Venue: Backdrop Gallery - Atlanta, GA
Presented by: Circle of the Earth

It was a true pleasure to attend the Merge event thrown by Circle of the Earth at the Backdrop Gallery. The venue, located downtown, had a warehouse meets art gallery feel (it used to be an art gallery), with its long, narrow rooms and creaky stairs. Circle of the Earth encouraged donations of canned food by offering discounted entrance for those wise enough to bring some cans along. Nice to see members of the scene do something like that for the greater community.

The Merge philosophy is a very cool one: why not take two genres of musical expression and combine them for one event? Circle of the Earth featured an acid jazz band downstairs for the earlier part of the evening, while a quick jaunt up the creaky staircase presented some of Atlanta's finest and most danceable dj's. Congrats to Circle of the Earth for actually acting on a unique idea. The diversity of the music was represented in the crowd, too, and diversity is always good, right?

Throughout the evening, we witnessed some sets by individuals that make Atlanta a wonderful place to be. Arriving upstairs just as Flooressence & Freakuincy took over from Chris Lucid, we marveled at how the Bush brothers worked the decks. Debuting a new selection for the crowd, the brothers represented Atlanta's own Terminal Records in fine fashion.

Preston Craig's live pa took the job of following up a high energy set and shined. Preston has created a sound for himself that sets him apart, and he pleased those who could not stop shaking their thang. Terminal Records' Sextron 01's live pa continued the vibe without missing a beat well into the early morning. Wandering downstairs presented the opportunity to catch some of Hazeus, and his music continued to keep the crowd jumping, even after dancing all night long.

Thanks to C.O.T.E. for an evening to remember.