- What's a party without the party? Cocoon wouldn't know the answer. As RA Ibiza correspondent Grego O'Halloran recently pointed out to me, the label's success at Amnesia over the past few years has been the by-product of venue, music, word-of-mouth and more. But their continued success on the island is also down to the underrated fact that it's always a party. You come because you've heard about it, of course. You come back, though, because you were a satisfied customer. The theme this year for Cocoon is as clear as can be: Party Animals.
That has meant that the changes for Cocoon in 2010 have been only subtle. Like any good football team, there are some relative newcomers that are getting a bit of playing time such as Seth Troxler, Sascha Dive and Guti. But the mainstays are still four: Sven, Richie, Ricardo and Loco. The first is a constant, but when you get any of the other three, Amnesia becomes rammed at almost comically early times. One of the organizers told me that they simply couldn't let anyone in after 3 AM early on in August.
Having been here less than a week, I'm still figuring out the code words for the vitality of a party. Crowded and busy seem to be interchangeable. Packed seems to be a level above. Rammed, the pinnacle. Roadblocked something else altogether. With only Sven among the abovementioned Ibiza deities, however, this week's party only seemed to reach packed status. It made for a better party, I'd assume. You could get from one side of the dance floor in less than four minutes—as long as you were forceful about it.
Not that you'd necessarily want to leave your spot on the floor. Onur Ozer was masterful in the terrace, dishing out the type of techno found on his CD on last year's Green & Blue over the refreshingly impeccable soundsystem. And Sven was Sven. He's among the most charismatic DJs behind the decks that techno has ever seen, and the enthusiasm is absolutely infectious. This year's theme is particularly apt. We are all party animals, and Sven is the ringmaster. You will be told when to jump, and you will get a treat when you do. The weird thing? You still can't help but enjoy it.