Take the Next Step. Richie Hawtin's Enter concept promises insightful futurism; a space completely transformed; audio from the forerunners of cutting-edge music and a unique social experience - for the most part the Opening Party of the M-nus heads second season in Ibiza delivered. Last year saw Enter command a media frenzy as it covered the island in its dark and circular shadow. In the summer interim Hawtin took Enter around the globe - from Chile to South Africa to London - building the brand and substituting Enter for all things previously labelled 'M-nus'. This season the party boasts an even higher level of production, a broader music policy - with the introduction of the new Enter.MIND room - and an increased focus on the importance of 'concept'.
In comparison to other venues on the island Space can at times feel a little cold. Without a leafy interior or ageing stone to provide character the club - with its many rooms - is perfect for complex production undertakings. Enter takes things to a new level. Delicately lit Japanese screens clad the walls of the Sunset terrace, thick black drapes criss-crossed the ceiling of the Terreza whilst in El Salon - now Enter.MIND - veils, muted red orbs and the smell of manufactured smoke conjured a slightly spooky atmosphere. This, and the bespoke Japanese-fusion cocktails certainly seemed to spirit the club and its patrons away from the surrounding island.
Hawtin took to a microphone in the Sake bar to wish everyone an exciting and enjoyable night. The enchanted crowds were only too eager to please. Paco Osuna began proceedings in the main room dwarfed by a giant Enter spot and guarded on either side by yawning industrial fans. As usual he delivered a solid set laced with sneaking Latin motifs and simplistic heft. Confronted with a smorgasbord of new and returning artists it fast came apparent that spreading oneself between the different rooms at all times was a difficult task. In the new Enter.MIND room the vibe was thick, heavy and hushed. The new room aims to explore more experimental avenues of electronica bringing drone, musique concrète and more avant-garde musings to the island. '.thejass.', a visual artist and DJ from Brooklyn stood hooded, head bowed and presented a haunting style he calls 'murdered out techno'. Although consumers wandered into the eerie space with slight trepidation the addition of such left-field sounds to the islands musical portfolio is a brave and thrilling development. British duo Demdike Stare followed with a live piece shrouded in gravelly distortion. Spinning a rough, black and textured landscape the inclusion of more creative artists into the Enter fold is juxtaposed by the opening up of its other musical areas. The Terrace and season line-up overall boasts many artists who lie in the more commercial realms of the scene and who play at events far removed from the Enter concept. This year sees a lack of artist exclusivity and if the party with the strongest identity is bowing to it, the waters may yet become muddier.
Gaiser, one of the original M-nus prodigies took to the main room next. The extreme popularity of the prolific producer has meant that whilst constantly performing one cannot also create new studio material. It was refreshing then to hear a live set composed of nearly entirely fresh sounds as Gaiser refused to rely on the anthemic tracks of his past. The trademark compression-heavy bounce still bubbles up in droves but generally speaking his sound has matured into a lighter, more poppy affair which should see his audience markedly increase.
On the Premier Etage - Enter.Air - L.A based producer Photek wrestled against a poor sound system to present an intriguing mash of drum, bass and tech anomalies. The British born producer makes sounds that have a certain bright-eyed mystery to them and the soft wind of the Terrace seemed to compliment his sonic exploration.
Hawtin himself took to the stage with less fan fare than usual - simply mixing into Gaiser's closing track. His selection sound tracked a spooky game of techno catch and grab, using his trademark four deck mixing style to create a soundscape that was constantly undulating. Again, Hawtin seemed to push a slightly softened groove as - bathed in a pair of white spotlights - the Enter creator played to a room that was full to burst.
In the last few years fans and commentators will note that Hawtin and his team have continued a creeping departure away from the coat tails of their beloved minimal label towards a more accessible, softer aesthetic - and Ibiza is embracing it. In the overall delivery of the premier conceptual party on the island Hawtin and his team have frankly excelled. At no other night do you feel like you are part of something that has been so lovingly labored over. The camaraderie and mutual respect that Hawtin has built with Ibiza and his followers is present in every inch of Enter - it shall be interesting to see who is soon leading whom down the rabbit hole.
Photography by Igor Rubnik and James Chapman
