Circoloco opening 2015 in Ibiza

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  • If you speak to DJs about playing in Ibiza, most of them will tell you that the crowds there are more up for it than anywhere else in the world. It makes sense—Ibiza is packed full of cash-rich, revved-up punters keen to make the most of their sunny week away from work. It's a six-month revolving door of party animals. It can take some searching for, but when you find the right environment with the right music, being part of a crowd like that is an exhilarating and unique experience. Sometimes, at the bigger, more high-profile events, you get the impression that there are people around you having the best night out they've had in months, years, or in some cases, ever. The opening and closing of Circoloco are two parties where this feeling is especially strong. Unlike most other events on the island, where the first and last nights of the season run just like any other, the opening and closing of Circoloco feel special. They're longer, the promoters put more effort into the lineups and people fly in from all over the world to get a piece of the action. Because of Movement Festival in Detroit, a lot of Circoloco's core artists weren't available for Monday's 2015 ribbon-cutting, but still they managed to bundle together a bill that included Apollonia, Jamie Jones, Tale Of Us, Black Coffee, Jackmaster, DJ Qu, Kerri Chandler and many more. To get a sense for just how popular these parties are, on the day of the event Circoloco had 13,000 people attending on Facebook. When I arrived, just after 6 PM, the Garden was already busy, bubbling away nicely to System Of Survival's classic-laden set. Dropping George Morel's "Let's Groove," Moodymann's "No" and MK's "Burning," the Italian duo read the mood brilliantly, setting an ebullient tone early on. In the Terrace, DJ Qu was on a similar tip, hurtling through less sunny favourites from Levon Vincent and Green Velvet. It was still hot outside, so the floor was sparse enough to be able to really let loose and dance. Space was never going to be a luxury afforded to those watching Apollonia soundtrack the sunset outside. But actually, the hot intensity of the throng contributed to the atmosphere, which was borderline euphoric. As the trio zipped seamlessly between heavy-set basslines, cutting from new European house to old US records, the entire Garden repeatedly lost its shit. Twice during their set fighter jets ripped through the air, twice sending the floor into a frenzy. As the sun dipped, the green lasers flicked on, bouncing off the twilight and colouring the masses a warm Circoloco red. Then, just as night broke, one of them dropped a remix of St Germain's "Rose Rouge." Later in the Terrace, Black Coffee and Kerri Chandler were less captivating. Playing versus on a four-deck set-up, their 90-minute spell definitely had its moments, but overall it lacked cohesion and direction. Rather than push each other to explore the extremes of their sounds, they played it safe and settled for the middle ground. The rest of the night was musically solid, but nothing more. Boris Werner played "Black Water," Jackmaster opened with LNR's "Work It To The Bone" and Cassy incorporated "French Kiss" into a closing medley. I left the club ten minutes before the end, making my exit through the empty, rubbish-strewn Garden. It hadn't rained, but still the decking had turned a dark shade of brown from all the dancing. Earlier this had been a picture of colour and life, but now the few people that were left looked broke and broken. It was the scene of a night well-partied. Photo credits: Tasya Menaker
RA