Circus 6th Birthday @ Nation, Liverpool (Sat Sep 27, 2008)

It’s here, the big one.

Circus is back after a three-month hiatus and is six years old! It’s been a whirlwind period for the club, running amok in dance music and bringing the great and good down to Liverpool to showcase everything house music has to offer in each of its myriad forms. Whether it’s been DJs like Laurent Garnier, Danny Howells and the head honcho himself Yousef playing all night and expressing their intense musical dexterity, or lining up a hotbed of talent that has included the likes of Sasha, Carl Craig, Green velvet, John Digweed, Francois K and the mighty Carl Cox, Circus has delivered the ultimate house party.

The main room summarises main room house music at its finest. Topping the bill is none other than the King of the arena groove, Mr Eric Prydz. His Circus debut at last year’s birthday proved to be one of the highlights of the show, where his thoroughly modern sound road-tested a plethora of classics in the making and glorious re-edits of tunes from yesteryear such as the superlative ‘Sweet harmony’ from Dewey eyed ravesters Liquid. His ‘Pjanoo’ track has been the biggest record for Pete Tong and the entire island of Ibiza, and Circus welcome him back with open arms.

Hed’s joined in there by Philly acid totem Josh Wink, a man who has been at the forefront of the genre for over a decade and still resonating with the new guns through his deliciously on point Ovum imprint. Constantly adding extra dimensions and facets to his unmistakeable acid blueprint, Wink is still one of the global tycoons within dance music, and unrelenting in his pursuit. Also playing is Bedrock records whiz kid Guy J, another one of the breathtaking gamut of producers currently coming from Israel. Alongsi9de the likes of Shlomi Aber and Guy Gerber, Guy J has cemented the groovy and ethereal reputation of the nation with a slew of productions, not least his stunning rerub of Sasha’s monster face melter ‘Mongoose’ and his own ‘Esperanza’ opus which is due shortly on Bedrock. Further announcements are scheduled soon to join the pair.

The courtyard boasts another return of a widely valued Circus favourite, the tribal master Steve Lawler. One of the UK’s finest exponents of sweaty strobe light infused beats, Lawler has become a master at seductively stripping back sounds and movements to deliver dancefloor pandemonium. Having criss-crossed the globe taking his sound everywhere, he’s held down a Cream residency through the peak of the super club era, and then managed to turn his style to 150 people in a lightless basement a week later, running his own Viva imprint and embroiling himself as a genuine musical legend. Few come close in his standing.

And then for the ace under Circus’ sleeve, with two of the heavyweights of modern techno coming head to head in a sensuous clash. For four hours Loco Dice and Luciano will be playing back to back, showcasing their Desoltat and cadenza labels respectively in a titanic battle of wills. With both DJs famed for their effortless ability to add a sensual groove to their beats alongside other worldy rhythms and melodies, this promises to be an era defining moment for Circus and the city of Liverpool in its Culture capital year. The widely documented problems of DC10, the club where both came to international prominence during the wild sessions at the Circo Loco asylum, adds extra poignance to the showing, making it a rare opportunity for Europe as a whole to catch the pair together. Lewis Boardman offers his support to the histrionics.

And then the annexe bookends the night, With a return to the room for Mr Circus himself Yousef, who built his reputation upon six hour extended sets in there during Cream’s heyday. A brilliant 2008 has seen some incendiary performances in Ibiza, Miami and Syria, where he became the first western DJ to perform in the spring. His productions have also showcased his newfound aesthetic. Circus Recordings is going strong and building well. Yousef’s new tracks, "Letter To No One", "Purple Rage", "Wig", "Equilibrium" have all been greatly received and gained support from Paul Woolford, Dubfire, Carl Cox, Paul van Dyk, Steve Lawler, Laurent Garnier and more. Yousef’s new EP "Yousef's Tribute – Devotion," was made a secret weapon for his many gigs at Space this summer - a tribute to Nomad's 91 classic "Devotion". It’s been ripped up and remade - techno beats and nasty moments.

The talent joining him is equally sensational. Groove chimp Claude von Stroke is also on call for a return to Liverpool, the Dirtybird maestro who has added a zest to house music with his fun filled infectious beats. In an environment characterised by stripped back grooves that can lose their funk, Claude never loses sight of moving the floor with his hip snapping genius, allayed with his wacky sense of humour that leaves clubbers wide mouthed and grinning. Someone else who has shook the shit out of rave is James Zabiela, whose interpolations of the Pioneer CDJs have been one of the main reasons for the Djing fraternity taking the equipment to their hearts. His blistering assaults through house and techno, not to mention breaks and electro, showcase an effortless talent in making floors move. Hell, the man even makes collecting Dr Who figures look cool! Circus resident Scott Lewis makes his nation debut in support.