Ibiza lay down a celestial sound channel to Cologne’s famed house and techno vibrations with the first of Kompakt Total’s feverishly anticipated Space Kehakuma takeovers. The result? Divinely sublime. Kehakuma’s moody aesthetic with its dark-hued washes of red surrounding the caged lithe dancers was exquisitely compatible with the rich depths of electronica reverberating through the terraza quarter.
While some may find it odd that the label hadn’t set sail for the Balearics until this year, Kompakt bid its time and seized 2015 as its defining moment to create something special with Space – a venue personally favoured by Mayer. Joined by Mayer in the first of the four residencies were German house vet Roman Flügel, Mexican-German duo Pachanga Boys, and a billed special guest.
Mayer last year observed that his Ibiza dates invigorated a crowd who embraced Kompakt’s sound, and I found the terrace’s turnout, under the Pachanga Boy’s ear candy cascading command, in nothing other than full appreciation mode. Bus-related challenges meant I had missed the ever-unusual Roman Flügel, but Pachanga Boys came in with a blistering set with irresistible body-morphing invited soundscapes that engulfed your aural senses. A complete and utter pleasure dome was lit as the pair orbited with evoking drums, synths, bass and melody loops. Momentum set, man of the label Micheal Mayer took control of the electronica experimentation, rolling through a catalogue of catalyst tracks which unapologetically instructed withdrawing from fellow revelers as quickly as it had you connecting with anyone who wanted to invite you into their world of aural pleasure. Quite the trip.
Kehakuma’s minimalism is pitted against the audiovisual nose dive into mayhem in the El Row takeover that explodes just a few feet away. As if to form a parallel between the two – albeit a fleeting one – Seth Troxler, the evening’s headliner of El Row, was unveiled as Mayer’s special guest of the evening in a surprise B2B session. It was an appearance that flexed Troxler’s dexterity in seamlessly transitioning between rhythmically charging a crowd juiced on inflated dramatics and confetti, to one where it is simply the sound system that commands stilted dominance.
Three Kompakt sessions left, be sure not to miss the next!
WORDS | Aimee Lawrence PHOTOGRAPHY | Kehakuma
