Sunday’s are not a day of rest on this island. For the past seventeen weeks the legendary We Love… parties have been taking over the weekend’s end and transforming it in to the new pinnacle of the week with stellar line-ups and top notch electro that kept us dancing well into the AM. Although it has been a staple in Space’s calendar for over a decade (impressive!), We Love… still managed to out-do itself this summer by cranking up the party power to a level ten and returning to its daytime merriment roots by opening at the earlier time of 4:30pm. This season saw the biggest names in house, techno and electro take to the decks at the Playa d’en Bossa venue, filling it to the brim even when all five separate areas were open to the party-goers.
Titivating the turntables of the ample Discoteca at half past midnight, Gorgon City supplied their signature, polished and potent sound. Mixing their chart-topping classics with funky, hypnotic beats like My Roots (Tech House Edit) by Roger Sanchez, the English pair served up a mid-tempo melting pot infused with weighty rhythms and a forceful bass.
As Annie Mac took over from the dynamic duo, playing the tune that’s everywhere right now from Amnesia to Sankeys (that is Tiga’s belter Bugatti by the way), Skream began his tribal-saturated deep-house mix in the Terrace. The futuristic underground tones of Percolator by Cajmere (Riva Starr Remix) lead the UK producer’s set further down avenues of tech house.
Irish twosome Bicep were up next, displaying their distinctive, raw-edged, analogue house beats. The minimal yet cosmic drones of Mono Electricien (Original Mix) made it crystal clear their set was to be a very underground affair while the stripped back bassline of DJ Hyperactive’s 25 Hours (Original Mix) kept the clubbers yearning for more. As they effortlessly propelled the party-goers back up to a perkier atmosphere to the tune of up-tempo Le Onzieme Marche (Paul’s Mix) by Agoria, the pair left on a high around 5am.
Meanwhile the Discoteca was ablaze with chart smashes and sing-along house thanks to UK quad squad and certified party animals Rudimental. The foursome played their latest offering Not Giving In feat. John Newman and Alex Clare to an animated and enthusiastic crowd. This crew had it all nailed. There was an ice cannon, there were streamers, there was one member of Rudimental stood on the DJ booth in a flowery shirt. There was a live trumpet player in a baseball cap. There was LOTS of jumping around, selfies being took by the band and, uh oh, the flowery shirt seemed to make its way off said Rudimental member’s back and in to the whooping crowd below. The quartet teased ravers with a mash-up of hard-hitting, heavy, thumping Higher Ground by TNGT before easing in to a remix of the bluesy Ray Charles number Hit the Road Jack. Reigniting the revellers with Sigma’s summer anthem Nobody to Love, Rudimental encouraged the holiday-makers to “Jump! Jump! Jump!” then handed the mic over to the trumpet player for him to deliver an impressive solo to the soundtrack of Feel The Love. Defected favourite MK was showing support for the lads in the back of the booth and when I asked him who his favourite artist of night was he replied “Rudimental, of course,” without missing a beat.
So Rudimental proved a tough act to follow but techno jedi James Zabiela had it covered - no sweat. After dropping a more space-age remix of Bugatti (I told you, this track is everywhere!), Zabiela kept the futuristic vibe in full flow with Mak and Pasteman’s filthy bass-fuelled Jam One (Original Mix), pushing Space’s speakers to their absolute limit.
Rounding off the night with Paul Woolford back in the Terrace was a smart choice. The converse-wearing UK DJ kept spirits high and bodies moving to the soundtrack of Flylife Xtra by Basement Jaxx, taking a dip in to more digital territory as the night meandered past the 6am mark.
Although the night boasted a very UK orientated roster, We Love… delivered what it does best and has done solidly throughout the 2014 season. Monday morning blues, what Monday morning blues?
WORDS | Francesca Evans PHOTOGRAPHY | We Love...
