- Having not kicked off till the 7th July, it's fair to say that the Ibizan season is finally in full swing once Carl Cox kicks off his infamous Tuesday night sessions at Space. Having (some would say shrewdly) disposed of last year's cheesy "Carl Cox and Friends" tag, this year's theme is "Join the Revolution," with the promoters promising "good production and good talent at a reasonable price." Fair enough about the production and price, but the less said about Pendulum's DJ set the better.
Luckily, John Digweed was on hand to inject a much needed level of credibility back to proceedings. Yes, we've heard it all before: "he's no longer relevant," "progressive house has finally died a painful death," "he's nothing without Sasha," "he has shit hair," etc. etc., but judging by the crowd's reaction, John Digweed is still a mighty fine DJ. The set finale, featuring Dustin Zahn's "Stranger" and Timo Maas's "Jetstream," was a beautifully crafted and fitting introduction to one of electronic music's genuine legends, with an atmosphere as intense as I've ever witnessed in Space.
Arriving at around 3 AM and bellowing over the mike to introduce us to "2009's revolution," the crowd's illicit response continued throughout Cox's performance. At times, Carl's set was questionable, with some of the played productions walking a very generic tightrope, but without hero-worshiping the guy, he maintains a certain aura behind the decks that somehow manages to fill in the gaps, and it's that feeling that's almost impossible to capture on something like a mix CD. That, and the production, which was top notch as well, with lasers, balloons and smoke cannons (still not a patch on Amnesia, but getting there) constantly adorning the main stage.
The set highlight was undoubtedly Carl's relooping of a "Michael Jackson is still alive" vocal, typically backed up by some pounding 4/4 beats. Opening parties being what they are, Carl held out till the 7:30 mark, even apologising to the crowd for being unable to play one more tune. It's a law which isn't exactly working wonders for Ibiza's usually vibrant economy right now. Leaving Space to embark on what felt like a treacherous walk home, the first sign of rain in a month began to fall down, in one of those bittersweet Ibizan moment to savour. €10 admittance before ten? Closing at 7.30? Carl Cox? Don't knock the revolution on the head just yet.