Over the course of the summer, the calibre of Marco Carola's performances at Amnesia have almost impacted negatively on his Music On night. So immersive, visceral and enjoyable are his headline sets, that anything else on show frankly feels flat by comparison. Even Carl Cox's appearance a few weeks ago, and the pair's subsequent back-to-back, was dwarfed by Carola's solo sunrise set. While this hasn't affected numbers at all, it's meant that several Music On regulars, myself included, have taken to arriving as late as possible, skipping out the prelude.
Hitting the dance floor a little after 4 AM, Carola was already well into his stride. The Neapolitan's thick, roomy grooves took to pushing and pulling the crowd this way and that, sounding fuller and housier than what's pushed by the island's other top-tier jocks (save for Jamie Jones, perhaps). Usually one for dry, stripped-back frameworks, Carola's set was infused with an overwhelming musicality, moving between jazzy licks to dreamier, progressive soundscapes. Tim Green's new single "Just People," as well as Marco Ricci's meditative "Jah People," stood out as highlights. That is, until the timeless stabs of Snap's "I Got The Power" (imbedded within Cabin Fever's "Snapped"), caused the kind of full-frontal furore only possible on the Terrace at Amnesia.
While the rest of the island's promoters remain content with swapping and recycling the same names, Kehakuma have been doggedly pushing the envelope. Having hosted the likes of Matthew Herbert, Octave One and Jus-Ed in recent weeks, last Saturday's instalment saw Gerd Janson join Swedish collective Studio Barnhus and Motor City Drum Ensemble on the Terrazza at Space. In what was a predictable, if slightly disappointing programming decision, the latter opened the room, playing his trademark warm, groovy stylings to a scattered floor.
Gerd Janson followed, and while his expert mixing and accessible flavours got the people moving, the room was still a little off reaching optimum capacity. Perhaps in an attempt to tailor his sound to the big room style favoured on the island, the Running Back boss ditched his trademark disco flourishes for sterner sounds, deciding at one point upon Pryda's "RYMD." As I questioned its brilliant, if surprising inclusion, Janson simply replied, in his jovial German accent: "Hey, it's a great trance track!" Minus Axel Boman, who was ill, Studio Barnhus closed out the evening with a well-executed selection of peak-time records, including Joy O's "BRTHDTT." It might not boast the best atmosphere in Ibiza, but no party offers as strong a hit of true underground sounds as Kehakuma.
With Ralph Lawson, Skudge, Deetron and Derrick May controlling the Discoteca, and an Innervisions takeover in the Terrazza, the penultimate We Love... of the season, looked, on paper, one of the best parties of the summer. Dixon et al. almost exclusively represent the emotional side of underground dance music in Ibiza. Packed and with a healthy buzz circulating around the room, Frank Wiedemann from Âme led out with their remix of The xx's "Reunion," adorned with an impromptu chorus of singing voices.
Keeping things slightly less grandiose than their performance at Cocoon ("Rej", for example, was left out), Âme trod techier terrain, raising the roof with their punchy remix of Tiga's "Plush." As Wiedemann left the stage, having eased in trippier selections in preparation for Dixon's arrival, the Berlin-based DJ took to enveloping the crowd in his usual haze of throbbing, synth-heavy house. Not for the first time this season, Agoria's "Scala" brought unbridled shouts of joy from the crowd.
Elsewhere...
In what was a hectic evening for the pair, Richie Hawtin and Loco Dice both played for each other, at successive parties, on the same night.
Two of the Vagabundos mischief-makers head off into the party, while Luciano played alongside Point G AKA DJ Gregory.
Francesco Leali, AKA Clockwork, shows his excitement during a rare date in the Main Room on Monday. Next up, Moritz Von Ozwald returns for the penultimate party.
Ricardo Villalobos during his all-night set on the Terrace on Monday. Meanwhile, in the Main Room, Eats Everything turned out one of the sets of the season, warming up for Gaiser and Adam Beyer.
A T-shirt paints a thousand words at the Diynamic Neon closing party on Tuesday.
tINI gets playful during this week's seaside extravaganza, tattooing "Part of the Thang" on Archie Hamilton's arm.
Who's the new dancer? Cassy struts her stuff at DC-10 on Wednesday, making sure Jamie Jones and co. close out another successful season with a bang.