Beta hit the decks. To put it bluntly: he initially read the crowd wrong, his opening tune was incredibly deep and techy, and vacated a portion of the dance floor. However, he more than redeemed himself from his second tune onwards, setting the place alight with a set consisting of classic and contemporary party breaks. The dance floor was shoulder to shoulder the entire time (save for numerous trips to the bar of course), and again the appreciation of the crowd was palpable as they cheered for more during each an every breakdown.

At around 3:00 AM a huge influx of people arrived, (I suspect this was due to other venues closing and the discount rate of entry offered). The place was absolutely jam packed, and it had to be close to, if not at capacity. This is where the main criticism of Geisha really becomes apparent, it’s really small. That said, the air conditioning kept up remarkably well, especially when compared to some of its contemporaries, and it never felt as if it was getting too hot. The bar staff also easily and quickly managed all who came through. 3:00 AM was also where Beta and Karl Sav were meant to go back to back for 30 minutes. In honesty, they appeared on stage together for about 15 minutes, with Beta playing his closing tunes, and then doing the hand over to Karl.

Which leads to the final set of the night; Karl Sav. If I had to sum it up in one word: Wow! From beginning to end you could not say that there was a bad tune played. Very heavy, techy breaks made the place go absolutely mental, and Karl was feeding of the vibe, being a great showman and interacting with the crowd. This was undoubtedly the set of the night for me.

All in all, the venue is great, the sound system is more than adequate (and really pumps out some volume). The staff from the front-of-house to the bar staff are fantastic and welcoming, and it really pulled the right kind of crowd who were there for the music. FreQualizer really know how to put on a fantastic event, and I look forward to the next one.

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