The familiar Ibiza issues around rising prices and burgeoning VIP culture continue to persist but, in general, it feels like the island has made a strong start to its 2015 season.
This, of course, follows some decent momentum at the tail-end of summer 2014. If anything, the talk around crazy economics and the potential distraction of VIP partying was stronger last year; add to that, additional concerns regarding mid-season event cancellations (poor, early runs stopping certain promoters in their tracks), homogenised club nights (following the decline of exclusivity contracts between clubs and artists) and a new degree of restrictive officiousness demonstrated by local authorities. Through all that, the White Isle’s club scene emerged relatively unscathed. The big nights enjoyed strong numbers – those helmed by Carl Cox and Jamie Jones, in particular. Events with Cocoon and Sankeys were similarly well received. Newcomers, such as Defected’s Glitterbox, at Booom!, put themselves firmly on the map, reminding all that the island can still evolve.
The early slice of summer 2015 has seen that evolution continue apace. We Love... has, quite unbelievably, left Space after 17 monumental years. Booom! has closed, prompting Defected’s move to Space (Glitterbox) and Amnesia (Defected In The House); the latter super-venue also home to a colossal new night from revered global promoter HYTE.
Let’s start with We Love... - now at Sankeys and no longer a Sunday institution. Relocated to Wednesdays, We Love... has so far managed to maintain its party faithful despite significant change. Line-ups have proved crucial but, then, Sankeys’ raw, earthy spaces have provided the event with something new and incredibly fresh. The opening party, 17 June, is case in point, The 2 Bears, Rudimental and Cafe Mambo legend Jason Bye delivering a glorious splice of everything from house and disco to hip-hop, reggae and drum & bass – a kaleidoscopic tour de force. Subsequent line-ups, featuring Simian Mobile Disco, Detroit Swindle, Breach, Sasha, Cristoph and PBR Streetgang have offered similar strength in depth.
Glitterbox, meanwhile, continues to press home its early season advantage at Space. The combination of Playa d’en Bossa’s iconic club and a bold (still relatively new) night delivering a return to Ibiza’s purest ‘anything goes’ roots has proved nothing less than explosive thus far. The positive media (and clubber) reaction to Glitterbox’s June opening has been maintained, and enhanced over subsequent weeks. Footfall (and foot movement) has been high, Glitterbox refusing to bow the island’s dominant tech and EDM sounds and, as such, generating irresistible counter-cultural movement.
Performers so far have included house legends Todd Terry, Roger Sanchez and Joey Negro alongside soulful mavericks Hercules and Love Affair, Aeroplane and FCL. Many, of course, are pointing to 3 July’s party with Hercules and Love Affair live as Glitterbox’s out-and-out best moment so far. That particular evening covered everything from Soulsearcher’s ‘Can’t Get Enough’ and Demon’s ‘You Are My High’ to Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love ‘and Gregory Porter’s ‘Liquid Spirit’ (as remixed by Claptone) – enough said....
Elsewhere, Space is pivoting effectively on its other key night ENTER. Richie Hawtin’s high concept night packs out its three core rooms with quality techno on a weekly basis. There has been some mild criticism that Hawtin’s concept hasn’t evolved enough considering the years it has now been running – that the various rooms are just too similar – but the crowds keep coming and the walls keep shaking. Reactions remain wholly positive. Luciano, meanwhile, is back with Vagabundos on Sundays. The Cadenza-focused party has, a few weeks into the season, cemented a stunning return – forward-thinking beats from Luciano, Martin Buttrich, Audiofly and Ame, among others, leading the line.
Nonetheless, there is still work to do. On occasion this summer, Vagabundos is sharing Space with Carl Craig’s Detroit Love showcase. Two such events have already occurred and the most recent, 12 July, suffered from low numbers despite an immaculate (and seriously on it) techno line-up featuring Craig next to Mike Banks, Moritz Von Oswald and Robert Hood.
There is a growing trend on the island for collaborative residencies but they do not always seem to enhance their respective parties; instead they highlight differences and competition. One hopes word of Detroit Love’s musical genius will spread over the coming weeks; it’s a real gem. Interestingly, Space is keeping with faith another collaborative party - Saturday’s Elrow-Kehakuma mash-up launched in 2014 and drew cynical sighs such was the apparent lack of chemistry between brands (one theatrical house, the other cerebral techno) but here it is back in business and wielding a slightly more accessible soundtrack to decent effect. There is hope in Ibiza, then, for ‘2 in 1’ raves....
Amnesia is flying right now. Tuesday night shindig Together is a particularly hot ticket. Last week’s affair was comfortably full, the main room showcasing the finest bass-driven dance from ruthlessly efficient residents Chase & Status, Pendulum and Andy C to a deeply sensory accompaniment of live vocals and dazzling laser AV. With Defected In The House adding serious lustre to the Terrace, chunky, groovy house pumped stylishly out via Todd Terry, Hannah Wants, Sonny Fodera, DJ S.K.T and Waze & Odyssey, it’s difficult to view Together as anything other than one of Ibiza’s biggest highlights so far this year. As Essential Ibiza’s review put it: “the Main was jumping, the Terrace was dancing....it was such a treat to migrate from one dancefloor to another...So good to realise there are still more than two months ahead!”
Amnesia remains home to Cocoon. Sven Vath’s party has been at the legendary White Isle finca for 16 seasons now but it is testament to its appetite for renewal and progression that it has enjoyed such longevity. The big techno hitters Ricardo Villalobos, Adam Beyer and, of course, Vath are loudly back but Cocoon’s guests across June and early July have pointed to a broader-than-ever focus on house. Brit pioneers Eats Everything, Leon Vynehall, Joy Orbison and Skream, and international talents Solomun (making his debut), Nina Kraviz and Catz ‘N Dogz have all performed strongly. Again, there is much, much more to come.
Amnesia’s innovation doesn’t end there. Introducing revered global party brand HYTE to Wednesdays has paid huge dividends. HYTE’s packed 3 June premiere served innovative tech beats from among others Loco Dice, who rocked the Terrace all night. The following week’s shindig embraced star turns from Mano Le Tough (a key supporter of Jamie XX track ‘Gosh’, a dead-on Ibiza hit as ‘unofficially’ remixed by Jaap Ligthart), Maceo Plex, Guti and Pan-Pot. HYTE has impressively maintained its quality and audience, well reflecting its appeal in other clubland territories to date and confirming its status alongside Glitterbox as one of Ibiza’s freshest buzz words.
Back in Playa d’en Bossa, Sankeys Ibiza is extending its solid start to the summer thanks to an edgy new line-up of nights. Favourite parties Tribal Sessions, Magna Carta and VIVa Warriors have been joined in 2015 by versatile debutantes The Redlight, Shelter and, of course, We Love…. All, with their unique approaches to house and techno, have been turbo-charged by Sankeys’ celebrated no frills, pressure box atmosphere. There are further tales of success across the island – Circo Loco’s May opening at DC-10 with Apollonia, Tale Of Us, Kerri Chandler, Black Coffee and a classic System Of Survival playing to a cast of thousands; pretty much all of Jamie Jones’ A Planet Called Paradise parties (also at DC-10) to date (this week guests include Claude VonStroke, whose recent cut ‘Barrump’ has established itself as a firm season anthem already) and DJ Harvey’s excellent Mercury Rising at Ibiza Rocks House, Pikes Hotel, San Antonio.
Mercury Rising is indicative of the snowballing trend for smaller, more roots-y soirees in Ibiza. Mercurial music-maker Harvey (Bassett) hasn’t been in the Balearics much these past few years but returns now – to Pikes as well as HYTE. If he is a little more restricted in terms of tempo and style for his Amnesia residency, then Pikes allows him to leap between glam disco, downbeat house and Latin soul – for starters. Elsewhere, Nightmares On Wax continues to cultivate his own ‘alternative’ event, Wax Da Jam, at, fittingly, one of Ibiza’s oldest venues Las Dalias, in San Carlos. The mix of sounds is equally breathtaking. At a time when Ibiza has become more commercialised and gentrified than ever, a number of artists and promoters are fighting back with their own independent revolutions.
The daytime scene is another ongoing revolution. The scene has risen massively in profile over the past few years and increasingly challenged the traditional array of early hours White Isle parties in terms of attention and profile. The feedback so far this year strongly reinforces this – the daytime scene, largely spearheaded by beach clubs in Salinas (Sa Trinxa, Jockey Club), Cala Nova (Atzaro Beach) and Cala Jondal (Blue Marlin; the brand is also in Ibiza Town’s Marina these days) - having a bigger impact on numbers at the big clubs than ever before.
Generally speaking, however, Ibiza appears to be in rude health. The island continues to contradict itself. Its history is steeped in the harmonious fusion of danceable music and many of this season’s events continue to emulate (even enhance) that spirit. At the same time, there is no denying the clear separations between daytime and nightime, between niche, mass underground and EDM (summer 2015 has seen powerful starts for EDM nights like Steve Aoki’s Playhouse at Pacha. David Guetta’s F**k Me I’m Famous residency, at the same venue, has also soared in popularity, despite heavy criticism for trotting out a live horse during its extravagant opening).
Upon reflection, Ibiza is an island of many scenes today and all seem to be co-existing happily enough. Anthems are emerging right across the dance spectrum, everything from Ricardo Villalobos’ vintage 1996 deep-tech fizzer ‘MDMA’ to Martin Solveig & GTA’s EDM-friendly rhythm beast ‘Intoxicated’ via outings from Mind Against & Somne (‘Vertere’, bass-y techno), Koze (‘XTC’, dreamy, synth-swept) and Josh Wink (‘Talking To You’, deliciously grinding acid-burn), not to mention outings via the aforementioned VonStroke and JamieXX. Perhaps all this is enough for now.
And there is plenty still to look forward to - Creamfields at Ushuaia next month, ‘Papa Sven’ returning to Pacha after an absence of around 20 years, Jamie Principle live at A Planet Called Paradise’s big season finale....we could go on and on and on....
Things, on the frontline, are shaping up nicely.
Words: Ben Lovett
Defected In The House and Glitterbox residencies continue throughout the season. For full listings and tickets head to http://defected.com/events/
Defected presents Most Rated Ibiza 2015 is out Friday 24 July (CD & digital) on Defected Records - order from iTunes
All Gone Pete Tong & Hot Since 82 Ibiza 2015 is out now - order from iTunes
