Your ego is not your amigo. No perfect people allowed. Wrong place, wrong time, be there. These catchphrases signalled the coming of a brand new Ushuaïa venture, the brilliantly weird, DYSTOPIA. We checked it out on the opening and had a few words with headliner Luciano.
This fresh open festival-like concept promised to bring together art, music, food, performance and much more into one exciting clubbing location. It did so indeed.
With our interest considerably piqued, we paid a visit to this realm of weirdness for its grand opening. Also for the evening, we had a sit-down pencilled in with one of the biggest Ibiza DJs around: the much loved Swiss-Chilean lad Luciano.
This trip was already looking like a pretty sweet deal.
Entering into the lush open grounds of Ushuaïa, we found the topsy-turvy land of DYSTOPIA already in full swing before 19:00. Much like the other Ushuaïa day parties, all the action was happening around the pool area as the sun started to set on Playa d'en Bossa.
Filling my soul with delight, Adam Port was behind the decks dropping one of his edits and a personal favourite jam of mine - Senhor Doutor. This pure paradisiacal summer tune got the crowds' feet moving, preparing them for an afternoon of frolicking in this brand new wonderland.
Turning towards the stage, we made a quick pit stop at the information stand to find a route around this quasi-festival. The curiously named "bad advice" stand was manned by a wide-eyed pseudo-receptionist girl.
She informed me the best way to go was to stare deeply into the pool until a mermaid kissed me then go grab a sandwich. Couldn't find a mermaid, so I headed promptly for the food truck, selecting a Bao Bun, a delicious treat filled with all kinds of delish on a handmade steam bun.
Adam Port was slowing down the tribal tempos to finish the poolside part of DYSTOPIA. Finishing with Muyè, the crowd gave rapturous applause to the mix master.
It was now time to meet the head of Candeza records and headline act of the evening, Luciano. Once sat down in the dimly lit green room, Luciano, a true gentleman of the electronic music world started to describe his impressions of DYSTOPIA.
“I like the idea, you know. Black is dead, colour is back. Melodies, vocals, art, performance, healing - that new way of consuming music is all within DYSTOPIA. It's something that I'm extremely fascinated by. It was great timing with a great group of people to get together and bring back what we always believed in, creating a party that's really alternative.”
After our interview, I continued to explore the bizarre offerings that DYSTOPIA had to offer. As you walk around, bizarre characters in twisted costumes prance about the vine greeting you and occasionally letting out a tribal cry.
The feeling of this place is very much Alice in Wonderland style meets cyberpunk motifs meets Vincent van Gogh impressionist aesthetic. A mad blend of visual offerings captivates guests around every corner.
By now Satori had opened up the Mainstage with rising synths and atmospheric beats, elevating the energy on the dance floor further still. Masterfully behind his live workstation, he crafted beautiful samples of piano, percussion and vocals together.
This uplifting mix was met with a thudding bass, which drove the crowd into a dancing frenzy. The musical magic on the dance floor was something that Luciano described as key to DYSTOPIA ideology.
“I think it's a very unique way of experiencing music. For myself, I have felt like this for some years. You don't need anything else than your heart, dancing and imagination. It's all about accepting the frequencies of music and enjoying the ritual of dancing, returning to something humans have been doing for a millennium - it's within our roots to enjoy the moment.”
In DYSTOPIA you don't walk; you wander around. As we did so, we found ourselves at the back of the venue. Merchants set up in the Bizarre Bazaar were selling handcrafted trinkets and clothing, all very funky clobber.
Upstairs a tarot card reader, masseuse and fortune teller sat beside the striking sensorial bouncy castle. Let's just say it was a distinctively shaped bouncy castle and leave it at that. See for yourselves.
Returning to the stage, confetti came down on the cheering crowd, as Satori dropped another tailored groove into the mix. His electrically charged set combined with spinning lights and tripping video visuals added to the fantastical atmosphere of the evening.
On the subject of the DYSTOPIA line-ups, Luciano had this to say;
“All the artists that are coming in are just great; there's a lot of new names. I'm just excited to be sharing a stage with all of them in this new environment of music. I feel extremely blessed. I'm expecting to discover acts that I don't know already, which also always really exciting.”
At 22:00 Luciano himself took to the stage, mixing together a unique blend of beats to a tune-hungry crowd. Previously he had spoken about changing up his style for his summer sets at this new crazy party concept.
“This party gives me a platform where I can diversify. I'm a DJ; if you ask me to play music, I'll play disco or house or techno, but I'm good at adapting it for a specific crowd. I've never really boxed myself into one style, however, so DYSTOPIA gives me a real chance to experiment.”
Luciano continued to keep the crowd well entertained with a menagerie of beats, staying true to his experimental form. His energy behind the decks mirrors his great personality, a fun-loving guy who is in love with the world around him.
When talking about his inspirations on and off the dancefloor he remarked,
"I'm inspired by a lot of things. From chefs to musicians to poetry. I'm always digging a source of inspiration in everything that I experience."
With a laugh and a beaming smile, he jokingly added: “However my favourite source of inspiration is Spotify! I discover loads of music on there, though, lots of stuff that I really enjoy personally"
Speaking of Spotify, check out our Spotify playlist here for all the hottest tunes from DYSTOPIA.
As the party reached its last hour, Luciano treated the crowd with what I can only describe as goosebumps moment.
By overlaying the monologue speech from The Great Dictator as spoken by Charlie Chaplin over the epic Time score by Hans Zimmer, the atmosphere was majestically lifted to the highest heights.
Luciano had spoken about using this famous sample earlier on in the evening; "I mix it into my DJing ceremony in various languages to spread it's positive message, mainly the importance of freedom and humanity."
Lasers shone over the crowd, who reached for the sky as Luciano dropped in his last banging tune of the evening, Nightfall by Christopher Kah. This climax of the evening was electric beyond comprehension.
The crowd roared as he dropped this tune's levels right down. Surprising everyone, he then brought in Imagine by John Lennon, a lovely way to close his set as people's arms and lighters swayed in the DYSTOPIA darkness.
This crazy wonderland of mad things and top-notch music has made quite the start to its Ibiza season. This season, we can expect the unexpected from DYSTOPIA, with surprises around every corner coupled with a wondrous and diverse soundtrack through the summer.
Check for yourselves below to find your favourite acts. Then see you in the wrong place at the right time this summer at DYSTOPIA.
