As September lingers on, sleep deprivation looms. I took Do Not Sleep's brand name quite literally this past Tuesday. On only a droplet of sleep, I relied on the closing party to re-vitalise my dancing roots and get my head back in the game. It succeeded by a mile.
Amongst the usual hustle and bustle of Playa D'en Bossa, a great deal was happening on Ibiza's famous strip. Around the corner, the annual DJ Awards awarded Solardo the Breakthrough Artist award. The wild duo who were guests at the opening of the DNS season back in May, a testament to the DJ roster of the Sankeys party.
Meanwhile, the legendary Do Not Sleep was in full swing at Sankeys with Darius Syrossian as one of the resident DJs on the decks.
As they say, first impressions count. Mine was left in the fate of Mar-T's b2b Luca Donzelli, who blasted out the menacing and atmospheric Tonikum by Jan Driver, a tune that sparked instant energy into my tiresome body.
The Lab was handed over to Burn competition winner Furkan Kurt, who set the tone and did an ill Alan Fitzpatrick proud. There was an unmissable juxtaposition of Sankey's dusty cinema showcasing The Never Ending Story with Christian Burkhardt's bouncy yet techno-soaked set warming up for Reset Robot.
The entire night resembled a maze, with music bouncing off the Sankeys walls and a constant sea of hands saw the morning through.
It was, of course, Darius Syrossian's duty to pick a classic from the ultimate-dance-tune tree. Underworld's Born Slippy blew the roof off Sankeys and its nonstop crowd. Familiar faces boosted on through hours of music, fuelled by the eccentric vibe that floods every Tuesday at Sankeys.
After previously holding Do Not Sleep at our beloved Space, chief resident Darius Syrossian and guests proved that the party has the power to transform any club.
This season's closing party was a combination of both Alan Fitzpatrick's long-running record label We Are The Brave, with Reset Robot representing the brand and its techno spice, and, of course, a celebration of Syrossian's first year at Sankeys.
Do Not Sleep is a party where first-time ravers find their feet. Here international names such as Skream, Kolsch, Patrick Topping join residents such as Detlef, Huxley, Darius and Alan Fitzpatrick lead the Basement and Lab, but even DJs with only emerging stars are welcomed with open arms in the Spektrum.
With this spirit, the hefty crowd and community continue to grow. At this point, all we can do is wait impatiently until next year.
