Not so long ago we featured Faruk Gandji as one of our Ibiza Island People where we talked about the life and times of KU, the club now known as Privilege. You can read the full interview HERE and the Dance Music History series on KU HERE. Essentially the parties he threw were some of the biggest, best and craziest that the island has ever seen in a club that was very much a different beast to the one we find on the island today. We’re talking young bulls running around the dancefloor, Mr and Mrs KU competitions, live performances from Queen and much, much more. I’ve found the photos on Faruk’s KU Ibiza Best Years Facebook page to be a fantastic way of putting the difference between then and now fully into perspective – check them out!
So, after a little while away from the spotlight of club promotion, Faruk has embarked upon this new project who’s mission it is to re-introduce a new musical genre on to the island – ‘Balearic Trance’ – which has existed in the relative underground until now, with some truly unique and wonderful performances from The Zap!, DJ Benji, Raja, ATMA, Prometheus, Sonic Species, DJ Andrei and DJ Joe Sonic… all on one of the most magical nights of the season as the event welcome’s in a full moon! And as the club has recently undergone elements of refurbishment with the creation of the new Vista Club room with views out towards Eivissa and the sunrise this will be of particular prominence at this event…
Enjoy these previews of the sound of MAGMA through these videos...
ATMA Video
Prometheus Video
Sonic Species Video
For those wanting to know more about Balearic Trance, with links to Psy-Trance, it’s best described by the people who plan to introduce it on to the island. They say, “Balearic Trance is the true continuation of the original Balearic Beat (the mix of dance music unique to Ibiza's clubbing culture during the 1980's and the sound that put Ibiza's musical scene on the global map). Balearic Trance remains true to its roots by combining a diverse variety of danceable trance music from all over the world, with an emphasis on Progressive and Psy Trance.”
“Due to the massive inflow of commercial House and Techno music brought to the island by foreign promoters, the Balearic Trance movement went underground seeking refuge on the north of the island and away from the main clubs. “
“Despite the island's massive commercialization, Balearic Trance has retained its integrity and continues to evolve and prosper. Growing demand among Ibiza's local youth for quality cutting edge trance music and home-grown energy conjoined with Balearic Trance's subversive nature, assert that the time has come to offer this trance-formative Ibiza experience on a larger scale.”
The first MAGMA party will be thrown at Privilege on Tuesday 3rd July, with the last party falling on September 11th – for which the party will be called REMEMBER.
Having met Faruk personally, you can hear and understand his passion and desire to combat what he, and many others, perceive as a changed Ibiza clubbing landscape, to bring back the days from the 80s for people both old and of course those looking for an new, interesting and exciting experience. As they say; ‘Dare To Be Balearic’.
KU: Ibiza Best years Facebook Page
