To say no good music has ever come out of Canada would be a little hasty – Richie Hawtin did his adopted country proud with a blistering set at Zouk on Friday 25 July. So I arrived a little late – thanks to the muddy festivities at SMU Nightfest – but Hawtin, a decorated veteran of the minimal techno scene, already had the crowd wrapped around his little finger.

I suppose I am a little biased (I prefer his early Plastikman stuff), but since transplanting himself to Berlin, you have to admire Hawtin’s adaptability in a notoriously tricky genre. There’s obviously something in the water over in Deutschland, because there are amazing minimal-esque DJs coming out of the woodwork there – from Pantha du Prince in Hamburg to Berlin’s experimental Bpitch queen Ellen Allien (coming soon to Zouk). It’s hard to stand out when it comes to minimal techno ­– a cursory listen leaves the uneducated clubber bitching about bleeps and monotonous beats, but Hawtin, who’s been running this game for at least a decade, has transcended from minimal-tech maven to sublime genius regardless of whatever he’s dropping.

Even the people I attended the gig with, who have more of an appreciation for Judge Jules than say, James Zabiela, had to agree that whoever this Richie guy was, he was doing the right thing. Hawtin isn’t the kind of guy to spit out bangers, but at times his set took on an almost anthemic air. It was absolutely refreshing to see him work his magic on a crowd used to the standard PvD-Tiesto fare. If Zouk continues to bring in this rare breed of DJ, it just might be able reinforce its iron grip on the local clubbing scene.