Friday night was pure insanity at Pacha’s weekend starter party, Insane. Knowing that Insane delves towards the realms of underground in the scheme of Pacha line-ups, I was excited to see what the evening would bring. With John Digweed, Hot Since 82, and Reboot curating some of the hottest tracks, I didn’t think that was going to be a problem.
Armed with my clutch and my heels I approached the iconic Ibiza town club where the Insane logo hung high above the entrance, surrounded by huge blow up dinosaurs as well as a whirlwind of people queueing to get in. Once inside I was surprised to see that the DJ booth had been moved to the tribunal-like stairs entering the main room. This took a little time getting used to but I must admit that I enjoyed the fact that I had Hot Since 82 at pretty much eye level on the dance floor, killing it with his tunes including a rendition of his own track, Voices. Just before Hot Since 82, it was Insane resident John Digweed on the decks, who deftly maneuvered the crowd as only a man that has been with Insane since its beginning could.
I’ve always loved how Pacha transforms its interior for all the different parties, so that you always feel like you're discovering yet another corner of the club. For Insane the club was dressed to the nines in tropical spheres, continuing the theme of blow up dinosaurs, palm trees, sexy go-go dancers – and a few stray pineapples. The flannel clad crowd was slightly more subdued than the friendly mosh pit of Aoki last week but grooving none the less as Hot Since 82 continued to take us on a journey through the realms of grooving deep house.
Taking a break from the main room mayhem, I prowled my way to the Funki Room where I’ve secretly often had the best times at Pacha, to see Scott Gray and Gregory Graff doing an impromptu funky and soulful back-to-back session - with funky room legend Vaughn boogying on down to their tunes. Before I knew it, it was time to go back to the main room as I wanted to see the Reboot take over, and the change in music was immediately noticeable. The music dropped an octave, and even the lights were dimmed. A darker stormier sound came out the speakers with a heavier tech set that held the crowd in absolute captivity. Just before closing time I managed to break myself away and me and my heels decided it was time to take that cab ride back home.
WORDS | Maya Dupont PHOTOGRAPHY | Tatiana Chausovsky
