And so we have it: the Ibiza season has officially begun. Once again this year, the send-off took place at the conclusion of the International Music Summit (IMS) with the unique IMS Dalt Vila party heralding one of the most high-energy weekends of the year.
As picturesque as ever, this year IMS Dalt Vila provided a snapshot of many dance music styles currently on the global scene. A series of not so obvious back-to-back sets created a showcase of the diversity of talent in the electronic music soundscape.
Obviously, back to back sets do not provide DJs with the chance to construct their own sets as they would individually. Some of the story-telling element of a carefully crafted set is inevitably lost.
What can be seen - or better heard - in such back-to-backs is a wide range of styles confronting each other, almost like an electronic music dance-off
And then there's the not-so-small matter of the drop-dead gorgeous venue. No matter the latest generation of laser show or production, the changing colours in the sky and sun setting by the Ibiza castle knows no rivals.
The 11th edition of IMS Dalt Vila once again confirmed its position as the ultimate open-air event worldwide.
The event kicked off with the latest in terms of budding talent as Burn Residency 2017 winner Turkish DJ Furkan Kurt took to the decks. It was only 17:00 but the once-a-year venue was already filling up.
Next on the decks, the globally acclaimed DJ Paco Osuna, a regular at Music On, went b2b with ANTS colony leader Andrea Oliva. The earlier time slot kept them a notch lower than you'd expect for them, but the groove was there.
Up next we had the emerging Korean-born Berlin-based DJ Peggy Gou going b2b with underground house and techno master Jackmaster, whom you can catch at DC10. They complemented each other well, with Peggy's leftfield style matched by the Glaswegian's expansive taste.
The two, who have worked together on numerous occasions, brought up the energy level of an already happening party.
IMS co-founder and global tastemaker Pete Tong was up next going b2b with hot duo Bedouin ahead of the opening of the second year of Bedouin presents Saga at HEART Ibiza.
Bedouin brought out the more melodic side of Pete Tong. Upping their the ante as their b2b progressed, they left the crowd increasingly energised.
Next up was Ukranian DJ Nastia, who will be playing at Cocoon, RESISTANCE and Black Coffee this summer, going b2b with the Dubfire, playing DC10, Labyrinth, Solomun +1 and RUMORS.
As dusk enveloped the postcard setting and the sun vanished behind the hills, the modern techno style of Nastia combined with the mature sound of Dubfire brought on a proper techno set.
Interspersed with classic bangers, including Detroit techno classic Altered States by Ron Trent, their b2b produced several hand-in-the-air moments. Several clubbers were going nuts, the ones right by us screaming “This is a party!” at the top of their lungs.
While this could have possibly also been due to the reasonably priced drinks - including €3 water bottles, a testament to many of the themes touched upon at IMS once again this year - the music was clearly touching groups of people in turns.
The style switched noticeably when the legendary NY DJ Danny Tenaglia came on b2b with the Israeli wonder and RUMORS star Guy Gerber, starting with a sample of I Wanna Give You Devotion.
Out of that exchange came Gary Martin's We Get Down, Celeda's The Underground and even a dab of tribal techno. The trippy visual effects surrounding the source of all this against the dark night sky did the rest.
The only solo set of the night went to Cocoon head honcho Sven Väth. Papa Sven fired in with Stephan Bodzin's Strand.
The thing about Sven is that he can truly do it all. An hour set is no easy feat, yet he pulled out all the stops. From hard techno to trance, he took the crowd on a journey with great storytelling technique.
Having mastered the art, he delivered a well-constructed set with peaks and troughs that captivated the sold-out party until the end with Tim Green's They Want Us To Fall Down.
Overall the night brought on myriad transcendent tracks, culminating in Sven's finale.
While you will have to wait for next year to experience this party again, you can catch most of these DJs on the White Isle this summer. Head here to find your favourite.
