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Five Records to Soundtrack your Ibiza Trip

The suitcase is packed, the taxi to the airport is on its way, and you’re pretty much set for that essential summer pilgrimage to Ibiza.... If ever a holiday required sound-tracking then this one is it.  Ibiza’s famous red soil shakes continually to the rhythm of dance music – it is this vibrant pulse at the very heart and foundations of the island.  So what are the records that will best define your stay and ensure a ‘proper’ White Isle experience?

Let’s start you off with a cheeky number for the plane over and take it from there....

YOUR TAKE OFF RECORD

Claude VonStroke ‘Barrump’

Once you’re in the air you need to keep on climbing – Ibiza waits for no man or woman, so you’ll need to acclimatise to party mode pretty damn quickly.  Mr VonStroke’s recent release ‘Barrump’, on his own Dirtybird imprint, is an excellent choice and already one of Ibiza’s most rinsed tracks so far this summer.  It’s not hard to see why.  Snappy percussive thrusts and infectious drum rolls cut between a sexy b-line, a bundle of slowly-building FX and that deliciously quirky vocal to devastating, roof-raising effect.  ‘Barrump’ has been widely supported by all and sundry at Sankeys and DC-10, a sassy, rhythmic beast sure to have you thirsting for dancefloor action as soon as you hit the Ibiza airport tarmac.  Barrump!

THE RECORD TO SOUNDTRACK SUNSET

Nightmares On Wax ‘Les Nuits’

You have Nightmares On Wax, AKA Leeds DJ-composer George ‘E.A.S.E’ Evelyn, to thank for your definitive sunset moment.  ‘Les Nuits’, the lead track of 1999 album Carboot Soul, was actually preceded by an earlier draft ‘Nights Introlude’, lead track on Evelyn’s preceding 1995 album Smokers Delight. The rich, orchestral swell around those deep Quincy Jones samples and wistful jazz keys is spine-tingling, the very height of soulful, chill-out perfection and a wonderful backdrop to San Antonio’s iconic twilight vistas.  More than that, ‘Les Nuits’ – as the name suggests – beautifully epitomises Ibiza’s magical, otherworldly night-time vibe. 

THE PEAK-TIME, DANCFLOOR BANGER

Pete Heller 'Big Love'

Glitterbox is well into its second season and tightening its grip as biggest island game-changer in 2015, so of course you've joined the party. There are many records that well reflect the party in its prime but none more effectively than Pete Heller’s ‘Big Love’.  Said record’s gradual build of 4-4, b-line and that incredible loop from Stargard’s Seventies disco-funk nugget ‘Wear It Out’ is a funky, freaky force of nature lovingly designed to carry all fans of authentic groove before it.  A sweet blend of house and disco, of new and old, of epic peaks and exuberant troughs, it is the essence of a full-flow Glitterbox in 10 glorious minutes.  BIG love indeed....

THE FINAL TRACK OF THE NIGHT

Alison Limerick 'Where Love Lives'

As Ibiza Spotlight put it, Glitterbox hit “nostalgic overload” when Joey Negro dropped Frankie Knuckles and David Morales’ timeless Def Mix production of Alison Limerick single ‘Where Love Lives’ recently.  It arrived at the end of his set, but could easily have graced the end of the overall night.  ‘Where Love Lives’ is a poignant conclusion to any night of quality, soulful intent in fact. On its initial release it soared in club charts across the globe and quickly earned itself a place in the clubland history books. Influential polls for BBC Radio 1, Mixmag and DJ Magazine have all cited ‘Where Love Lives’ as one of dance music’s most important ever productions.  Its mix of swing and spiritual depth appeals to the widest possible audience, those melancholic edges to Limerick’s joyous vocals making the cut the ultimate, tear-jerking dancefloor finale....

THE HOMECOMING RECORD

Art Of Noise ‘Moments In Love’

The trip is coming to an end and, understandably, you’re both exhausted and emotional.  Art Of Noise’s seminal ‘Moments In Love’ is an ideal wind-down on the flight home.  A British avant-garde synth-pop band featuring influential producer Trevor Horn, Art Of Noise formed in 1981 and made waves via lush, melodic soundscapes underpinned by the latest digital samplers and technology.  ‘Moments In Love’ officially arrived in 1985 and following repeated spins by legendary Ibicencos DJ Alfredo at Amnesia it promptly entered White Isle folklore.  The mellow instrumental’s sensual, melodic flow heightens mind and body at the same time as relaxing it, no matter how often played.  It is the kind of lingering, intensely atmospheric encounter sure to de-stress your transition back to reality and prolong those precious Ibiza memories for weeks to come....