Carl Cox’s nights at Space are always sky-high successful but this particular week sent the Ibiza clubbers in to orbit with a line-up including Catz ‘N Dogz, Art Department and Julio Bashmore playing in the Covered Terrace and Carl Cox, Hector and Davide Squillace in the Main. We sent our writers to cover each room, so nobody had to miss a beat.
Expectedly, the Main Room was packed to the rafters, leaving ravers in The Terrace with reasonable room to two-step and a more of an intimate ambiance. Having said that, it was by no means empty and the atmosphere was one of the best that I’ve experienced in Space.
Cats ‘N Dogs finished their impressive set at half two, making way for Canadian duo Art Department. As individuals, both house/techno giant Kenny Glasgow and rising star/No.19 label owner Jonny White are regarded as innovative underground producers. Put the two together, add an overexcited ice cannon and you get a ultramodern, synth-fuelled DJ set with a hard-hitting bass. The crowd were equally ecstatic with party-goers raising their hands to the booth in an ‘A’ formation in appreciation.
The crossover between the Canadians and Bristol-born Julio Bashmore was so smooth that if I hadn’t of been jiving right in front of the DJ booth the transition would have slipped by me, undetected. Although two very different styles, the two sets complimented each other perfectly; the distinctive futuristic beats of Art Department slid in to Bashmore’s samba-style sound effortlessly.
Of course, his two smashes Au Seve and Battle for You were played and of course the revellers went wild but there was so much more to his mix. I’d seen him play at Manchester’s Warehouse Project last October with a show full of high energised house tracks but at Space he delivered a more down tempo, low frequency, restrained vibe…contrasting Carl Cox.
Wearing a fisherman’s/bucket hat, Bashmore reached in to his bag and pulled out two vinyls, a rare sight for a DJ in Ibiza today. As the founder of Broardwalk Records, Julio Bashmore is a forward-thinking DJ and producer that is never one to follow the crowd, constantly pushing the boundaries of dance music’s sub-genre deep house. In short, his out of this world set was not one to be missed making it a sonic night at Space.
- Francesca
Devastating news regarding Marco Carola’s illness left us all upset not only from his Music On absence, but his take over this week at Space. A tech heavy spin on Revolution, there was no hiding from the build up on the island surround this night. Keeping things a bit underground, DC-10 regular and italian native, Davide Squillace served as his replacement revolutionizing the lineup this week. Stripping back his usual techno sound, Sqillace hit us with a house heavy set making us all forget tonight was about anyone else but him. Vocal heavy tracks like Music is Moving by Filthy Rich and Pulse by Karmin kept us all moving, sweeping us with heavy energetic buildups.
Half three marked the beginning of Carl Cox’s takeover, doors were locked, Space was filled to capacity and the countdown informing us of the ride we just stepped onto has begun. The crowd hot and sweaty pushed to the front eagerly seeking attention from Coxie as his kick heavy techno began to roll in. Grinding and relentless kick drum surged through the crowd as Doch by Hinz & Ruhmhardt was mixed seamlessly, drawing out the single organ bassline and hypnotizing even the most stubborn soul. With a seemingly endless library of music, he brings such diversity to his sets by freely exploring various subgenres of electronic music. Cox embodies the true meaning of performer, as music is only one piece of his dynamic masterpiece. He is able to capture the audience with visual displays, personality and an energy that is seriously magnetic. I mean come on, the guy even has his own catchphrase! That’s how you know you’ve really made it in life.
Kyroman (a giant robot covered in LED lights) made a special appearance last night, making even the industry regulars turn their heads to take a look. Hanging from the ceiling, the robot spun around shooting out flames into the air igniting the start of peak season. Cox continued to command the dancefloor by playing his iconic housey sound filled with rich, deep, vocal heavy tracks keeping everyone buzzing. Tuesday’s on the island have been both a blessing and a curse for me. Monday’s don’t serve as much of a recovery day from the weekend and well I don’t think Wednesday’s have ever seen me with a fresh face of make up. The thing that always seems to draw me in, is the consistency behind these great nights. Never a dull moment, his music captures all of my dance phases throughout night: drunkest girl at the party (belting them whitney lyrics), lazy (thank god for the dancefloor sit down), overly energetic (double handed techno fist pump is something I have gotten too familiar with) and of course my flirtatious moments (also known as my heinous kiss facey expression, which are deleted from camera roll within a matter of seconds the next morning.) - Sara Mcnutt
WORDS | Sara McNutt + Francesca Evans PHOTOGRPAHY | James Chapman
