As I walked down the side of the road, I could already hear the tunes emanating from DC-10. Last night was the opening of Paradise and Jamie Jones was going b2b with Richy Ahmed in the infamous garden. The night started early - I was partying al fresco from 6 PM - so the sun still hadn't set yet but the crowd, not yet anywhere near capacity, absorbed the music eagerly. The first of many planes flew close overhead, drawing gasps of awe from the punters below and they simultaneously stomped in time to the beat.
The heavy bass and distinctive sound of the cow bell had many dancing to the funky, yet powerful, tunes being played by the two behind the decks. The set continues in this vein, as a man who vaguely resembles an artistic impression of Jesus dances with a woman dressed as a cat. The venue was filling up nicely, and the dance floor was steadily jumping thanks to tunes like Charles B & Adonis', 'Lack of Love'.
Following this set, I headed over to the main room for Russ Yallop b2b . The room has an almost crypt like feel to it, with low ceilings, minimal lights and a killer sound system making for a fantastic atmosphere. Yallop's set was one of balanced, simple, engrossing techno and he set the tone for the rest of the night perfectly. Over in the slightly spacier terrace, was Luca Corral. The sound is no less enthralling and it was difficult to make a choice between both rooms.
"Jamie Jones and the Martinez Brothers wasted no time, going straight for the jugular with a series of fearsome tracks"
Back in the main room it was Silvie Lotto on the decks. Streams of red light criss-crossed overhead, adding a futuristic dimension to the club, I was impressed with the web weaved by Lotto, who created a real buzz vicious with dark yet penetrable techno. Over in the terrace was KiNK, playing a live set. Layered synths, a kicking drum machine and some old-school hip-hop scratching added the kind of diversity to the night that he's become famed for.
Route 94 followed Silvie Lotto, by which point the room was rammed and I could hear the faint din of a hundred conversations happening simultaneously beneath the beat. I made my way across to the terrace to catch the end of Nicole Moudabers' set. She ended with a flurry of trancey techno before Jamie Jones returned to the decks, this time joined by The Martinez Brothers. The trio wasted no time, going straight for the jugular with a series of fearsome tracks including 'Gotta Have You' by Transitive Elements. The room is heaving; it's one of the busiest nights I've experienced in Ibiza so far. As I made my way out, the tunes are still pumping and the garden is littered with groups of people sitting around in circles, chatting. DC-10 definitely offers something different. It's a no frills, pure musical experience and with some amazing line-ups over the coming months, I predict plenty more sweaty, techno-filled nights ahead.
WORDS | David Fleming
