The biggest of the big names in dance were gathered and the accolades of aural achievments were dished in this year’s DJ Awards. In its 18th year, the “Meet on the Beat” themed ceremony held in Ibiza institution, Pacha, crowned the track selectors who have left our nervous systems scorched with paths of eargasmic tunage from the tech house arena to the bass banks.
There were the beacons and the well acquainted with Carl Cox holding his stand as the king of Techno and Solomun hailed as the champ of Deep House. It was a night of cherished memories for many, especially Black Coffee who crashed through as Breakthrough act and accepted the Dance Nation Of The Year award for South Africa. Hardwell banked in with two whammies in Electro/Progressive and, for the first time, International DJ. Armin Van Buuren, for the eighth time toppled the Trance quarter as Hannah Wants triumphed in Bass and Cuartero affirmed his position as Newcomer.
Presenters, Lucy Horobin and Des Paul also dished out 11 Special Awards on the night of celebrating dance music culture. In there was Manu Gonzalez with the 2015 title of Ibiza DJ. After a stormer DC10 residency, Life and Death landed Record Label of the Year. The psychedelic dipped new night on the calendar from newly opened venue Heart, Acid Sundays, won the Ibiza Night gong. In the Tech House reaches Luciano and Hot Since 82 shone through and the Disclosure duo scooped the Electronica title. Electronic Music Pioneer award went to the DJ´s DJ, Arthur Baker, who has been extremely influential in bringing over the sound of disco, garage and house from America to the UK. No doubt, one of the most hotly anticipated of the awards, track of the season, the one that has had us ear-locked from club to club, went to Frankie and Sandrino's celestial masterpiece Acamar.
The night of giving it up to the very best in dance was soundtracked by Pacha Ibiza resident and Seamless Recordings main man Graham Sahara and Martin Wilson gave a sizzling performance of one the Ibiza 2015 anthems, Marvinello. Pacha’s playground later laid its floors bare, for the masquerade themed DJ Awards Official Party with its packing of 2015 winners. Providing the sound wave cutters was Claptone, Arthur Baker who performed a live set combining analogue and digital with an 808, 303 and Maschine, B2B with Michel Cleis and Klement Bonelli before Cuartero closed.
A big, big night celebrating the creators of the magic juicers that taking us to Ibiza’s shores year after year. If you didn’t catch through Be-At.TV and Pioneerdjrdio’s live streaming, get some of the action from Lucky Life TV here: http://bit.ly/DJA2015Video
PHOTOGRAPHY | Pacha
