The iconic Cocoon took over Pacha's day resort Destino for the official Destino opening party in collaboration with Cocoon Daytime. Going on 19 seasons strong and still producing world-renowned shindigs, Cocoon has kicked off 2018 in glamorous fashion.
This party sees the classy, champagne popping, VIP induced Destino collide with old-school, underground Ibiza to create a paradoxical mastermind of a party. The heavenly coastline setting is as picturesque and pristine as the music, creating the ultimate open-air opening party.
Berlin's Dana Ruh and established Cocoon regular Dorian Paic kicked off proceedings, setting the tone for the antics that were sure to transpire as the evening unfolded. Melodic sounds and simmering basslines slowly edged the Destino faithful from chilled to thrilled. Events were destined to heat up.
Swiss duo Adriatique, got the varied cosmopolitan crowd moving. Feel good minimalistic, techno vibes set the scene superbly for the building party. A techno curtain descended over Cocoon.
Adriatique took us on a seamless journey, as the mood simmered, the tones darkened and the bassline hardened. Adriatique seemed to play in sync with the sun sinking in the sky behind us.
At 21:00, Sven Väth entered the scene. Ibiza veteran and Cocoon father Papa Sven initiated proceedings with mellow synths that permeated the dance floor. The stage was set and we all wanted to scream "Go for it, Sven!"
The first track of note from the vinyl dynamo is Dark Commodore's Fabrice Lig. Sven was smiling, the crowd grooving, the sun setting and the atmosphere really heating up.
Much like the trees encompassing the arena, it didn't take long for Sven to have us in the palm of his hand.
Margot's Salsce meandered into the set as flawlessly as its bassline. The dance floor was now at max capacity.
Distorted, dystopian noises penetrated our ears, as the arena was cocooned in a mirage of synths, acidic claps and anomalous tones.
Michael Mayer's Lout then projected fiercely through the heavy bass sound system. Mystical effects had the audience transfixed on the newly renovated DJ booth.
The track of the evening and potentially the track of the summer is the penultimate track by DJ Koze: Pick Up.
It had been a long time since I had been on a dance floor with this much energy, love and passion for music. The crowd and Sven were as one, as this track united the whole arena.
Sven had definitely cherry-picked his tracks for this blockbuster set.
Cocoon's monumental shift of alliances over to Pacha may have taken some time to get used to, but judging from the start of the season, we are all in for quite the treat.
Next up for Cocoon on Ibiza is this coming Wednesday 6 June at Pacha featuring Gerd Janson and of course, Sven Väth - not one to be missed! As for Cocoon Daytime, after this mammoth party, we are left hoping for some more daytime fun this summer. Stay tuned!
