This season Defected's Hannah Thomas will be bringing you weekly updates direct from Ibiza.
On one of only two sunny days in what was another unusually stormy week for September, I got chatting at length to a lovely lady whilst working on the beach at Salinas (who coincidentally was another Hannah from Hackney). It was her first time back on the island after ten years and even though she had enjoyed her 40th birthday celebrations, she said she couldn’t help but feel a little bit disappointed with her clubbing experience this time round and at how the scene has changed since she last set foot on the island. There were a few reasons for this, but one of them in particular resonated with me; that is, the rise of the superstar DJ. She reminisced on the days when it was all about the party. People flocked to the likes of Sundays at Space, not for the headliners but for the music, the people and the atmosphere. Once upon a time, for many clubbers, it really didn’t matter where the DJ was or who they were even. Yes, the DJs were important; but they were not the main selling point.
It later struck me that the kind of nights she described are increasingly rare; those of a bygone era, replaced for the most part by events where the DJ is the primary focus. Rather like their footballing counterparts, DJs are now often bigger than the club, bigger than the party and in extreme cases bigger than the music.
Last week’s instalment of Together can be taken as a case in point. It was the third consecutive week where I had the arduous task of looking after a certain EDM headline act. It wouldn’t bother me so much if I only had to deal with the incessant drilling sounds the EDM massive like to call music, but what did grate somewhat was their A-list attitude and demands. Since when does playing CDs badly warrant six new pairs of boxers, six new pairs of socks, six cream cakes, six bottles of Cristal, three bottles of Grey Goose a truck load of other beverages and an entourage of seven? I suppose it is mildly entertaining watching young girls precariously crowd surf in a giant inflatable dinghy, but entertaining and talented enough to be idolised and taken seriously as a dance music act? I’m not so sure. In my view it’s celebrity culture gone mad and in reality the ‘show’, with all its gimmicks, is a tool to disguise the poor quality of the music. Having said that, I’m sounding more and more like my Mum each day and after all, there were enough 18 year olds in the crowd stomping their hearts out to suggest there must be something good about it.
El Row on the other hand is most definitely not about the DJ. In fact I can only think of two headlining acts this summer and even then, as was the case last week with 2ManyDJs, they are an addition to the main attraction: the party. You might argue the truck load of inflatables, circus performers and special effects are equally – if not more – gimmicky than cake-throwing but what makes it such a success is the emphasis on the crowd creating their own fun, letting go and being down and outright ridiculously silly; 2ManyDJs, dressed appropriately in their wacky English gentleman attire in full swing under the perpetual downpour of confetti and surrounded by walking submarines. It was, as my friend Alice described it, “like being inside the dome in the Crystal Maze mixed with a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory… on acid”. Watching my friend Nathan take in the scene as we arrived was like watching a big kid in a candy shop. I don’t think he let go of his inflatable ghetto blaster all night and at one point he was actually having a full-blown conversation with it. Come to think of it, Kate was equally smitten with her giant blow up rabbit rubber ring, as was I with my padded dinosaur helmet. BONKERS.
Defected, unlike the majority of the nights out here, are one of the few parties where there is no superstar DJ front man. The label and brand itself is the selling point for straight up quality house music. Yes there are headline acts, but people come because it is a respected label in its own right, evidenced by the past four parties which have been road-blocked despite the difficulties faced this season. In my opinion Saturday’s party was the busiest and one of, if not the best yet. By 2.00am the club was at capacity and the guest list had to close early. As always Guti impressed with a plethora of his own intelligent productions including one of my personal favourites ‘Loneliness’, but the best set for me came from Kenny who appealed to the masses taking the dance floor down memory lane playing a mixture of classics and current hits. Dope.
Next time Hannah, head to Defected...
Defected In The House is at Booom! Ibiza every Saturday throughout the season - click here for full line-up details
