Despite being only a speck in the Mediterranean, Ibiza still wields overwhelming influence on the electronic music industry - punching well above its weight.
In many respects, it reminds me of my hometown Maidstone. A modest commuter town that manages to produce a wealth of DJ and production talent per capita, that goes above and beyond any towns of similar stature.
Ibiza-influence essential - these two "homes" inspire my playlist. You can listen to the full Spotify playlist below and head here to subscribe.
About the playlist
You wouldn't think many parallels would exist between Kent's county town and the party capital of the world, but here we are. All music contained is either produced/remixed by artists from the town or released on labels based there.
Nic Fanciulli, Mark Knight and their respective labels have been global ambassadors for Maidstone and really put the town on the map. Both of them have held pivotal Ibiza residencies in the past and continue to play regularly at the island's top parties.
With a handful of exceptions, all the music has been heard played in venues on the island this summer by either myself or my colleagues.
Running alongside the Maidstone connection is the sub-theme, which takes inspiration from our 12 clubs in 12 hours feature. Essentially the musical journey charts 18:00 to 06:00, starting off with sun-drenched, summertime vocal house moving towards some classics for sunset.
Afterwards, we head into tech house territory as the night builds and pace creeps up. By the final third we are really going deep before hitting peak time stompers. Finally, we drift off into twinkling electronica as the sun rises.
So this playlist should really be listened to from start to finish.
The Music
Nic has four tracks on the list - accounting for 20%!
Even though his My Heart album was released last year, remixers have breathed fresh life into a couple of the tracks. Solardo's has been big at their Eric Prydz Hï residency while Adana Twin's got some love at fellow Hamburger Solomun's night at Pacha.
Four additional tracks from his Maidstone-based Saved label are also included. Meanwhile Toolroom Records - whose HQ is also located in the town - have been ripping it up with some amazing releases this summer. I picked out several of my favourites here.
Toolroom owner Mark Knight's arguably most famous track is included. It was one of the final tracks that Owen played in The Living Room at Clockstock during Clockwork Orange Weekend. Such a moment. Not afraid to admit I shed a tear of joy - and I was sober at the time!
Tim Green is technically from 20 minutes down the road, but he cut his teeth in Maidstone with the fabled Bedlam parties he used to throw.
He's had a phenomenally successful year with his album, and it was great to catch his live show at Destinomakers at the beginning of August. Looking forward to seeing him again later this week on Thursday 20 September at Do Not Sit at HEART.
ABODE resident GW Harrison features twice. It's been a delight watching George grow into this international touring DJ. He is down to play the closing party on Thursday 27 September, which I can't wait for. I'm very proud of his achievements.
There's also a rising talent in Roger That, who has been hammered by Marco Carola this summer.
K&K are a production duo who are earning a reputation for their edits and bringing recognisable anthems to a new audience. Last summer they made waves with Peaceful Crowd - and this is their most recent release. I'm sure the reference won't be lost on many!
Away from house and techno, Mollie Collins is flippin' D&B on its head with her infectious brand of jump up. She recently became host of Kiss FM's D&B show. Elsewhere on the bass front, there's Shapes - a mash-up duo who span the spectrum of dance music with their high-octane hybrid show.
I wanted to keep the music strictly within the house and tech remit, so these guys didn't make the cut. But make sure you check-out their material.
Claire Ripley is another exciting young producer who has been a bit quiet recently but has previously released on the likes of Knee Deep In Sound and VIVa.
One name who is conspicuously absent is a local lad called Paul Neary. His music has been heavily supported by Richie Hawtin this summer and there are big things on the horizon for him.
Unfortunately, his most recent material is waiting to get an official release, but he's about to blow up - so keep your ears to the ground! That's another playlist for another time.
There are so many more that I wanted to include, but didn't have the space: Pete Griffiths, Tristan Ingram, Emeskay, Atriea... I could go on. Maidstone really is a hotbed of talent - and it continues to inspire me.
As part of a new music series on Ibiza Spotlight, our staff will be selecting their favourite tunes and curating playlists on our Spotify platform. More will be published in the coming weeks, so make sure you check back for the latest offerings.
