Windtalkers, a beastly Monday blizzard which rose from the rafters this season to give Privilege's Vista Club a good dousing of underground techno and tech-house, came to a close last night as the rest of Ibiza prepared to take a stormy hammering outside. You’ll know yourselves that the words you utter in amazement during a thunder and lightning storm are the ones that dribble out your mouths after an epic drench of the best techno has to offer, and last night was one of those occasions.
Coming in for the first installation of the Windtalker’s battering meant I was more than intrigued to see how this bad boy was doing nine weeks on. I rode out of that opening on a juicing of patriotic pride as Glaswegian techno duo Slam had peppered its progressive path alongside Marc Houle. A steady stream of heavyweights followed so I was really hoping I was going to find the night's billing, which included Vitalic, Andres Campos, Kintar and Nebu Mitte, cranking it out to a decent crowd in numbers and vibe.
I entered on Vitalic, the French electro and techno blender who over the years I’ve formed a bit of a turbulent relationship with purely down to overexcitement leading into copious measures and that tragic dive into the black hole of memory loss. I’ve kicked the arse out of Vitalic’s stuff on obsessive repeat; usually the day after one of my five regretful trips to see him live - enjoyable torture. I was dying for some of his tailor fitted savage sound, especially some of the classics off his 2005 album, Ok Cowboy or his 2009 album, Flashmob. Romantic disco is one that he’s been slapped with and Poison Lips is one which gives life to that descriptor down to a T, with its slightly haunting, very sexy, yet wholly unintelligible vocals that cascade through this number. Absolute diamond. Electro rollerball and dancefloor illuminator, Second Lives is another melodic riser of a smash and was suitably met on the crowd setting of seriously supercharged. He flaunted the classics and made sure his newer material was given a platform for the folks who haven’t got him MP3’d up in the form of Stamina, which for me personally contains vocal production elements I’m not mad about, but it’s an energiser alright. As he closed, for the first time I could consciously check out everyone’s faces and read that they had also lapped up every slice of music meat. I’ll not be waiting for a bronze badge in the post, but it’s a PB for the books eh.
Nebu Mitte didn’t muck about, straight on and in with Alan Fitzpatrick’s recent smasher that had us chompin’ at our toenails in anticipation, U Said U. Hearing its unmistakable melody coming through, it was more ‘I said AYE.” The intimate space in Privilege's Vista Club is a great space to fill and numbers had been at a healthy high, by now it had dipped but you know what, I’ve said it before and Pacha legend DJ Piti very recently lauded on the importance being on the crowd itself, not the number. A crowd of 50 could contain a stronger cut of energy than a 1000 crowd of packed in zombies. It’s true. With techno smashers going off with Psyk's Arcade and the like, there was space to move and let your limbs set off into whatever heat spot they wanted to probe; that is what creates a good party.
Closer of the closing, Kiraz brought the tempo down a notch into a bouncier tech-house sound with those who had settled themselves in for the ride until this point, not unlocking the seatbelts. Do You Feel Me (Dosem Remix) by NY’s Finest flowed through to maximum effect and another I never tire of hearing, Daft Punk’s Too Long smashed in just before the end. Not quite sun breaking time at 6am, too long it definitely wasn’t for most of us but the “one more tune” chant unfortunately couldn’t be obeyed.
For the opening I said that quality, intelligent dance music was there until the final minute and I’m pleased to say this was unquestionably repeated for the closing.
Until next year I hope. This one deserves to grow and evolve.
WORDS | Aimee Lawrence PHOTOGRAPHY | Windtalkers
