Levon Vincent in Ibiza

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  • After parting ways with Richie Hawtin's ENTER. party, Kehakuma is back flying solo in 2013, reassuming the tricky task of manning the Saturday night slot at Space. Traditionally showcasing the deeper, less commercially viable side of house and techno, it's a party that has consistently looked beyond the established pool of Ibiza artists. For what was arguably their most forward-thinking lineup to date, New York's Fred P and Levon Vincent took to the decks either side of Panorama Bar resident Steffi. To catch any one of these artists in Ibiza is a rarity; to have all three of them on the same bill is nothing short of a luxury. Given the scope and depth of his output, a warm-up slot for a typically late-arriving Ibiza crowd was never going to be the ideal setting for Fred P. Nevertheless, Peterkin stuck professionally by the job at hand, moving from airy US house through to more robust '90s classics, via the likes of Mood II Swing's "Closer." Seeing out his two-hour set with a medley of tough-talking techno cuts, he left the room ready for more. Steffi, with her fluid mixing style, expertly judged the now bustling floor, laying down slice after slice of punchy, synth-heavy house. As the eerie tones of Paranoid London's "Paris Dub 1" filtered through, the Terrazza was as lively as you'll ever see it. This, however, was not to last. While it was great to see him placed appropriately higher up the bill (back in June he was put on warm-up duty), Levon Vincent's uncompromising approach ultimately left a packed room sparse. Dividing up boisterous tracks with a few too many dry, rolling selections, the lull in energy soon had people heading for the door. For the most part, though, he's not to blame: Ibiza's quick-fix attitude to electronic music simply isn't ready for some of the scene's more considered artists. That said, with Space and their own five-year legacy behind them (not to mention a wealth of impressive bookings in the pipeline), Kehakuma remain in a position to alter, however moderately, the island's tastes. Photo credits: Igor Ribnik
RA