- Piknic Électronik, now into its fourth season, has built a reputation for hosting some of Melbourne's best and most inclusive summer parties. On Sunday, hoards of revellers slowly entered the riverside section of Sidney Myer Music Bowl, some wearing signs of the previous night's sins. They were joined by a strong contingent of families, with middle-aged fathers dressed in party shirts accompanied by children happily playing bocce with their adoring mothers. While they milled about, local DJ Scott Freedman opened with a melodic set that included big tracks like DJ Seinfeld's "U" and Bicep's "Just."
Another local favourite, Katie Drover, took over at 3:30 PM. As the crowd began to expand, so too did the energy and volume coming from the crisp soundsystem. She impressed with groovy cuts such as Archie Hamilton's "Mind Blank" and explored deeper textures with Diego Krause's "Manitu." When Deetron entered the fray, accompanied by his headphone-wearing son, the audience cheered. The Swiss DJ thrilled with a mix of house, disco, techno and even some dubbier, glitchier tunes—Moderat's "Bad Kingdom" and Pangaea's new one, "Bone Sucka," both hit hard.
The overwhelming highlight of the day was still to come. In a move that had fists surging, Deetron unleashed KiNK's thundering remix of Radio Slave's "Children Of The E," followed shortly after by one of modern tech house's biggest bombs: Kenny Larkin's remix of "Future" by Kevin Saunderson. Steve Rachmad, who headlined, was more reserved in his track selection and audience interaction, but his introduction, which paired layers of synth-y beats with echoing melodies, felt a touch self-indulgent.
Slowly, the Dutchman began to show his experience, wooing the floor with the heavier sounds of Marco Bailey's "Return Of Ryuu" and Robert Hood's "I Am." Unfortunately, as his set neared its crescendo, a succession of power outages disrupted the momentum that was initially so hard to create. Despite these agitating technical difficulties, the day was still a lot of fun. By providing a safe and lively environment for dance music lovers of all ages, Piknic Électronik continues to bolster its standing as one of Melbourne's favourite day parties.
Photo credit /
Jess Middleton