After hosting parties such as at El Salon in Space, Ibiza Spotlight is officially back with the ultimate party series featuring a massive set by top-end electronic DJs in an intimate setting. For the first date of In The Zone, Innervisions lynchpin Marcus Worgull took over the decks.
Last Friday 6 April saw our debut at B12 Club. True to its mission, the new party delivered some of the finest international talent and one local hero in the warehouse club and gallery on the outskirts of Ibiza Town.
Getting the party started, island-favourite Joan Aloy stepped up to the DJ booth first, warming up the room from the get-go. Our headlining DJ was esteemed DJ and producer Marcus Worgull, signed to the critically acclaimed Innervisions label. The sounds of Berlin came with him to Ibiza.
Here's what happened within the walls of B12 Club for the first night of In The Zone.
As the doors opened at 23:00, a certain amount of excitement was tangible amongst the first to arrive. Stepping into the B12 venue, guests walked through a room littered with intriguing artwork around the bar and coatroom. Pushing through a set of industrial doors revealed Joan Aloy in the club room playing his opening tracks.
Effortlessly switching between vinyl and digital, Joan raised the energy level with an array of eclectic dance floor warmers. Keeping the growing crowd guessing with a varying beat style, he blended deeper grooves with choppy drum tracks. With a grin on his face, Joan watched people lose control to the electro sounds of Timbuktu by Dennis Ferrer and Jerome Sydenham.
Directly from Köln, Germany, Marcus Worgull arrived at 02:00. The seasoned DJ caught the ear of Dixon and Âme and signed to Innervisions. He has since enjoyed a busy global touring schedule and was recently featured on a Berlin edition of Boiler Room. As he hit the decks at 02:15 the dance floor was loaded and ready.
A great mixture of island dwellers and Ibiza holidaymakers, all were up for a good twist on the dance floor. Also open, the gallery space upstairs offered a unique view above the madness. I was tempted back onto the dance floor, however, when Worgull dropped atmospheric bangers like Mad at U (Marvin & Guy Whisper Mix).
By 03:00 Worgull had the party going, taking clubbers on a journey of thudding house and techno. As abstract shapes and colours were projected onto the walls, this explosive spectrum added an exciting element to the party as guests danced into the night.
Fully focused on his mix, Marcus Worgull pulled out peak time dance floor weapons. By combining rib-shaking kicks with samples that sounded straight out of a sci-fi movie, he had the crowd fully captivated. All hands were in the air as the needle dropped on Distant Shores by Peter Dundov.
Looking calm and composed behind the mixing table, Marcus Worgull took a deeper turn later as we were carried further into his set.
Those needing a rest from the booming energy took to the entrance hallway, relaxing on soft white loungers taking the weight off from some serious dancing. The smoking area, too, was full of people taking a breather while chatting in the cool nighttime air.
Meanwhile, in the club room, the impressive sound had the dance floor shaking as clubbers danced away, enjoying the early morning beats like The Hatchet by Patrice Bäumel.
As the last hour set in, Marcus retained full control of the dance floor with people still twisting it out to his sounds. Bringing out surprises until the end, he finally slowed things down. As a testament to his distinct and varied sound, a little Latin style in the form of Sueño de Solentiname by Mano Negra provided an interesting change from banging house and techno.
Continuing with a tranche of electronic vibe, he mixed in Heartbreak Kids by Roman Flügel, bringing up the tempo one final time for the eager crowd. As Marcus stepped off the stage, the crowd's satisfaction was apparent from the exultations and clapping ahead of Joan taking over for the home run.
If you missed the debut party of In The Zone, no worries. More are coming. Breaking the mould of electronic music, another proper extended set by top international talent and a local Ibiza hero await for more dance floor madness.
Stay tuned to find out who the next guests will be.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY | Michael Tomlinson
