It's getting to that point in the season where things begin to get a little quieter in the gap between the peak of summer and closing parties; a time to take things a bit easier and mentally prepare yourself for the massive events that are just around the corner. For me it's been as good a time as any to think back on the countless parties I've been to over the past three months and it made me realise: I've still not been to a trance night out here. With a desire to try something new and the horrid thought that my friends and I are heading home soon perpetually lingering in the back of my mind, it felt like there was no better time to take the plunge and head down to Privilege's Vista Club to check out Sunk, a new night for 2014 run by Driftwood, the guys responsible Captured Festival and Ibiza's biggest trance and progressive boat parties. With such established party organisers, I headed to Privilege with the knowledge that I was I was in safe hands for my first trance night on the white isle.
Arriving to the club at around 2am, I stuck around the smoking area of the vista club for a good few minutes to soak in the scenery, atmosphere and of course, to check out the stunning views of Dalt Vila and Ibiza Town from the viewing platform of the San Rafael super-club (something I do every time I go). As relaxed as the smoking area was, the dancefloor awaiting me was a completely different story. Surprisingly, the Vista Club was decorated very minimally. I've already been to Saturday night's The Pharm techno party at Vista Club and distinctly remember the room being made to look like an asylum, so it was actually nice to see all the extra decorations taken away and more focus being thrown on the party and the music itself. When I think of trance music these days I instantly think of a Tomorrowland size stage and decorations of epic proportions (borne out of my own prejudices most likely), but the stripped back approach to the night completely did away with all my preconceived thoughts and to be fair, the Vista Club is a great room for a party with or without extra décor.
As I walked in I found Super8 & Tab already in full flow. I'd heard good things about the headliners and made my way straight to the dancefloor to see for myself. Instead of being greeted by the usual four to the floor bass-driven house I was met with an epically soulful vocal and a phaser-heavy crescendo unlike most tracks I usually hear on nights out. One thing I've always admired in trance is the bipolarity of the music – one minute you hear something dreamy and euphoric and in seconds the mood changes as the sound shifts to thumping kicks and growling basslines, and you're left there on the dancefloor in awe of how one managed to evolve into the other so smoothly.
Whenever I hear a DJ play music that I don't generally listen to, I'm always keen to hear how mixing differs between genres and hear techniques I haven't heard before – Super8 did not disappoint, giving a master class in smooth transitioning and air tight switch-ups capable of turning the head of any stubborn house or/and techno lover. If you stand in the centre of the room in the middle of the powerful Funktion One soundsystem, prepare to be swept away with the music regardless of taste. There's no better way to experience new music than to fully immerse yourself in a good sound system and to get in the middle of a crowd who love are already won over by the music. Super8 & Tab's set was a great way to kick off my potential new clubbing style and get a feel of what trance music is like without the frills and gratuitousness.
Menno De Jong was next to step up to the decks, and he felt no need to warm-up the floor before launching straight into a pounding, fast techno piece that instantly got the attention of everybody in the room. De Jong completely did away with subtlety throughout the mix, opting instead for monumental build-ups and punching percussion that attracted more people into the building and got everybody up on their feet moving. On the drop of each and every track, I noticed that the lighting and the visuals on the screens around the Vista Club were perfectly synchronised with the beat, adding a completely different dimension to the music. On top of that, the confetti cannons were a great addition and a really effective way of livening up the crowd. All of these little moments combined with the euphoria of the music gave a feel good factor that you seldom get at a lot of house and techno events.
All in all, I found Sunk to be a pretty impressive party, and it's just unfortunate that the floor wasn't as busy as it should have been. There is an undeniable irony that Privilege, billed as the biggest club in the world, delivers a trance night more intimate than most trance parties I've seen both in Ibiza and at home. However, when you consider the hype that surrounds Carl Cox's Revolution at Space and Together at Amnesia, it's not surprising that people get swept away with the crowd and forget that this little hidden treasure for trance and progressive lovers is also in full flow, and with the price of a ticket considerably cheaper than other parties on a Tuesday night, it's definitely one worth remembering.
WORDS | Janson Goldberg PHOTOGRAPHY | Tillate.com
