It's only the first day of the International Music Summit and thanks to Space owner, Pepe Roselló, Carl Cox and Lynn Cosgrave, and star interviewer, Spotlight's Grego O'Halloran, already the tears have been flowing freely. The trio united on stage to take a wander through the realms of nostalgia, reminiscing about the first days of Space, eating pizza on the terrace and looking ahead to the club's 27th year - its last as we know and love it. It's an emotional subject for every clubber who's set foot on the hallowed dance floors of one of the world's greatest clubs, but particularly for Coxy and co, who've poured their hearts and souls into dance Mecca in the last two decades.
Roselló has been at the helm of Space for the entirety of its 27-year tenure, so for him, of course, the closing of Space will be the end of a huge chapter in his life, something he reflects on with characteristic clarity: “It's 27 years that will remain in our memories forever. It's our last year but all the love, all the music, and everything that's happened there will remain in those walls,” something we'd all do well to remember as we're shimmying for one last time at the closing party come October. Coxy added, “I'm gonna be very sad but I want to leave with a bang - every night will be like a closing party. It's the end of an era.”
After a 15-year residency at the club, Coxy's manager, Cosgrave admitted that Space had become home, crediting Roselló for the success of the much-loved Tuesday party: “Pepe has been amazing at giving us the freedom to do what we want and play what we want and not question it too much. We've developed an amazing night and we're very thankful for that - unless we had the full trust of Pepe, it wouldn't have happened.” And their diverse, all-encompassing music policy must have been something to do with it as well? “We love music so we play music for all genres. Why should it be limited to one style? Over the years we've played people who would normally never have a chance to play, and they shine.”
Coxy's ascendancy at the club can also, naturally, be put down to the man himself - a charismatic celebrator of life and music as famed for his personality as his skills behind the decks. And today, we finally learnt his trademark “oh yes, oh yes” catchphrase was actually born at Space: “Most DJs don't physically connect with the crowd, but I actually want to know how you are - how you're feeling. So I put the music down, said ‘Hola, que tal? Bien?' Oh yes oh yes - boom! It makes me happy to know you're happy.”
It's this kind of spirit that's reflected at Space itself, a place that for years shunned VIP treatment, and only kowtowed due to an increased demand for it. Roselló explained it's his dislike of VIP culture that kept the club grounded: “I always had the opinion that clubs aren't like a Roman circus, where the rich and the poor people are separated.” With Coxy chiming in: “I was one of those poor people! I saved my money to get in. It saddened me that we had to pander to the people who wanted VIP treatment, but I was still playing. It's always been about the clubbers and it always will be.” And with that, we all fell a little bit more in love than we already were with the big man.
It was an hour spent in the presence of bona fide legends, and one tinged with sadness as we looked back on one of Ibiza's greatest love stories. It'll be a sad day when Space closes its doors for the final time, but with Roselló's words ringing in our ears: “the music made us all one, the music made us equal”, we can be confident his legacy will live on.
WORDS | Abby Lowe PHOTOS | James Chapman