LIVE MUSIC As several of the clubs around the island pay the price for their alledged inability to control the consumption of the drugs that have been part and parcel of dance music since its arrival, a new trend in musical direction has crept into the equation. ’Indie’ music, Ibiza style, has caught the imagination of the international press, to supercede those stories of people being run over on the Sant Antoni road, or confined to hospital having bought dodgy drugs. Positive press about Ibiza can now be found in the international papers and on TV, albeit in the music section. However, we have to start somewhere…
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ver the last couple of years Ibiza has attracted far more press for ‘indie’ music, involving scruffy Brits wielding guitars, than it has for the aging DJ heroes of the last two decades. At the same time there has been a big shift in youth and musical culture in the UK, which to many people at home appears to revolve around Ibiza. The ‘gig’ that has caught the imagination of not only the press but, more importantly, today’s younger generation of music lovers is known as ‘Ibiza Rocks’. Recognising that dance music, as it approaches its twentieth birthday, has largely become the property of ‘30-somethings’ Ibiza Rocks set out to bring some of the new stars of the rock music festival circuit to Ibiza. The way that this has been achieved to date has been by putting on gigs on a Tuesday night (whilst bands are between festivals and might fancy a bit of a holiday before next weekend’s big festival elsewhere in Europe), and utilizing the unmatched skill for finding sponsors that the management have perfected through the Manumission project. 1
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This passion based project was conceived in response to the growing demand for guitarbased indie music in the UK, which is traditionally a leader in musical trends that eventually ripple their way around the rest of the globe. The theory runs that nowadays, in the world of MP3s and iPods, people are able to access so many different genres of music almost seamlessly that boundaries are becoming blurred, to the extent that there’s no reason why a night out in Ibiza shouldn’t include an indie rock band after sunset followed by dance tunes till sunrise at one of the clubs. In fact to this end Ibiza Rocks will be taking over the Global Room at Pacha every Tuesday night to enable you to do just that! Initially people on the island ridiculed the idea because indie rock music was such an English phenomenon – but then so were many of the other successes. In the end, three years later, people are beginning to realize that this project has already changed a lot of the perception of Ibiza in the UK. It has made young people think again about checking out the island. This can only be good as young people who fall in love with the island generally remain in love with it and return as often as possible. This seems to have proved to be the case with the bands too, they love it. An intimate venue playing to a small crowd on the beach under the stars serves as a contrast for them to the huge
Here we are in ‘high’ season again…
Ibiza Rocks Guitar bands to the rescue of the island’s image
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arenas that make up the rest of their tour. But these big names are extremely expensive to employ. They need top of the range equipment and a back up crew of up to twenty people, who have to be accommodated in villas for the duration. Whilst on tour during the summer festival season these bands normally play to audiences approaching 100,000, but here the Ibiza Rocks venue holds a mere 700!
– so the sums don’t quite add up… From outset it has been an unlikely formula for an island with a reputation like Ibiza, but every gig has sold out well in advance, to the point that the obvious, if not only, solution is to take the concept to one or more of the big clubs. Andy McKay, the visionary promoter, can see a time when Ibiza will have live bands every night throughout the summer, which would give him a fighting chance of making some money for his trouble. But some-
how one gets the impression that this is not a project simply about making money. It’s certainly not one that’s likely to generate a profit any time soon. It might almost be viewed as a gift to the island from a grateful resident: to keep it on track for the 21st C. in the field in which it has excelled and built its reputation over the last five decades – music… As the man himself might observe “Dance music and parties are always going to be very important in Ibiza, but we have broadened the market.” He might add that there’s a reasonable danger that he’ll broaden the musical tastes of the more traditional Ibiza raver... ■ Photos: Main: The Editors, 2006 by Tracey Taylor. (1&2) The Rumblestrips and (3-6) The View from the Opening Party on 19th June 2007
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Ibiza Rocks – check it out, if you can get a ticket! Every Tuesday until September 11th at Bar M, Avenida Dr. Fleming, Sant Antoni.
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Tickets can be purchased from www.ibizarocks.com
However, it’s not all about big name bands. The support bands were all discovered by FREEDM, an offshoot of Dr. Martens that aims to encourage self-expression and give talented young artists opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise get. Expect these talented young acts to rise to the occasion and play out of their skins.
July Dates:
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2nd July 3rd July 10th July 16th July 17th July 18th July 24th July 31st July
Simian Mobile Disco Live Aftershow party at Pacha CSS + Special Guests Kasabian + support Kasabian + Pull Tiger Tail LCD Soundsystem + support Mark Ronson + Special Guests The Enemy + Special Guests IbizaNOW 7/2007
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THE MUSIC SCENE
Here we go...
1st Ibiza Music Summit The new season began last month under a cloak of trepidation over the effects of the new laws governing island nightlife. So we sent a team out for the long opening weekend to count the heads and dip their toes into the general mood.They all came back with big tired smiles and the following reports…
he first Ibiza International Music Summit kicked off in late from the government sat down with representatives from all from May at the sumptuous Atzaro country hotel near to Santa all of the big clubs, in public, for the first time ever! Eulalia and, fortunately, the recent rain held off so the spirThe first speaker was the government spokesman, Paco Medits of those in attendance weren’t dampened... ina, who began by informing us all that he intended to preach The organizers’ opening speech acknowledged the fact that, in Spanish, as a mark of respect to the local journalists present. for a first event, they had been amazed by the response, with Unfortunately his translator had failed to turn up, so we received music industry bigwigs flying in from all over the world. a very brief resume of the government’s position on their deciThey confided that they would have been happy with fifty sion to change the law on club opening hours, whilst he ramguests at the first attempt. bled on in Spanish clearly going into far more detail. Those of us, The three hundred in attendance represented a sell-out, but of the opinion that he intended to bluster on for the full hour were warned that this was a business opportunity – a rare scheduled for the panel, were escorted from the room… chance to meet and exchange thoughts with some of the finest Eventually the ‘Moderator’ cut him off and introduced the rebrains in the industry. maining members of the panel. Pacha, Amnesia, Space, Eden So we were all instructed to behave and pay attention till the & Es Paradis were all represented, with Circo Loco and Ibiza big finale party on Friday night! Rocks thrown in as wild cards. The first panel proved to be an exhibition of the collective wisThe early speakers took turns to promise publicly to obey the dom assembled at this conference. We sat enthralled as expert law, which they all agreed was good for the island, and everypublishers, music supervisors and producers discussed the fu- thing appeared to be going swimmingly. ture of electronic dance music in the face of the demise of the Until, totally unwittingly, Andrea Pelino of Circo Loco admitted record industry, now confronted by the download generation. Their suggestions included advertising jingles, film soundtracks and, interestingly, even video game soundtracks… like Grand Theft Auto… The picture they painted looked very different to that familiar to Ibiza over the last two decades, and we were all left suitably thought-provoked. The afternoon panel was the one that had been most eagerly awaited by those living on the island. It was to be a historic occasion as a representative The ‘Synch or Swim’ panel
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quence of difficult questions about how the rest of the world viewed these draconian changes, that cut against the free and tolerant image that Ibiza has created so effortlessly over decades? It was, after all, a global audience who were entitled to ask – maybe even a little concerned with the lack of official clarification – who exactly will these new laws affect, and how? The applause built in direct proportion to each question, not only to the discomfort of the government representative, but also those from the big clubs, until Paco Medina, for the government, more or less admitted that they thought it might be a good idea, but at the moment it was The clubs and government together in public! sort of experimental – a sort of three year plan? that many of them find themselves unusually rich” …. That, coincidentally, the argument was beginning to look a bit ropey… will be the time of the The assembled audience smelt blood and when next election, by which Andy McKay of Ibiza Rocks stepped in, with a typitime they may have decally Mancunian slant on events, the room polarized. stroyed the lifeblood of isWhilst agreeing with the ‘party line’ that there had to land tourism by driving be rules governing all of those in the market place away the younger gento ensure a level playing field, he pointed out that eration, or upset their the Ibiza music scene needed to change to take acown voters with diminishcount of the fact that the next generation of kids ing revenues at their lodon’t want to watch the DJs that their parents like. cally owned businesses. He continued “For this reason there will be illegal Let’s hope that the govafter-parties all over the island that will spawn the Difficult questions abounded ernment will continue with next generation of musical talent that will maintain the island’s unique musical credibility – and they’ll probably end their brave initiative to sit around the table with the clubs and up performing at the clubs currently throwing obstacles in there that the latter will be smart enough to prove that they’ve got the message from last year. path to boot!” Perhaps by starting to apply respect for the law to their own When the applause died down the audience cut in with a seactivities, rather than seeking to use it to prevent competition? Then perhaps, using their wealth and favourable relationship with the new government, to further an initiative that was largely ignored this afternoon. Paco alluded to a new government project being set up to encourage island residents of all ages to embrace and become part of the now well recognized phenomenon called ‘Ibiza artists’. In musical terms the project involves making available the facilities and knowledge necessary to produce brilliant music. To this end the government is backing a project involving Sonica Radio alongside a number of other globally respected island icons, to generate more ‘Ibiza’ music. Could it be that the new government are not misguided after all – at the very least they’re leading by example and experimenting hand in hand with the experts that already operate in the field. Could this in fact be a learning curve for all involved… Many different opinions were eventually voiced... that, in all honesty, Italians like to dance during the daytime, or as the sun rises out of the sea… which is why DC10 has been such a global success story over the last decade. And hey! they’re not really a noise nuisance anyway, their neighbours include a field full of melons and an airport runway? The government’s argument was that …. “the law had to be changed to protect elderly people and children on their way to school from meeting the summer guests”. That’ll be the same visitors that have changed the local’s island life so dramatically
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Day 2 Thursday began with another evocatively titled seminar: “Cult of the Amateur”. Andrew Keen, the speaker and author of the controversial book of the same name, is an internet entrepreneur and a brave visionary to set his stall out in front of such a large contingent of electronic music professionals, but he spoke from experience and with some authority, as a writer and analyst. However, he clearly worried many of those present with his analysis of the role of the internet in destroying music industry income.
Pete took us on a personal tour of his own unique and charmed journey through the history of dance music, then plotted a future of eternal change which is, after all, the lifeblood of artistic creativity. To that end he explained his own switch from the mighty Pacha to distant Eden. That’ll be the Pacha that has risen from roots as a small club in a finca in a field outside Ibiza town to become a nightclub brand represented globally. Eden, on the other hand, has traditionally been one of the less well known and respected clubs of Sant Antoni… Pete’s up for a challenge: what he has in mind is changing the global perception of Ibiza from the € 300 minimum table charge in the dominant VIP area at Pacha to the more affordable delights of Sant Antoni – as epitomized by the new Ibiza Rocks Hotel with it’s focus on providing valid and affordable entertainment for the younger generation of potential tourists. After all they form the nucleus of the island’s tourist future. Ibiza Rocks has done it by introducing a new genre of music previously unrelated to Ibiza. Pete’s challenge is to persuade the kids to listen to the electronic music that their parents still like… An interesting challenge that you wouldn’t describe as the easy option. However, looking back over the last few days at the
Andrew Keen pointing out that music’s free now! He began by recalling how the industry welcomed the net with open arms as a solution to the delivery problems for music – no physical product to manufacture, no delivery to myriad retail outlets and immediacy! But, er… no income stream. In an attempt to solve that problem, the record companies united to crush the free music rebellion in the form of Napster. Keen described this as their Waterloo because that battle cost them the war when it spawned ‘peer to peer’ data exchange. His argument arrived at the conclusion that nobody buys music any more – it’s free and freely available, so the only way to make money with music is through live performance. A good example might be the $500 million earned by the Rolling Stones on their last tour, despite their new album bombing! It seems somehow ironic that electronic music, which replaced live bands two decades ago, now finds itself being devoured by yet more electronic technology. Andrew’s final point was that attending a live gig is quite different to listening to the music on your iPod, and people don’t mind paying if they’re having a good time… The afternoon seminar was a somewhat subdued affair after the excitement of the previous afternoon. The audience were out in force, but the atmosphere felt a little negative as those present confessed to the fact that they often downloaded stuff for their own sets or to sample whilst attempting to come to terms with trying to sell their own material at severely diminished prices and profit margins. The morning message had clearly sunk in…
The IMS Think Tank draw their final conclusions Closing party in the grounds at Pike’s Hotel, delegates were unanimously agreed that the infrastructure, planning, content and organization of the summit were of the highest international standard, so you’d have to put your money on Pete and his team, in alliance with the other up and coming forces in Sant Antoni, returning this little seaside town to its heyday as the first tourist resort on Ibiza, and one of the few in the Mediterranean frequented by the superstars of the time. Indeed Sant Antoni’s time may well have come again… ■
Day 3 The final day featured further seminars on “Joining the dots”, “Believe the hype?” and the “IMS Think Tank”, which summed up the events of the conference, which concluded with a touching interview with Pete Tong, the founder and flagship of this new event.
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Pete Tong takes us on his charmed journey to Wonderland...
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I b i z a O p e n i n g We e k e n d … Pa r t i e s a l l t h e t i m e ? by C i la Wa rnck e uestion: Does summer in Ibiza mean the end of the world as we know it? Having just completed my first winter on the island I am jittery with pre-season nerves. I’m anxious that Opening Weekend signals the end of civilised winter and the beginning of a summer fraught with hordes of hard-drinking, creatively sunburnt tourists charging around the island on dodgy mopeds. Is there really a great divide between “us” and “them” though? Or is it possible the invaders are more finely attuned to the tempo of island life than I’m prepared to give credit for? Exhibit A: the Space queue at half-past one. Personally, I’m only here to see my friend Dan Tait play the Flight Club Arena. The line is crammed with season pass holders, and moving slowly, so there is plenty of time to ascertain that the majority language is Spanish. An hour or so of idle eavesdropping finally takes us into the main arena, where — again — the crowd is overwhelmingly Latin. Later in the afternoon we sneak off to get some lunch and bump into a couple of British friends who have just been turned away from Space for certain, er, indiscretions. Perhaps the superior ability of the locals to blend in and avoid unwanted attention from the Guardia explains why they’re more visibly out enjoying themselves. Exhibit B: DC10. Thanks to the new opening hours law I expect my favourite grimy disco to be jam-packed by the time I arrive at 2pm. It isn’t. My friends and I waltz in to the mostly empty car park and one of the first people I spot is a friend from San An and his (Ibicenco) posse. Of course DC10 is the spiritual home of the island’s massive Italian contingent, but so many of them have been around for so long they practically count as natives. More to the point, the club fills up in the gradual, amiable fashion of a local watering hole: by 4pm
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the terrace is comfortably full of people chatting and dancing, by 7pm packed, by 10pm in the grip of a secular revival meeting with much raising of hands and voices. Exhibit C: The aftermath. Despite horror prognostications about wild after-parties and roaming herds of bellowing Brits all is calm as we drift woozily out of DC10 at 12.30am. Our afterparty consists of Massive Attack on the stereo and a few bottles of rotgut cava in preparation for a day at the beach. And there is notably no evidence of anyone else doing anything more exciting (at least not in Playa d’en Bossa). Exhibit D: Tuesday. The weather makes up for its hitherto Trabant-like unreliability by allowing enough sunshine for bikiniwearing and ice cream-eating. Early evening brings a phone call from a friend who pops down to the beach to share another bottle of cava (something of a theme of the weekend). This merges seamlessly into a lazy dinner at our local grill, Cafeteria Parador, where neighbours are scattered around the terrace feasting on garlic-rich meats and heavy Ibicenco blood sausages. We linger late and enjoy a nightcap before retiring at the utterly respectable hour of 1am. Conclusion: For all my first-timer fears summer seems to promise more of the stuff I’ve come to love over the last few months. Spontaneous afternoons at local watering holes, cheerfully polyglot crowds in the clubs, late dinners at out of the way restaurants and lingering afternoons at the beach. I may have to reconsider all this come August but for the moment I’m delighted and not a little relieved to discover the ease with which Ibiza rolls with the seasons. Cila Warncke, freelance writer & editor. http://ravenuworld.spaces.live.com and http://irresponsibility.wordpress.com ■ IbizaNOW 7/2008 45
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The most publicised hotel opening the island has ever seen!
Ibiza Rocks Hotel Opening Party he long weekend that roused the island from its winter slumber began with the first International Music Summit to be held here on Ibiza, at the appropriately imperious and intellectual Atzaro, Fenicia and Pike’s hotel venues, to conclude five days later at the debauchery and hedonism of Europe’s biggest annual party – the Space opening… The transition from intellectual navel-gazing to the study of stilettos below the early season crop of minimalist beachwear was interspersed with the opening of the new Ibiza Rocks Hotel in Sant Antoni. A building site only days before, the place looked not only stunning but buzzing. An excited crowd test drove
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The Enemy in the summer rain
the unusual but striking décor, which allied to the hotel’s diverse Ibiza Rocks summer events programme and flexible affordable accommodation (59 UKP for three nights and the Opening party gig!), looks like a fabulous formula at a time when the IMS conference seemed to conclude that ‘live music’ was the only way forward for the music industry. Whilst we ruminated on the consequences of all of this, The Enemy replaced Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe on stage and the crowd went ballistic as the heavens opened and we all danced in the rain. This is Ibiza, and on a weekend like this it can neither be faulted nor bettered… ■
Pete Tong moves to Eden – and Lorna Cole went with him...
Wonderland, Eden Opening Party fter holding down a five year residency at Pure Pacha, Pete Tong leaves Ibiza Town for the changing face of Sant Antoni to pitch up with his new night, Wonderland at Eden. There’s a real feeling this year that San An is leaving behind that ‘Ibiza Uncovered’ cliché. It’s got easy and speedy access from the new road, the zillion euro Paseo walkway that turns the sea front wasteland into somewhere to take someone for romantic strolls, to get them in the right frame of mind for a spot of skinny dipping. More money is being poured into tarting up the maritime port. Even the venue itself, Eden, has just been treated to a 2 million euro facelift. With an attractive new VIP area and new outdoor terraces it’s having a good go at taking on the competition. Things really are looking up on the west coast of the island. Tong looked quietly confident sipping champagne with his entourage in a brief appearance at Kanya ahead of doors opening at Eden for his first night. He’d squeezed in a whistle stop of the bars of the sunset strip… but I’m thinking none of the extra promo was necessary. All the Reebok classics and white stilettos on the island were treading to Eden for some Tong worship. Managed to catch up with Pete for a chat too and he mentioned his intention to make this an international night over the coming years, but tonight the Brit contingent held the stronghold. Groove Armada kept us packed in the main room like sardines hooked on a selection of the latest and finest tunes I expect we’ll be hearing all summer. Acid House is back with a vengeance, on a twenty year cycle it returns, with the smiling faces and the
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This month we’d like to introduce you to two new occasional contributors: Cila Warncke (previous page) is a freelance writer and regular contributor to the www.ibizanow.com blog. Lorna Cole runs the lovehouse.fm radio station (see page 61) and is also a regular contributor to the www.ibiza-now.com blog.
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happy stomping of the illegal raves that got me addicted to this music. I’m so excited about the music this summer I’ve got the same butterflies I used to get when being chased by farmers and their dogs to get to a free party in the sticks. It’s great that Pete has locals Charlie Chester and Jo Mills on board to host the White Room upstairs. Shows that his heart is in making an investment in the island. Plus you know if you see that couple’s name apended to anything on the island, it’s going to be something worth checking out. Tong actually did transform Eden into WONDERLAND! The Microchunk lights and screen were THE BEST I HAVE SEEN ON THE ISLAND, since I’ve been here anyway. A real state of the art show. Even the dancing girls were top to toe classy with an unbelievable talent for keeping their tassels pointing upwards… I was green with envy and the boys all had their jaws on the floor. Was there ever any doubt in anyone’s mind that Pete’s venture was going to be anything but a huge success. Pete is a legend in dance music for a reason. It was all in evidence that night. He’d cooked together just the right concoction of what clubbers want, and for that reason I can’t wait to make many more trips to Wonderland. Wonderland runs every Friday till 26th September Tune of the night: Man with the red face – Mark Knight www.edenibiza.com - www.petetong.com Lorna Cole, Lovehouse, www.lovemusic.fm ■
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Ibiza Rocks Opening night The Magical Mystery Tour continues… n June Ibiza Rocks kicked off their 2008 brand of fresh new indie rock concerts, staged at intimate and unusual island venues, with their trademark measure of time honoured suspense – the Magical Mystery Tour, accompanied by a full moon… It may not be a yellow submarine that leaves their hotel each Tuesday night, but the professional sound and lighting systems that they miraculously erect like mushrooms at these occasional venues, and the starry night they arrange overhead, more than make up for this oversight. To keep us all grounded the lights in the unisex toilets at the venue weren’t working, so we all stumbled around in what The Pidgeon Detectives on the case might have been water to the light of our mobile phones – big toilets though, you could get lost in there! But friendships were made… But, the venue? The coach pulled in at the San Rafael horse trotting stadium in the centre of the island, which is not a place that even island residents visit on a regular basis. The last time I was here a wheel fell off one of the carts, much to the distress of the driver as it continued to drag the remains of the cart around the hippodrome for fully twenty minutes before grinding to a halt exhausted. The audience got bored after ten and either went to the bar or to place a bet on the next (delayed) race having seen it all before. Tonight was different – a stage fit to grace any festival with an expectant crowd looking for the buzz they felt last year – and that was just the locals. This year’s crop of newbies following the band, or at their first Ibiza Rocks experience, were clearly buzzing and determined to emulate the fun they’d seen other audiences having on Channel 4 last year. There was no way they were going to be let down…
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The Pidgeon Detectives from Leeds were the headline act for this first night and it wasn’t long before they hit the groove we all remember from last year. The hardened hacks in the VIP & Press paddock (the liggers that get in free) stopped networking and started tapping their feet (including us). The main floor were heaving to the rhythm and singing along to the hook lines in the occasional glass of beery rain that fell from the starry sky. Meantime Matt Bowman, the lead singer, inspired by the goings-on and the perfect setting, set about climbing all over the furniture. Clearly an aspiring mountaineer, he broke his heel jumping off the speakers at Manchester Academy last year! But these are hardened rock n’ rollers with roots that can be traced as far back as 2002. They didn’t record their first album till 2006 and that leaked into the hands of internet bandits – meaning people could download it for free! It subsequently entered the charts at number 3, going gold almost instantly. On this occasion the internet would appear not to be killing the music industry? They performed superbly as did Ibiza Rocks, The audience loved it! which is back to its fundamental ethic – loud rock music under a starry Mediterranean sky on the beach – OK, on this occasion you’ll have to substitute ‘Hippodrome’ for beach, but full marks for novelty. And after all, “the beach is only a ten minute bus ride back from here to Bar M”…. As a footnote: Paco Medina, the government’s representative at the IMS conference, was in the audience with a big smile on his face. Little wonder as he watched at first hand the reason why Ibiza has been getting positive international press over recent years. He was quick to point out that this venue can easily be extended in the future to cater for much larger audiences. So when exactly are the Stones doing their next world tour… ■ IbizaNOW 7/2008 47
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Lenny s we went to press last month we were unable to give you the name or release date of the first of the new releases by the Ibizarre Records label planned for this summer. That we can now rectify by confirming that "Selected Sessions", by head honcho Lenny himself, will be on sale by the time you read this article. A double CD package, the first disc emphasizes Lenny's role as the leader of the Ibiza ambient style. The second, however, is proper dance music of the sort that he displayed when he lit up the Mambo opening party last month (check the podcast at www.ibiza-now.com) This is the style that Lenny is moving further towards with his live sets, that you'll be able to catch at Savannah and Mambo, Atzarro and Pacha. The album is being released by Ibizarre Records and its distribution partner Intergroove, one of the biggest physical distributors in Europe, who believe that "Selected Sessions" could well be one of the summer's biggest sellers. For this reason they've given it prominence on their summer advertising hoardings, here and elsewhere. With many more releases in the pipeline it would appear that Ibizarre Records will be keeping Intergroove and the billboard poster makers very busy this year! The name of the new release may sound familiar, and so it should – this is also the name of Lenny's weekend long radio show on Ibiza Sonica (95.2 FM) and online at www.ibizasonica.com . And yes, I did say 'weekend long'! This is 48 hours of continuous programming and quite possibly a world record. If any-
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Guarana hat rare and wonderful animal – a free nightclub that’s open all year round – is alive and kicking in Santa Eulària and continues to go from strength to strength. Alex, the boss, is renowned for his ability to attract some of the finest talent from mainland Spain and further afield to perform live music of all sort of styles at his regular Sunday live sessions and occasional special parties. The most recent, for the summer opening party, featured Rafa Peletey, who were absolutely stunning in this intimate, but packed, venue. One for your diary is the visit of the Argentinian Blues band, Jose Luis Pardo, who play on both August 10th and 17th. If you’re a connoisseur you’ll be there… Throughout the rest of the summer you’ll find a young talent by the name of ‘Rubens’ on Mondays, ‘Nick Johnson’ Tuesdays, ‘Beeswax’ Wednesdays and ‘Mimo’ with Jon Jak on Thursdays. The weekend begins with ‘Empire’ hosted by Alister on all but
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body out there knows of a longer regular weekly radio show, we'd love to know about it, before he submits his claim to the Guinness Book of Records. The programme's showcasing of the finest sets from the global DJ community by established as well as emerging DJs, many from South America, has already proved so popular that weekend audience figures for Sonica have risen dramatically overnight. It would appear that a policy of digging deeper than the established big name DJs has uncovered a rich vein of extraordinary up and coming talent. Ibizarre's own stable of up and coming DJs are also enjoying a great run of success. Café del Mar Resident Valentin Huedo is playing more gigs than ever before. On top of his demanding schedule at Café del Mar, he now also plays twice weekly at the Blue Marlin and is one of the main featured DJs at Atzaro’s Cinematic night. Meanwhile Orli & Marti's 'White Flower' is still lording it in the Beatport Progressive Charts Top 10, having spent 6 weeks there so far. Heady stuff indeed. Next month we'll give you more details of how Lenny will be giving back as much as he gains through providing us all with aural pleasure. This takes the form of a joint venture with Sonica and the local government to share their experience and expertise with the public at large, in the form of subsidized instruction in the art of musical production. Much like the music of Ibizarre and Sonica – all are welcome… "Selected Sessions" is available at all good record shops and from the www.ibiza-now.com website. (See pages 40 - 41) ■
the last Friday of each month, when he makes way for ‘Los Piratas’, who gave us Bushwacka for their opening party a month ago. This is followed by ‘Back to Basics meets Guarana’ on Saturdays. This Marc Fitzek production features such luminaries as Dieter Sin Plomo (a personal favourite), Paul Lomax, Taugher and many other rather special guests. Then on Sundays there’s a complete change of style with a live band kicking off the show from 8 pm followed by the Pacha Funky Room resident, Graham Sahara. And yes, this is one club on the island that does it for the music, not for your money – entrance is free! Guarana – open every night from 8 pm till sunrise. Santa Eularia marina ■ As a footnote to the month – the IMS assure us that podcasts of the fascinating summit panels will be available in July on their website (www.internationalmusicsummit.com). Unfortunately you’ll have to pay € 2 to see each one, but as the conference concluded – money’s a bit tight in the music business! Meanwhile, the government closed DC10 for 57 days from the day that the Spanish schools closed for the summer. The melons in the adjacent field must be well relieved, but the old Ibicenco ladies won’t be able to catch the disco bus first thing in the morning to nod along to the tunes on their way to market this year!
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Lorna
ovehouse.fm is a new English speaking radio station based in Sant Antoni and is the lovechild of Lorna Cole. Lorna will be familiar to most of the celebrities of the island, and the majority of the world’s DJs who’ve ever set foot here, as the little black ‘chica’ with the oversize camera and microphone who seems to be everywhere. Does she ever sleep…? Lorna is a heavily addicted music lover who became a DJ at an early age. With her wealth of musical knowledge she became a radio presenter in London until a week’s holiday in Ibiza four years ago turned her head. Having decided to stay, she found the perfect job straight away with Holiday FM until their demise two years ago. In the meantime she’s done shows on both Global and Sonica, whilst falling in love with the way that the radio scene works in Ibiza. When HFM closed down she decided that now was the time to start another English speaking radio station – her own. So Lovehouse.fm was born with a little help from her friends at XFM and Galaxy radio in the UK. (Modestly she tells us that it’s easy to start a radio station nowadays!) The ethic of Lovehouse is to provide an interesting station with popular house music, reflecting what’s being played in the clubs and the dance music charts. This will be interspersed with snippets of the latest ‘insider’ information and interviews with some of the biggest names performing on the island throughout the summer. This may sound ambitious, but perhaps you’ve never noticed
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the ease with which Lorna opens doors, or her ability to win interviews with even the stroppiest DJs. If they make her wait until they’ve finished their set some six hours later, Lorna will invariably still be there at the end with her microphone and camera on standby. By her own admission she’s one of the finest DJ stalkers to walk the planet… DJsounds.com and Pioneer have already spotted this talent and regularly send her out on missions, which she describes as “not like work at all!”
But house music is not the ‘be all and end all’ of Lorna’s repertoire. Her taste in music is pretty diverse, she’s as likely to drop some obscure soul or reggae as she is to choose the latest house tunes when she’s behind the decks. In fact Lovehouse.fm is the firstborn of an overall concept entitled ‘Lovemusic’. Future offspring have already been given names whilst they’re gestating – Lovereggae fm is already in the pipeline, as is Lovesoul fm Obviously this is going to amount to a lot of work for one tiny lady, but Lorna’s thought about that already. Audience participation is the answer and to that end the lovemusic.fm website is ready and waiting for you to get involved. She’s looking forward to your DJ mixes, videos, podcasts and reviews of albums, tracks or events to be sent in to the website. As you may have gathered, the radio station is only the audio element of the overall package of the 21st century. The website fills in the remainder of the ‘full experience’ package of today – Video, Images, Text, Audio, Links… aka VITAL. So, if you’re in the vicinity of San An tune into 104.4 fm, if you’re not pick up the live feed from their website at www.lovemusic.fm or the www.ibiza-now.com website. ■ IbizaNOW 7/2008 49
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MUSIC
After-hours Last month we reported on the International Music Summit and the eternal strife that seems to exist between the established 'superclubs' and the rest of the music and party organisers on the island. Since then DC 10 and Kumharas have subsequently been shut down, so those in power would appear to have won. But have they…? Reports are now beginning to filter through of alternative events that some at the conference predicted would occur. Their predictions anticipated a market that will develop over the summer involving 4 x 4 police chases into the depths of the campo. It would appear that a rethink might be in order… This report came in recently in response to concern expressed by foreign observers at the conference. They were worried that Ibiza's previously tolerant and welcoming attitude to foreigners had been crushed. We felt this report worthy of publication to illustrate the fact that the island's spirit will not be crushed. Interestingly, the majority of the participants were residents and almost exclusively Spanish. The party clampdown is not being fought by Italians, or any other organised group of foreigners. These are the legislator's own children… Is anyone surprised?
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he venue was in Sa Penya, but to be honest from the outside you would never have guessed it was a club. It was only the two meat-heads standing outside a door that gave it away. We were charged 5 euros to get in and were then led down some stairs through a series of blankets which were doubling up as makeshift soundproofing. Very old-school.
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The club was in a dark, musky basement and was already very busy with a predominantly young Spanish crowd even though it was not long past kicking out time at the big clubs. The fug of marijuana smoke was as unmistakable as it was overpowering and people were openly taking drugs – well, I'm no chemist, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't sherbet dib-dab they were snorting off the tables that's for sure. The walls were wet with condensation and a DJ was playing dark minimal house which suited the surroundings perfectly, but it wasn't quite loud enough to dance to (they obviously didn't trust the makeshift soundproofing). There was a bar selling reasonably priced drinks and the crowd in there were smiley and relaxed – very relaxed actually. Basically the whole experience was as far away from the big clubs as you can get. These parties are obviously in their infancy and the low volume of the music did reduce the atmosphere to little more than an after-hours bar than a proper rave. But I could tell kids in there were getting off on the fact it was illegal, they seemed excited just being part of it. I'm sure that eventually they'll get braver and start turning the sound up which will give it the atmosphere the punters were looking for. I didn't stick around for very long – it was just my curiosity that had taken me there in the first place – but I'm sure that more and more of these parties are going to start popping up around the island. And maybe the music might get so loud that the politicians might even start hearing it.
Chirincana As we went to press the latest victim of the recent clampdown on island music venues was Kumharas in the bay of Sant Antoni. We understand that this latest closure came about because someone was caught smoking cannabis at a licensed 'Legalise Cannabis' event some three years ago. Although the heavy fine imposed at the time was duly paid and the local Guardia Civil are housed next door to the venue, this popular family favourite for a fabulous view of the sunset was ordered to close for 2 months. This seems a little excessive in light of the well publicised deaths caused through the abuse of drugs at other larger venues around the island but, no doubt, the truth of the matter will rise to the surface in the near future. We'll keep you updated as more information is made public… In the meantime the punters are heading to Chirincana at Cala Martina on the east coast. This alternative to Kumha-
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ras is similar and bound to benefit in the face of the latter's closure. It has the sunset, which is unusual for an east coast venue and a similar grungy, holistic vibe. If anything the vibe is even more 'roots', as the hippies from the old Camping Florida camp site all seem to have returned. Good luck to them, it was probably more 'ambient' than the eponymous event taking place simultaneously at Café del Mar tonight... We got so sucked into the spiritual ambience that we were late for the evening's gig by Ibizarre at the Atzaro country hotel featuring Eva Pacifico…
Tropicana Sundays Mid July saw the 10th anniversary of We Love Space at the club of the same name with DJs like Steve Lawler, James Zabiela, Layo & Bushwacka etc, but on a tip from mates we went to the beach. Cala Jondal in fact, and the Tropicana Beach bar to be precise. It was samba night and a couple of hundred were assembled around the chiringuito alongside the seafront restaurant in the sand. To be fair, they were almost all dancing to the music emanating from the samba band on stage rather than 'assembled' and a mixed crowd of all ages were enjoying themselves big time. From the kids in the playground through the dance floor to the grandparents' tables, where the clink of caipihriño glasses could be heard between songs. Unsurprisingly the crowd were predominantly of Latino origin and for this reason there was a predominance of attractive women with exceptional dancing skills.
Pike's Breakfast Club The first of the high profile, 'official' after-parties kicked off in style in the sumptuous surroundings of the emblematic Pike's Hotel in Sant Antoni at the end of June. We didn't have 'Wham' in the pool, but we did have 'Def Mix' free-styling in the new DJ booth alongside that same pool from 8 in the morning. The support act was a superb buffet featuring only the best of British brunch cuisine. This included 'Duchy' sausages and bacon from the Prince of Wales own organic estate at Highgrove, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and almost everything else that you might ever have eaten whilst being spoilt at breakfast time. This innovative reaction to the draconian new after-party laws has to be a market leader and was appropriately supported by Ibiza Global Radio in the form of the follow up DJs – David Phillips and J.M. Ramon. These two were inspirationally hyphernated with a live sax performance by Deva. Live sax with ambient grooves alongside Pike's pool to the tune of frozen Bloody Marys and Buck's Fizz – you get the picture?
Nonetheless, a few brave members of the other gender, who'd clearly had lessons, cruised elegantly amongst them twirling their partners around in often indecent clinches, This looked like fun perhaps samba lessons wouldn't be such a bad idea. I haven't seen a better way yet to get close up and dirty with a fit, writhing beauty. The smiling and confident men in their midst looked unusually well exercised too, and I'm not entirely convinced that this was just down to dancing… A brilliant night dancing in the sand - we could all have been on Cabana beach… ■
The only wonder was that the place wasn't mobbed. This was an Ibiza experience of the highest quality, but finding a table wasn't a problem. Word hasn't percolated through yet –get there and dip a toe into this before it's too late. You could be looking at another 'San Rafael swimming pool' before it evolved into 'Ku' and finally hit the roadblock called 'Privilege'… Pike's Breakfast Club: from 8 am to 2 pm for just 20 euros.
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Ibiza Rocks, even in adversity
LIVE MUSIC
Ibiza Rocks kicks off
The Holloways
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t’s Ibiza Rocks second night at Bar M in San Antonio, so here we go with ‘The Holloways’ – who do like to be beside the seaside… This band are not short of guitars, like almost any other happening ‘indie’ band of the moment. Nonetheless we were worried when Alfie, the singer, strapped on his third guitar after only one and a bit songs, apparently the others didn’t work. As it turned out, the end result was spectacular. Perhaps it had just been discomfort caused by his girlfriend’s bikini top that he later 56
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revealed he had worn to please Dave the drummer. It does get hot at this time of the year in Ibiza, so even that was discarded amidst the crisscrossing as the three guitarists gallivanted about the impossibly small stage. The stage is so small that after they had invited the girlfriends on as ‘go go dancers’ for the penultimate track, Rob had to ascend the scaffolding at the side of the stage to make enough room to be able to wield his violin. Amidst all of this Bryn dropped his bass and produced a
setlist almost as big as a fag packet which, greeted with derision by his colleagues, was discarded as quickly as the bikini top. The final track ended with Alfie climbing the scaffolding to hang from the light gantry 5 metres above the stage to stamp his feet in midair in unison with the final drumbeats. Huge balloons then descended upon the audience and we were ready for the final encore, which was a second rendition of their recently re-released and highly acclaimed single ‘Generator’
– at which stage things went a little mental, as if they hadn’t already. Their debut album ‘So this is Great Britain’ is made up of observations on life in Great Britain today, and wouldn’t be described as an advertisement, but a great debut album nonetheless… Which is why the guys will probably be on a beach tomorrow – to make up for the mud of Glastonbury they washed off on Monday night? Another top Tuesday night for live music down at Bar M… Who needs Camden ? ■
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ccasionally when bands go on tour things can go wrong. A large team of people and an enormous amount of equipment are required to put on an impressive performance, and subsequently boost future record sales – which is the aim of the exercise. A member of the band might fall ill, or fall out of a tree, the truck transporting the equipment might break down, or an airline lose ‘luggage’ by sending it to the wrong continent… This was the case with the third gig in the Ibiza Rocks sequence and it caused the Simian Mobile (?) Disco to pull out at the last minute, leaving promoter Andy McKay with a major problem…
Hungover Stuntmen
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ut Ibiza certainly rocks and within seconds Andy, Ibiza Rock’s boss, had the name and number of another exciting new indie band at his fingertips – The ‘Hungover Stuntmen’ – who just happened to be on the island recording their debut album (as we reported in last month’s edition). It would appear that Andy is an avid reader? Nonetheless, because many of those who had bought tickets were looking forward to seeing the Simian posse, Ibiza Rocks threw a free party refunding all of those who had pre-paid. An almost unprecedented move by a temple of entertainment on Ibiza? The move paid off as the band won over the audience despite using alien equipment. At one point the drum kit fell
apart under the thrashing it was receiving from Craig, the drummer. However, these are talented musicians and serious students of music who simply took this minor inconvenience in their stride, clearly enjoying themselves as much as the rest of us who were lucky enough to be present. Keep an eye out for their debut album, which they’re
way too early to be accused of promoting – it’s not due out till October… ■
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LIVE MUSIC
CSS
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week after the free party featuring the Hungover Stuntmen it was the turn of the brand new Brazilian band ‘CSS’. This night isn’t free but it’s busy and the excitement is tangibly building as DJ Goldierocks builds the atmosphere with as invigorating a set of indie DJing as you’re likely to encounter this summer. CSS, which stands for ‘Cansei de Ser Sexy’ and means ‘Tired of being Sexy”, have arrived on the European Festival circuit from nowhere, but on the back of their eponymous
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debut album released through Sub Pop (the label who discovered Nirvana), they have exploded onto the scene in style. An almost unknown Brazilian six piece they comprise a group of girls wielding guitars accompanied by a guy at the back throwing down the beats. They began their show by dismantling the numerous balloons adorning their kit, inhaling the contents and introducing themselves in helium fuelled high pitched voices, as they hurled themselves into their high octane set. At the end of the first number the lead singer, Lovefoxxx, stripped out of her kaleidoscopic catsuit to reveal another beneath, while a stream of bubbles des-
cended from the balcony. The show continued with bottles of washing up liquid being thrown intermittently into the crowd with encouragement to make more bubbles whilst shirts, spectacles and other items were thrown back from the audience to be duly exploited as stage props by the irrepressible Lovefoxxx.
They looked unusually pale for Brazilian women, but the vivacity that we’re all familiar with from their female presence at the World Cup shone through, particularly when Lovefoxxx dived off the stage at the end to be passed around above the heads of the rapturous crowd, until the bouncers could effect her rescue… ■
Kasabian
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id-July is when things really hot up in Ibiza for the peak season weeks. This proved to be the case with the weather and also at Ibiza Rocks, which really went into overdrive. The stars of the show were Kasabian who are, without doubt, rapidly becoming one of the biggest bands on the planet. Happily compared to Oasis, whom they number amongst their heroes, they have the same ability to produce such powerful anthems that very often Tom, the lead sin-
ger, was so overwhelmed by the sing-along audience that he simply turned his mike to face the crowd. The PA couldn’t compete with them and their love and knowledge of the lyrics made it pointless for him to try. At the same time it creates the most incredible atmosphere at such a tiny, intimate venue. From the moment the band took to the stage the audience were electrified. It was as if everybody there knew every song, even though several new songs from their forthcoming album were included.
This was a night of full-on music with many tracks seamlessly running into each other. There were no props thrown in to keep the audience’s attention or extra-curricula activities like climbing the furniture – this was flat out, serious guitar music from a band who exude self-confidence in their own undoubted ability. So that was Monday night. Demand had been so high for this gig that Kasabian agreed to do another gig on the Tuesday and in the meantime we were fortunate enough to be able to interview them. Researching for the interview we were confronted with apparent arrogance and contempt for any competition, but in real
August Line-ups: 6th Aug - Streets Soundsystem 7th Aug - Mika + support 8th Aug - Hard-Fi 11th Aug - Radio 1 13th Aug - Streets Soundsystem
life the guys were just like you and I. When asked how their Mums and Dads were coping with their burgeoning success, they said that they tried to attend as many gigs as possible, loved the festivals and exchanged clippings from the newspapers. Tom was immensely proud of his father for chatting up Jamie Lee Curtis at a recent festival and offered condolences to us for being Nottingham Forest fans (they come from nearby Leicester!). ■
21st Aug - Dirty Pretty Things + Guests 22nd Aug - The Twang 28th Aug - Kaiser Chiefs + Good Shoes 29th Aug - We Are Scientists + Hadouken 1st Sep - Arctic Monkeys + Reverend & The Makers
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Subsequent developments A
ugust 13th was the date of the eagerly awaited ‘Streets’ gig at Bar M, which ended in disappointment for hundreds as the local authorities pulled the plug an hour before the first expectant punters arrived. A hastily written sign and a stage devoid of equipment confirmed the situation, which was followed by an endless number of gutted ticket-clutchers reluctantly accepting their money back. The worst of it was that many of these had planned their holiday dates to coincide with the gig… It would appear that the local authorities have, once again, overlooked the effect that their actions will have in terms of global publicity for the island. The closure of Amnesia, DC 10 and Bora Bora shocked the press worldwide at the start of the season. These closures, although repealed by a higher court, were followed by the chaining up of the Kanya bar in San Antonio and the El Ayoun restaurant in San Rafael while their neighbour, L’ Elefant can no longer play music to their well-heeled guests. In the meantime half a dozen of the most famous beach bars on the island are fighting to save their existence as, despite having been there for some thirty years; new planning restrictions don’t permit the size that their popularity has driven them to. The week before we had the debacle of the doors being locked on Manumission by the world’s largest nightclub – Privilege – provoking their switch to nearby Amnesia. (Anybody out there want to buy the world’s biggest nightclub?) The result has been that the global press are now allocating more press to these negative ‘goings on’ than the positives that Ibiza Rocks has brought to the island over the past couple of years. So with Bar M’s latest initiative now, and not for the first time this year (remember the Kelis gig), being cancelled so late that it caused maximum disruption to those travellers fortunate enough to get these highly prized tickets, the future looks bleak… The groundswell of opinion created by the press around the world is that Ibiza Rocks must go on, and if that means another venue, even in a different part of this, lets face it, small island – so be it. Ibiza will continue to rock, even in adversity… August 21st and all change at Ibiza Rocks tonight as this week’s two gigs were rolled into one, with The Twang and Dirty Pretty Things sharing headline at the new venue enforced by the last minute antics of the Sant Antoni authorities. We’ve been relocated to an exzoo a few kilometers away in the hills at the back of nearby Ses Paisses. Because it’s a little hard to find, Ibiza Rocks have laid on free coaches from their traditional home at Bar M on the beach of Sant Antoni, but the message is equally traditional – the party will go on… The local police turned up at 10:30 pm, by which time the gig was well underway, and imposed a fine on the promoter, Ibiza Rocks, but decided against trying to stop the show and invoking the wrath of the hundreds who had turned up to watch these two major indie bands of the moment who, after all, had taken the trouble to come from the UK to entertain us all and brought an army of new tourists (their fans) with them. Head honcho, Andy McKay, confirmed that all of the remaining Ibiza Rocks gigs for the remainder of the summer would go ahead, but these may have to be at other venues in other parts of the island. All of those wishing, or already booked, to attend need only go to Bar M before the gig. From there they will be bused to the alternative venues, if necessary. It would appear that the loser in this crazy scenario will be Sant Antoni – the winner will be live music in the open air. It’s almost a breath of the sort of fresh
air that we used to breathe at the hill parties not so many years ago… As if part of an overall plot, we receive a curious invitation at a party involving a night of cabaret at the Es Vive hotel in Eivissa town, arranged in conjunction with Smirnoff vodka… (Full story and pictures can be found at www.ibiza-now.com/blog) It was a little surreal from outset. Our instructions were to head for Es Vedra, hook up with a ‘Smirnoff ambassador’ at Cala d’Hort beach and be transported to a secret venue where we would “experience a sunset as you’ve never seen it or heard it before, with a legendary live guest set.” It sounded like a bit of a tall order, but it’d be a shame if they pulled it off and we weren’t there… So we found our ambassador and followed the people carrier off into the surrounding countryside, got lost twice, then arrived at the secret spot. We’re on top of a cliff overlooking Es Vedra, which is decorated by a circle of white sofas. Around the Sabina bush that forms the centre of the circle are numerous bars, each serving different cocktails with names like ‘Ginger and Raspberry Mule’ and ‘GFresh with Cranberry Juice’. At the cliff end of the circle are some decks and a computer alongside healthy speakers. Behind these are “Nightmares on Wax” performing with Es Vedra as a backdrop, to complement the sunset. As the cocktails go to work we wonder if we’ve been snatched away to paradise. In light of this experience and the problems of sudden mid-season venue closures an obvious question springs to mind, “Are we seeing a return to hill parties, as the authorities clamp down on the relatively acceptable ‘alternative’ establishments?” A clue to the future, certainly for the west of the island, was given in a recent interview with the Diario de Ibiza by the newly appointed Councillor for the Interior and Tourism of Sant Antoni, Josep Ramon Serra (aka Pilot!). Previously in charge of ‘Maintenance and Cleaning’ for the town, he confirmed that his spare time was spent cultivating his fields and following ancient Ibicenco traditions. He summarized the early days of his new responsibility by congratulating his legal department on having closed four entertainment establishments and sealed the musical equipment at five more. He went on to point out that their flouting of license restrictions was unfair on those other businesses around them who were obediently observing their own license restrictions. Admirable sentiments one would have to agree, but with a serious clampdown going on in Sant Antoni and a rush for the door to neighbouring municipalities by major players in the attraction of tourists to the island, one can only hope that our man in charge is fully acquainted with all of the potential risks involved in changing the Mediterranean party capital of Sant Antoni too quickly. The views of his friends and neighbours could rapidly change if the views of the observing outside world are not factored into his decisions. August 23rd an announcement in the Diario tells us that Manumission have cancelled their remaining sequence of Ibiza Rocks gigs. Manumission tell us that this is not the case – perhaps it’s a case of wishful thinking by authorities who’ve been perfectly happy with the situation for the last two years? In view of the turbulent situation over the last few weeks, we suggest that you ring the Ibiza Rocks office on 971 311 950 for an update on any gig that you plan to attend this month, or turn up at Bar M at 7 pm on the night of the gig for your magical mystery tour! ■ IbizaNOW 9/2007
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Missing in action...
dc10 club closure: the end of the line for the Ibiza underground?
he Spanish authorities have ordered the closure of DC10, Ibiza’s most iconic underground club, for one year and imposed a € 300,000 fine on the club, on the back of a 57 day closure order spanning June to August. DC10 is Ibiza’s Studio 54, its Paradise Garage. Every Monday beneath the searing blue Mediterranean sky a gaggle of outrageously dressed clubbers, babbling enthusiastically in a dozen languages, strut through the dusty car park and into Circoloco – Ibiza’s last truly eccentric party. Ten years ago when Italian promoter Andrea Pellino and his business partner founded Circoloco at DC10 it seemed doomed to swift obscurity. The club lies a few hundred metres shy of the airport runway, between a marrow patch and a corral. It was dark and dirty inside. The outdoor terrace was open to the heavens. The soundsystem was “terrible” according to resident DJ Tania Vulcano (who, in the first year, would go to work in the marina after playing her set, record bag slung over her shoulder.) Most of all, no one believed people would turn out to go clubbing on a Monday morning. The sceptics were wrong. Party people came in droves and DC10 became an adjective used to describe cutting edge music and fashion. The club is a little more refined these days (though they only upgraded the grubby toilets last year and air conditioning came as a welcome novelty this season) but its gritty, no-frills atmosphere remains a beloved part of its peculiar charm. There is no fancy décor, no laser shows, no ice cannon, no heavy handed promotion, no podium dancers, no billboards, no extortionate drinks prices, no VIP area. Just four walls, a deafening sound system and music you won’t hear anywhere else.
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The party is a Petri dish for underground electronic music culture. Instead of paying huge fees to big-name jocks Circoloco seeks out and cultivates young talent. It has boosted Tania Vulcano, Luciano, Loco Dice and Rhadoo to the DJ A-list and spread the fame of cult heroes like Dan Ghenacia, Guido Schneider, Jamie Jones and Davide Squillace. Like the punters, the DJs come from all corners of the globe – Germany, Uruguay, Spain, Italy, France, Rumania, the UK and the US – a merry, polyglot muddle drawn together by a mutual passion for music. On the dancefloor party kids sport satin shorts and boxing boots, tight waistcoats, brightly hued harem pants, bikinis, sunglasses the size of satellite dishes, tattoos that snake up spines or wrap around bronzed arms, studded lips, tongues, noses and nipples. DC10 is part catwalk, part Camden Market, part fetish, part fancy dress – and wholly reminiscent of the wildly colourful heyday of New York’s club scene. (Jade Jagger riding across the dancefloor, naked, on a white horse would hardly raise a murmur.) DC10 is pure escapism, a playground for grown-ups soundtracked by the hippest DJs on the planet. Yet the Spanish government seems intent on quashing this carnival. After a blinding opening party (the best in years, according to many regulars) and two more happy Mondays the Spanish government ruled (based on a threeyear-old drugs complaint made by the Guardia Civil) that DC10 would have to shut for the 57 “remaining” days of the 60 day closure ordered at the beginning of summer 2007 – even though the club was shut for 20 days last summer. Government concern over illegal drugs is perfectly understandable, but this draconian move surprised even the most shock-proof island insiders. After all, DC10 has a strict security staff, often augmented by a team of Guardia Civil performing rigorous searches and the club installed CCTV
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cameras to better police the interior. Not to mention that drugs can be found in any club in Ibiza – or London, or anywhere – if you go looking hard enough. In an interview, Circoloco promoter Andrea Pellino voiced his frustration: “I cooperated, I tried to do everything the government asked…. The situation is crazy. Circoloco started a movement in Ibiza. We brought the underground people together. I've put 100% of my heart into this club and I'm going to fight for it.” Pellino adds he won’t consider moving the iconic party elsewhere: “Circo Loco was born in DC10 and it's not going to another club, never, ever. If DC10 is closed Circoloco is closed.” Just as the club prepared to celebrate its reopening party the Diario de Ibiza published news that the club has been hit with a one year closure order and the maximum legal allowable fine because it is improperly licensed. Apparently, the club’s existing bar license only allows for 68 patrons on the premises. Clearly, this is a ridiculous number, given the status of the club, but one can only speculate as to why one of Ibiza’s most popular discos doesn’t have a proper license. Would the owner have genuinely been so reckless as to ignore the licensing laws for nearly a decade? Or is it the case that applications for a proper discotheque license have been refused or simply lost in a beauracratic wasteland? Speculation about the decision is the hottest topic of island and internet gossip, as can be seen from dozens of angry comments on internet forums. “This is another step towards turning Ibiza into the golf resort concept that the government favours,” is one. Another, “The government is always facing the negative side of the medal. It's always about drugs… those clubs are a reason for people all over the world to come to the island.” An online petition protesting the ruling is rapidly gathering signatures www.ipetitions.com/petition/DC10/index.html. Noctambula, in Sa Penya in Ibiza Town, is the spiritual home of the island’s techno loving Italian massive (the DC10 DJs regularly drop by for a few drinks, or to spin some tunes before a night out) and the mood is decidedly downbeat. “A lot of people were waiting for DC10 to reopen,” remarks Steve, Noctambula’s resident cocktail wizard, who normally works the door at DC10 on a Monday. Clive Henry, resident DJ for Circoloco is pessimistic. “I have loads of friends who cancelled their holidays [to Ibiza] because DC10 was shut. What happens now?” That is the question on everyone’s lips, and for many the answer is nothing to celebrate. “DC10 is finished,” opines Guy Hornsby, a DJ/producer who’s been visiting DC10 religiously for the last six years. “Once they’ve shut it they’ll keep finding reasons to keep it shut. It’ll never get a license now.” Only time will tell if Hornsby’s glum prediction is correct, but what is certain is Ibiza – and club land – stands to lose a cherished institution. Resident DJ Luciano is dismayed: “It’s like the f**king politicians are trying to break down one of the last bits of paradise on earth,” he says. Meanwhile, beneath the cobalt blue sky, at the end of a runway, DC10 lies silent, hovering between hope and history. ■
Soul Heaven & Louie Vega inject some soul into Ibiza t the start of the season I was happy to see that Soul Heaven and Louie Vega had joined forces to take over El Divino in Ibiza on Sunday nights. One half of Masters at Work, known for their Salsa influenced music productions and soulful house DJ sets, Louie Vega decided to go it alone this summer, without partner Kenny Dope, to brave this techno obsessed island with his first residency. It’s been a long time coming. Louie has been coming to the island for years, playing for nights like Defected at Pacha. Some had wondered if he’d waited too long, with the question buzzing around, ‘Is his music still relevant to Ibiza now?’ The pint sized DJ is considered a legend. He has had his hand in this music from the beginning, from a time of block parties in the Bronx, NYC. Only a few of the peers he started out with have managed to keep a handle on the scene. Surely he still has his finger on the pulse? The team at Brit record label Soul Heaven had a real challenge on their hands. Sunday nights are notoriously difficult to promote with well established events like ‘We Love Sundays at Space’ and ‘Flower Power’ as stiff competition. In spite of all the odds the night has grown week after week. Soulful house fans coming to check it out when they visit from the UK, whilst the euro contingent visit looking for something a little different. When we first met, Louie talked about how he wanted to bring soul to the island. He explained ‘soul’ as ‘any music you can feel in your soul’. I’ve been feeling it for sure. The mix of house and disco definitely has a groove that has kept me gong back week after week. I’ve noticed too that the night has become the venue for the who’s who of islanders to come and let their hair down at the end of the week. As the reputation of the night has spread I’ve noticed a core of regulars who know that this night comes stamped ‘quality assured’
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Plus, as the man in the hat says, “Louie Vega has got a lot of friends”, and these friends show up to get involved. Erick Morillo was seen hi-jacking the DJ booth on Louie’s birthday, Roger Sanchez makes sure his name is on the guest list, Kenny Dope checks in to see how Louie’s doing without him and house diva Barbara Tucker pops in for impromptu weekly performances. DJ friends enlisted include Lil Louis, Bobby and Steve, Mr V and Ultra Nate who took to the mic and the dex, all highly thought of and guaranteed to crank the party. All of this has made this party one of the most talked about success stories of the summer. Is this something we’ve been craving? Has Louie Vega still got what it takes? Decide for yourself before the closing party on September 21st Watch out for Vega’s trademark DJ wiggle. www.soul-heaven.com www.vegarecords.com www.eldivino-ibiza.com
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Danny Rampling IS back. nce something is in your blood, you can’t deny it, you can’t really decide when to switch it off. So when Danny Rampling shocked us in 2005 by saying he was going to retire from DJing and run a restaurant it was only going to be a matter of time before he was edging his way back into the clubs. He IS house music history. He is part of the reason why Ibiza is the way it is today. He can’t just retreat. It’s like being in the mafia, there’s only one way out. Danny was one of the trio who came to Ibiza back in ’87. He, Nicky Holloway and Paul Oakenfold were inspired seeing Alfredo do his Balearic thing and dancing under the stars at an open air Amnesia – a trip that is the stuff of Acid House legend. After over twenty years of jet setting Danny reckoned he needed a break, so he stopped Djing for a while and spent time with his family. He almost opened a restaurant, but before long his phone was ringing with offers of gigs and his hiatus was over. I listened to his memories of his 20 years of Acid House sitting on a sun lounger as the sun went down behind hotels in Playa den Bossa, with our toes in the sand; Very Ibiza! He talked with the same energy that I imagine he had when he first landed here. He beams at having the luck to have been here when it all kicked off. He’s been compiling acid house anniversary albums to celebrate the two decade history of the music and talked about having a lump in his throat while digging out the tunes. It’s a history he thankfully didn’t leave behind to serve up sauce Gordon Ramsay style. So it’s official. He’s back. On this visit to the island he was sharing a session at Pacha with David Morales. He’d just finished a live set on Sonica FM when we met a set that left him lively and full of the passion he has for what he does. During his break he learnt a lot about himself, one thing was that he couldn’t just abandon his passion and wealth of knowledge. His next mission is to share what he has learnt (the hard way) with DJs just starting out. I can’t think of a better mentor. If you fancy Danny’s help getting a leg up the DJ ladder, dip into his new e-book: www.theessentialguidetodjing.com. It promises everything you need to know about DJing success. ■
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21.07.08 Checking in with the S-man his native New Yorker is the perfect example of the professional DJ. Clean living, well turned out, gives 100%. Even with two decades in the game, Roger Sanchez is not jaded or spent, he still has the energy to roll with the young DJs who look up to him and still finds the time to devote to his family life. He’s just got hitched and still has sleepless nights with his one year old baby girl’ Despite seven years at Pacha he is becoming more and more devoted to keeping his Release Yourself night fresh and up to date. His emphasis is on evolving the sound (but keeping it sexy!), bringing in fresh talent and staying on top of new ways to keep the crowd entertained. I hope there’s still room for the steam cannon and confetti though? As with most DJs these days he’s a one man industry. If popping into Pacha for Release Yourself every Monday during the season as part of his jet set tour schedule wasn’t consuming enough, he has a record label to look after, Stealth, that he runs out of Amsterdam, which keeps him occupied nurturing the house music DJ/producers of the future. Making his own music features heavily on the agenda too, diversifying into film scores for Hollywood and working on a
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new album, with Seal and Boy George happy to help him out with the vocals. With new singles to promote while he’s here in Ibiza too; The S-Man is a very busy man. I didn’t want to refer to him as a veteran but he’s been around so long I had to ask him when it would all end. Will he be bending over the decks with a DJ stoop at seventy? A canny Sanchez is keeping his fingers in many pies to ensure longevity but he can still see himself playing tunes for us over the next 10, or who knows, 20 years. Tune of the night: Transatlatins ft La India – I can’t live without music www.rogersanchez.com www.releaseyourself.com ■
10.08.08 The Chemical Brothers at ‘We Love Sundays’ celebrating 19 years of Space o guest list, barely any pre-sale tickets, there was some unbelievable hype around this shindig. ‘We Love Sundays’ were helping Space celebrate 19 years of mania by inviting the Chemical Brothers to the island after a 14 year break. Balloons and party streamers at the ready, this was going to be a big one. Superstar headliners, a shed load of Ibiza’s DJ A-list and those happy classics that we love on the sunset terrace provide the festival atmosphere that makes any Sunday at Space value for money. Even the later opening time of 4.30pm hasn’t affected the vibe. This particular Sunday, being something that everyone was talking about, was going to be the chance for The Chems to ‘Rock The House’, after being thrown off the decks during their last visit to the club. Seemed that everyone was there too, with Kate Moss and Lilly Allen in attendance it was a chance for a bit of celeb gawking. I reached my high with the with lasers bouncing all over the place in the discoteca when the DJ duo dropped ‘Hey Girl, Hey Boy’ in a set so off the hook they achieved a double disco-bomb. Overhearing those leaving ‘the best night we’ve had for ages’ this felt like the crescendo of Summer 2008 in Ibiza, a mid season moment to remember, a moment to remind us why we love this island no matter what changes. Tune of the night: Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar www.welove-music.com www.space-ibiza.es ■
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Hooky brings back t’s over 10 years since the Manchester venue closed it’s doors, but the New Order bassist, Peter Hook, is keeping the legend alive with the Hacienda tour. Hooky is trying his hand at DJing, joined by DJs, Mike Pickering and Graham Park, who made their name at the club, along for the ride. The tour has touched down at Eden in Sant Antoni for the summer. A return coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Acid House that everyone keeps harping on about, Hooky felt it was only natural to bring the Haçienda here as the island shares the spirit he witnessed at the club in it’s heyday. Even though the whole thing came to a sticky end and Peter lost loads of cash, he recollects those days fondly and wouldn’t change a thing. He looks as happy behind the decks as he did behind a guitar with Joy Division, but not one to be away from music for too long, he’s back in the studio with his new band, Freebass. and hopes to be performing live in Manchester again next year. If he can bring back a slice of the magic he created with his former bands, he’ll be on to a winner. www.theHaçiendamustbebuilt.co.uk www.edenibiza.com ■
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A competitive community are re-united – and happy to welcome new participants
Jump into the Pool t’s Friday night in Santa Eulària, the sun has set and the streets are empty – it’s cold... Nonetheless, the recently reunited English community are out in force, congregated in a smoky back street bar, and making lots of noise as they shout over each other to make themselves heard.
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Things weren’t always this way. Earlier this winter a number of local bars closed down causing the community to fragment to different corners of the town. People stopped bumping into each other and socialising ground to a halt.
drawn 5 – 5 all present agreed that this matter had to brought to a conclusion, and anyway everyone was having so much fun! … It carried on… It may sound strange to frequent a noisy, smoky bar in a side street of town but, at this time of year, there is a certain Britishness about this very appropriate way to spend a dark winter’s evening. With the chill breeze that whips across the pool table, when
The solution to this unacceptable situation was provoked by a dispute between two of the remaining British bars and their respective differently shaped pool tables. This dispute had been further aggravated by the fact that one bar played ‘English’ rules, the other Spanish… It was time for actions to speak louder than words, so a competition was arranged with a match to be held at each venue on consecutive Friday nights, according to the rules of each ‘house’. With 20 players, their 20 partners, and their collective scores of mates, almost all in town were present at both events, whilst numerous recently neglected friendships were renewed. The first contest finished 5 – 5. By the time the second match had also been
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Joe (Tall Ships) and Richard (Los Corrales) – with a lot to answer for...
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they open the door to let the smoke out, it’s almost completely authentic, but it’s reassuring to know the sun will still be shining strong in the morning… The evening’s result was academic (5 - 5 again), so the contest carries on, oblivious to the social consequences of such an initiative. For anyone out there of a ‘pool disposition’, or of the opinion that their own collection of pool afficionados cold hold their own in battle with the local heroes of Santa Eulalia, this is the time to strike… Over-confidence is in abundance, English is not essential, and the event should prove to be an interesting insight into British culture – if anyone’s that curious? A little history: The two venues in question here have some substantial local history:
Santa Eulalia and Siesta are making big strides into international conference country
Conferences abound… wo major conferences have recently been announced that will take place in Santa Eulalia this summer. The first will be based at the 5 star Fenicia Hotel in Siesta from May 27th to 30th and is called the ‘International Music Summit’. It will be hosted by Pete Tong and it is expected that most of the key leading music industry professionals will attend. Clearly planned along the lines of the Miami World Music Conference, it should prove popular to those in the music industry based here in Europe. A star studded gathering indeed, but they won’t have to rely on the delights of Siesta for their entertainment. Elements of the conference programme are planned at both the Atzaro and Pike’s Hotels too. For more info. see: www.internationalmusicsummit.com
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Three weeks later and in complete contrast, the 5th International Conference on Nightlife, Substance Use and Related Health Issues has been confirmed as taking place at the new Congress Centre in Santa Eulalia between June 23rd and 25th. Catchily titled as ‘Club Health Ibiza’ this conference marks a decade of international Club Health conferences focusing on the wide range of issues that affect the health of young people in nightlife settings. This may perhaps prove useful to any stragglers still remaining from the Music Summit? For more info. see: www.clubhealth.org.uk ■
Football: IBIZA CUP 2008 The pocket looks a lot smaller from the other end...
The Tall Ships was previously a renowned Spanish pool bar called ‘La Rueda’, where many local British and other ‘extranjero’ residents learnt their first Spanish phrases, whilst perfecting ‘la banda’. ‘La banda’ is a pool shot known in English as ‘a double’. It is an essential skill in the Spanish version of the game, where the black ball has to be potted in the same pocket as your last coloured ball. Los Corrales’ history goes back somewhat further, in fact to the 18th Century when horses would be tethered to a pole outside. It used to be the local blacksmith’s house with animals stabled in what is now the bar and the family living upstairs. You might describe it as the perfect site for a preservation order in our rapidly changing town but, unfortunately, property developers are set to move in. The old lady who lived in the corner house overlooking the Paseo recently passed away. Expect to see another concrete monstrosity replace this historic corner of the town in the near future… ■
rom March 19th-22nd the football pitches at Can Misses (Eivissa) will host the IBIZA CUP 2008. Top Teams from thee different Spanish juvenile leagues such as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, FC Valencia and RCD Mallorca participate in this fourday-tournament. Moreover, exotic teams like Monterrey of Mexico and Shimizu of Japan will be part of the team pool. March, 19th: Group matches, at 4:00 and 8:00 pm. March, 20th: Group matches, at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm. March, 21st: Qualifying matches, at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm. March, 22nd: Semi-finals and finals, at 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Afterwards prize ceremony. For more information please check the internet: www.ibizacup.org ■
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Madness –
One Ibiza step Beyond
athal Smyth is one of the collective known to music lovers as ‘Madness’, the UK Ska band of the 2-Tone era that dominated the British charts during the first half of the 80’s. Cathal, or Chas Smash as he’s better known, recently hit the local news by inspiring a donation from the people of Carlisle to the islands’ ‘Ibiza and Formentera Association for children with Special Needs’ (APNEEF). This extraordinary and generous act came about because Stephen Dunn, stadium announcer at Carlisle United and a loyal Madness fan, contacted Cathal to ask if it would be possible to do a Carlisle specific voiceover to the song ‘One Step Beyond’, which the club always played when the team ran out onto the pitch for a game. The upshot was that Cathal re-recorded the opening sequence of lyrics to include a reference to Carlisle United, but asked the club to make a donation to APNEEF instead of paying him. As aficionados of both football and music we needed to know more about this benevolent act, so we made contact through Jill Canney, one of APNEEF’s major fundraisers. It was she who had first made Cathal aware of the disadvantaged children helped by APNEEF. She did so by talking him into performing an exclusive acoustic set at their annual charity fundraiser, the Butterfly Ball. Nonetheless, she and the kids of APNEEF were blown away when a giant toy box arrived from Carlisle… We meet him at Foodism in Santa Gertrudis for afternoon tea and as soon as introductory vetting is out of the way he invites us back to his place to see what he’s currently up to. On the way back he confesses that he’s got no previous special connection with Carlisle United, or football in general, but the opportunity to help APNEEF was irresistable. Meanwhile he cranks up the car stereo to show us his new dub step project. There are no vocals on this recording as his partner in the project, ‘Master Krook’, doesn’t arrive until next week, so he fills in with his own rendition as we drive back to his finca, wondering whether we’re unwittingly participating in one of those old
Madness videos… The new tunes whilst still retaining the feel of Madness, a rawness of delivery that evokes that north London ska sensation, are enhanced by an undercurrent of Brixton dub to remind you of the mix that is London. Once inside the finca he introduces us to the ‘soon to be released’ new Madness album ‘The Liberty of Norton Folgate’. We’re watching it on an HD screen and can’t decide whether it’s a video of a Victorian stage show at the Hackney Empire, a documentary of the last 130 years of the district of Norton Folgate, or the evolution of music in the same district over a similar time period. We conclude that the best plan would be to give it to Boris Johnson as leftfield advertising for the capital now under his stewardship – it’s a brilliant, and currently apt, advert for London and the strength and versatility of its downtrodden people. We discuss the future, in light of the fact that this thirty year old band are now planning a world tour. The impression is that it won’t be every night of the year, as Cathal has clearly settled into Ibiza this past year and is looking forward to the arrival of his children tomorrow. We share family experiences and find similarities. He split from his wife of 28 years just four years ago and is going through the experience in a way that anyone who’s tried it will sympathise with. He’s got his head down and he’s doing what he does best – working on the music. He plays us a few more songs, as yet unrecorded, on the guitar then takes us through to the adjacent studio where he plonks himself down at a grand piano and spills music from the heart that almost makes me weep. So far he’s shown us four new projects that are ‘works in progress’ and each and all are stunning in their own context.
Cathal Smyth taking in the joys of spring in the garden of his finca in the centre of the island
The man of Madness we may recall from the early 80’s is not just a proficient musician and the foremost exponent of the London-Irish school of thought on the island, but also flat out ‘on it!’ – he’s far from retired… n IbizaNOW 3/2009 51
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“Under the m i c ro s c o p e ? ”
With the island’s first IMS conference taking place at the end of May to discuss and improve the role of dance music as the island’s greatest promotional asset, a fascinating survey of 16-30 year olds recently conducted in the UK provides some interesting insights into the way that young people perceive Ibiza nowadays. The 20 minute long survey covered a broad sample of people who buy music, because the major attraction of the island to younger generations of visitors has been the music scene over the last couple of decades. During this time Ibiza has achieved global prominence as the headquarters of dance music in Europe and had its name appended to more CDs than any other place on the planet.
he survey results were virtually split down the middle in terms of positives and negatives. It seems that people either love the Ibiza music scene, or hate it – very few are indifferent. Interestingly, only 1 in 3 are actually familiar with Ibiza music, yet the vast majority believe it is all about dance music, drinking, raving, sex, lager louts and the beach (in that order). To some this may have been appealing, back in the day, but over 1 in 5 of those surveyed consider Ibiza to be ‘musically irrelevant and lame’ today. It seems that the majority still consider our local music scene to be vibrant, uplifting, fun, sexy and exciting – but no longer important, mainstream or inspiring. The survey also found that those over the age of 25 are much more likely to have visited the island than today’s teenagers, which again suggests a groundswell of changing musical tastes that are in danger of leaving Ibiza stranded in musical terms. It indicates that ‘Modern Rock’ (e.g. Green Day, Snow Patrol, U2 and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers) and ‘Indie Rock’ (the Arctic
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Monkeys, Kasabian, the Fratellis and Babyshambles) are the genres preferred by those surveyed. These were followed by Current Chart pop, Hip Hop, Rap and Urban. Dance music claimed 8th place, which will be a disappointment to many of our island’s musical policymakers. Despite this Ibiza still remains the third most popular destination for a music-orientated break or holiday, behind only Glastonbury and Thai full moon parties. The survey was conducted by Europe’s foremost research consultancy for entertainment and music, Entertainment Media Research, and commissioned by one of the largest companies in the world, Sony Ericsson, as a way of evaluating their ongoing sponsorship of Ibiza Rocks. It was a vote for or against supporting the Ibiza Rocks policy of bringing cutting edge new acts to Ibiza to play to intimate crowds on the beach. Sony must have been very pleased with the results of the survey, which showed Ibiza Rocks to be rated more highly than the island generally in all
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of the positive adjectives used in the survey – vibrant, uplifting, fun, in vogue, exciting, strong, fashionable, inspiring… the list goes on. A lot of this has been down to the promoters’ ability to pick bands that were relatively unknown at the time, but are now returning as platinum selling No.1 artists. They have their finger on the pulse, you might say… From the glowing conclusions of the survey it would appear that we might expect to see some more established ‘name’ bands from years gone by, and new venues around the island that can cater for the larger crowds they will inevitably pull this summer. So, look forward to the island’s musical future with optimism…
H u n g ove r S t u n t m e n hilst on the subject of little known bands returning as a success story, we are proud to announce that the Hungover Stuntmen will be back in May showcasing their debut album, ‘Blame the BBC’.
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You may recall that we reported last July that they were recording at the studio of Andy Taylor, the ex-Duran Duran guitarist, here on the island. During their stay we befriended them and clearly made such an impression that they’ve credited the IbizaNOW magazine on the artwork of their new CD! A quintessentially British rock and roll band, and a really nice bunch of talented northern lads, you can see them when they open the new Ibiza Rocks Hotel ‘live lounge’ in Sant Antoni on May 28th. Alternatively, since the album was released on April 28th, you could always grab a copy and get to know the tunes before their next appearance at Ibiza Rocks this summer.
I b i z a R o ck s H o t e l awn from Ibiza Rocks kindly gave us a guided tour this month of the work in progress at the new Ibiza Rocks Hotel in Sant Antoni. At the entrance to the hotel will be a supermarket and an Ibiza Rocks shop with branded merchandise, jewellery and other treats. Inside there is a high end diner style area with over 20 types of homemade burgers and salads etc, next to that is a small bar and the VIP section, which also opens out onto a terrace overlooking the main pool area. Add to that pizza delivered from the island’s El Pirate Pizzeria on-site and all of your culinary needs are catered for! The second pool area will be more of a chill-out space with loungers, sofas etc. The whole of the entrance and lobby area is being redecorated and another side bar put in, again with sofas, large settees etc. In the lobby there will also be 2 unique settees made from a pair of antique baths! By the main pool area is a large terrace and the main bar area below the 1st floor terrace. Here there’s also a stage for any live gigs, (e.g. the resident bands that will be playing), a comedy stage and the venue for Ibiza rocks after-parties. All of this area will be soundproofed to enable the evening’s entertainment to proceed undisturbed. Along one side of the length of the room will be a series of velvet curtained “booths” with sofas etc. There’s also an XBox room which will be fully manned throughout the summer with a range of free XBox games and consoles that anyone can use. There is also a penthouse apartment consisting of 5 rooms which will accommodate the visiting bands. In addition to all of that there’s a tennis court, a gym and free wifi. This is going to be the place to be if you want to rock in Ibiza...
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C o n f i r m e d I b i z a R o ck s Summer Line-up 31st May – The Enemy plus Underground Heroes at Ibiza Rocks Hotel launch 17th June – The Pigeon Detectives plus support 1st July – The Wombats plus support 8th July – The Fratellis plus support 22nd July – We Are Scientists plus support 26th August – Soulwax / 2ManyDJ's 9th September – Pendulum Live plus guests IbizaNOW 5/2008 53
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MUSIC From history to pioneer, this year
Pike’s Hotel Pike’s Hotel near Sant Antoni is back on the Ibiza music scene this year with a vengeance. Anthony Pike, the charming owner renowned for his iconic parties, explains that the renovations, by internationally acclaimed designer Bruno Reymond of Maison de l’elephant, and the new ideas they’re introducing this year will both bring the hotel back to life for the summer and return it somewhat to its original roots. he famous Poolside bar will once again be a destination for all those wanting to experience a piece of Pike’s history. The concept is to bring the bar to life from 3pm to 1am with a mix of live and digital performances combined with special guest appearances from both famous and noted musical talent. The poolside terrace has been transformed into a comfortable and magical open-air, twinkling oasis at which to sip champagne and take in the breathtaking views, while listening to those infamous Ibiza vibes. Impromptu performances and one off appearances will be a regular experience on a daily basis. To this end the infamous ‘Pike’s Breakfast Club’ is to be relaunched having previously boasted regular customers of the ilk of Freddy Mercury, Grace Jones, Julio Englais, Kylie Minogue,
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Anthony advertising Winston cigarettes
Naomi Campbell and, of course, some of the most famous DJ names in the world. During the late 70’s and 80’s Pikes Hotel was the only place to see and be seen on Ibiza and the setting of some of the most notorious parties that this era had ever seen. Having featured in many auto-biographies and as the setting for one of the most famous pop videos in history, Wham’s Club Tropicana, the hotel has not changed one single bit since its golden era. Until now… The Pike’s Breakfast Club will be a new and important feature revived from the early days, where a new and extensive full breakfast and bar menu will include everything from the classic full English Pike’s breakfast to Frozen Bloody Marys. Global radio will be teaming up with Pike’s for the summer, hosting Saturday sessions each week in the morning and transmitting to the Island (and Europe) live. They will be featuring International guest DJ’s and artists, so this is sure to be a popular pre-beach, meeting place to hangout, relax and get in the mood for the day ahead. The new Plaza Mayor restaurant, serving award-winning International cuisine, features an ‘a la carte’ menu full of modern international dishes, but with a modern Spanish twist highlighting the cosmopolitan nature of Ibiza, but retaining the heritage of Spanish cuisine. A couple of special one off events are scheduled this summer in Pike’s arena, which holds up to 500 people and can be expected to attract some of the most recognised and loved parties and island institutions e.g. Ibiza Rocks. Expect famous faces and performances from the most talented music names in the world periodically through the summer months. ■ IbizaNOW 6/2008
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Lenny Ibizarre
The early morning sound of Europe’s No. 1 party island … and nothing to do with after-hours parties It may appear that there’s not been much going on recently on the Ibiza music scene, as most of those involved in the island’s nightlife patiently waited for the annual explosion of activity that is the season’s opening at the end of last month. However, there are some musicians living and working on the islands to whom the six month season is complete anathema. One such is Lennart Krarup, known by millions around the world as ‘Lenny Ibizarre’, whose 14 years of DJing, producing and remixing have earned him such accolades as ‘Lord of Ibiza Ambient music’ whilst his music now appears on over four million records. Notably his first album ‘The Ambient Collection’ in 1979, which received rave reviews and his ‘Chilled Ibiza’ compilation series with Warner UK which went multi-platinum, selling well over a million copies. You might say he’s one of the finer examples of Ibiza’s musical legacy over the last decade. So what has this 35 year old hyperactive hippy been up to this winter? aving firmly established himself as one of the leading lights on the Ibiza Ambient and Chillout scene, Lenny is also starting to make his mark as an outstanding DJ and is now focusing on international gigs. His DJing style should not be filed under ‘chill-out’, more recent work often has an overtly dance feel, even tending towards eclectic progressive house and techno at times. A case in point is his new dance track ‘Night of the Shackle Shaker’, which was snapped up by Clubstar for their new ‘In Bed with Space 08’ compilation. As a producer he continues to remix high profile artists. With The Doors, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and Desmond Dekker already amongst his growing list of prestigious clients, we understand that the latest rumour is that he’s moved on to Ray Charles… having just finished a downtempo Jazz Remix of Radiohead´s Creep. His music is being licensed all over the place, including the new Café del Mar release, the Pikes compilation and a fascinating new EMI compilation featuring Massive Attack and Pink Floyd with tracks by the likes of Floyd, Massive Attack and Blur. The album cover features an early 70’s photo of Floyd at what looks like the Croissant Show in Ibiza. Lenny is also hosting his own radio show every weekend throughout the summer on Sonica (95.2 FM). This will not be a chill-out show but will include all sorts of unusual material as he features selected exclusive sets from some of the finest DJs from around the globe. You might, for example, notice sound-bites from Grand Theft Auto, the latest buzz amongst musicians struggling to find an outlet for their more unusual talents. Anyone who has sampled the delights of GTA will realize that this is the latest hip cult to which the kids are flocking – because it’s everything music used to be – it’s dangerous. Ibizarre Records, founded in 1997, has been fairly low profile for the past few years but decided last year to take the next step and expand. With new additions to the team, notably the arrival of Philipp as label manager, they have increased their focus on signing new artists. Several of these are Brazilian singer songwriters produced by top South American producers. As a result the label is now growing at a phenomenal pace. How-
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ever, this is not a capitalist record company but a label run by, and for, artists. Despite their true Ibiza roots the record company offer major label production quality with four studios around the island, artwork from one of the finest designers in the world and, as a result of Lenny’s previous success they are financially sound with a list of acclaimed international artists amongst their clients. Nonetheless, they insist upon concentrating their efforts on supporting other local artists and businesses – generally anything to do with Ibiza. For this reason they would love to hear from any new artists of all musical styles, who are invited to submit demos of their work to the address on their website, www.ibizarre.com. (CD’s please as downloads often take too long and consequently get forgotten!). The record company will be releasing two singles and four albums this summer and these are not simply internet downloads – these are ‘physical releases, like CDs and vinyl.
Lennart Krarup a.k.a Lenny Ibizarre
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Los Fabulosos The world music scene London style Los Fabulosos is a world music night that will feature some of Europe’s finest world music DJs playing tropical sounds from the favelas of Brazil to the barrios of Panama plus Columbian and Latin vibes. Music styles will include, Samba, Cumbia, Salsa, and Afrobeat. Lenny with new label manager Philipp The first single will be a jazz version of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ with Eliza Lumley, whose album ‘She Talks in Maths’ went straight to No.1 on the iTunes jazz chart, the second is ‘Jogo Bom’ by Viva Varjao performed by Lua. The name means ‘the beautiful game’ in Portugese and the tune is classic chill-out. The four albums include a double CD of chill-out lounge and dance featuring the best of a decade of Ibizarre, ‘Mantis’ written and produced by Igor and Dan, aka ‘Pig & Dan’, doing classic Balearic Chill-out, rather than techno, a DJ Awards based double CD mix (more info to follow next month) and Sunset People written and produced by Steen Thottrup of Café del Mar fame and featuring the vocals of our own local hero, Katy McGregor. As if all of that wasn’t enough Encripted records, an underground label Philipp and Lenny have just created has, as its first release in the first week of June, an EP called ’Santa Katamina’ by Monoxcide in deference to the Southern Brazilian town of ‘Santa Catalina’, which is the home of the renowned ‘Warung’ night club in a Balinese beach hut – rated as one of the top five clubs in the world. Last, but not least, is their the new booking agency run by Philipp with 8 full time and 6 part time jocks at the moment. They’re obviously doing well to keep so many in employment, but when you see their names and the list of venues they’re servicing it all becomes clear: Artists include Valentin Huedo (resident at Café del Mar since 18, and who many feel could be the new Lenny), Nima Gorji, Orli&Martie, who just hit the Beatport Progressive Charts at number 5 with ‘White Flower’, Rico Loop who just did a spontaneous live jam at Savannah that completely blocked the Sunset Strip, and Deep Dive Corporation. Venues: Pacha, Space, Privilege, Underground, Aura, Blue Marlin, Pikes and Café del Mar, Savannah and Mambos pre-parties on possibly the most relevant strip for both sunsets and the music scene in the Balearics. For the latter two, Christian has now taken over from his Dad, Javier (the Mambo king), and is doing a fabulous job. Reputedly they do the finest ‘solomillo’ on the island, but you’ll have to pay them a visit to find out their secret… All in all it would appear that Lenny is doing his bit to enhance the island’s musical reputation. He might, in fact, accurately be described as a musical philanthropist… ■
os Fab will be held every Thursday night at Somni, under the Hotel Ibiza Playa, in the Paseo Maritimo de Figueretes, starting 19th June. Los Fab is promoted by British husband and wife team, Kevin and Elsa Baxter, who recently left their jobs as journalists on The Times to move to the island. Los Fab has grown out of the hugely popular world music parties that are being thrown in Dalston and Shoreditch, in East London. The area has become a magnet for some incredible musicians and DJs from around the world, who have teamed up with the local cognoscenti to promote events that are taking the city by storm. Kevin and Elsa felt that it was time that Ibiza got a taste of the action. Los Fab’s DJ line-up for the summer makes for impressive reading. Hugo Mendez of Soundway Records and Lewis Robinson formerly of cult Brazilian label Far Out, but now label manager of Nascente Records, have signed on as residents for the summer with Frank Merritt and Jono Baggaley also playing dates. “For the opening party we’re really delighted to have secured London’s legendary Sofrito Collective to kick the season off in style. They are currently organising parties across the globe, including a massive night in New York, so for them to play our opening party is a real coup for us.” “Our DJs mix together the different genres of South American music in a way that really needs to be heard to be believed. I think the party people of Ibiza are going to absolutely love it.” Somni is currently being completely refurbished and has been kitted out with superb sound and lighting systems. Boasting two rooms and a chill out bar that looks out onto the beach through a huge glass wall, the club is not short of Ibizan glamour and style. Check their website: www.myspace.com/losfab for more details and DJ line-ups. The opening party is on June 19th ■
L
IbizaNOW 6/2008
55
Music
Sonic Vista Studios Master of mastering...
Continuing on our voyage of exploration of the music makers of the island and their studios, we bring you the low profile but highly successful Sonic Vista Studios and its resident Mastering Engineer – L. Henry Sarmiento II
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IbizaNOW 1/2009
roudly perched on the top of a hill stands a four hundred year old finca with stunning views out to Formentera and the sun setting in the west. It’s not hard to imagine why an inspired Ibicenco chose this spot to build his home. Nowadays little has changed – the walls are a metre thick and heavy sabina beams support the ceilings – but this finca is now home to ‘state of the art’ music technology, which could very easily make it the best equipped music studio on the island. Henry, the studio executive, has clearly heard us coming up his camino and we find him on the outside terrace, despite the unseasonably cold weather. After a swift introduction he asks us what we want, which is perfectly reasonable under the circumstances, so we explain that we’re exploring the island to find out what the various studios are working on over the winter to further enhance the island’s reputation as a haven for artists. We cite last year’s visit to the studios of Ibizarre Records and last month’s trip to ‘Too Much Music’, pointing out that the Cretu studio is too much in limbo to justify a visit at the moment, even if we’d received an invitation… Satisfied, Henry invites us to take our shoes off then invites us in. He must be psychic, or it could be the time he‘s spent in Spain, but he says ”If you guys smoke, do it now, not once we go inside! “We soon understand why smoking in the studio is forbidden and shoes stand in rows by the doormat. Every precaution is being taken to keep dust – that eternal enemy of delicate electronic equipment – at bay, and when you see the array that turns his desk into a veritable pilot’s flight desk, you can sympathise. Henry reveals that he too is compiling information on the other studios around the island. However, this is not because he’s worried about potential competition, but because he has a suspicion that Ibiza has more ‘studios’ producing music per capita than anywhere else in the world. He views this as positively good news and ultimately as proof that Ibiza’s musical legacy is bound to remain in good hands for generations to come, by virtue of the sheer volume that can potentially be produced. It may not all be good, but a percentage will be… L. Henry Sarmiento II is irrepressively positive. A native New Yorker, half Swedish, half Columbian, his family’s tradition as lawyers has endowed him with a razor sharp mind twinned with a New Yorker’s intolerance of fools. A quick glance at his client list is sufficient for us to shut up and listen as he describes a past that has seen him involved in his field since the age of sixteen, including an apprenticeship in the heart of Silicon Valley.
He knows the music business inside out and the parade of high-powered friends who choose to take their time out lounging around his pool, or visiting the island’s highlights with him, incognito, defies belief. He shows us around the other studios. The first contains a self-contained, but mobile, recording studio, which he uses to provide Sony Ericsson with their live recordings at Ibiza Rocks’ gigs. It could equally be used on the road for a broadcastable recording of a full symphony orchestra on tour. The studio in the adjacent entrada to the finca contains a full drum kit and ample room for a full live band to lay down their finest tracks. It soon becomes clear that Henry is not a slave to any particular genre of music. He is a Mastering Engineer who prepares either a band or DJ’s mix for the final cut that will eventually hit the streets. He’s not concerned with the musical content, as long as it’s good enough to put his name to, and he’ll probably tell you up front if that’s going to be a problem. One gets the impression that he’s not in this for the money, and that’s actually the key to his success… His main concern is that the ’sound’ is optimized to the maximum. This also explains why you won’t find him advertising for work, or even a sign indicating the way to the studios. His many clients contact him digitally and by referral from other satisfied clients. We don’t have enough room to list all of these, but if we begin with iTunes, Ms. Dynamite, German singer Jeanette Biedermann, Shakira, Pacha, Café del Mar, Paco Fernandez, Andy Taylor and recordings of 600 year old traditional Ibicenco songs in conjunction with the Ajuntamet de Santa Eulària, you’re probably beginning to get the picture? Before we leave, Henry fills us in on his plans for the next few months. We’re sworn to secrecy under a cold full moon, but can promise that in just a few months we’ll be able to bring you news that will warm the hearts of every aspiring musician on the islands – even if their ‘studio’ is a laptop in their bedroom…. n