Eager to see if the move from Sundays to Fridays would have any bearing on its popularity, we headed to Defected's opening party at Eden. A new day of the week, sure, but otherwise little else has changed. From the outset, Defected sticks to what it knows and what it does best.
Perhaps more notably, was the fact that 2019 is an important landmark for the party and record label. Twenty years in this industry is a milestone to be respected. Hence, you'd best believe Defected is determined to make its mark felt more than ever.
20 year, 20 parties - and you can still pick up tickets for the majority of dates at only €20. How would the first of the season check out?
Earlier today San Antonio - and the island in general - had already been very busy, though to no detriment here. Instead, quite the opposite. The area around Eden was buzzing. Already a queue curved around the block. A comforting indicator for any club promoter.
FIFTY-SIX
56… years young - Simon Dunmore's age. How has Defected's head honcho maintained the ethos of a label for 20-years, yet kept young at heart? The answer seems to be in the people he surrounds himself with.
Defected's roster is as much about the new kids on the block, as it is about legendary artists. Names such as Jacky, Monki and Shiba San are mixed with the likes of Kenny Dope, Armand van Helden and Todd Edwards. Pushing things forward, whilst heavily referencing the past.
Heading first to the balcony and looking out across club below, we were taken aback by the scenes. A throbbing dance floor, gyrating as one - a sea of love - with Sam Divine in control.
Bridging the sound of classic house to modern 4/4, Defected's queen played lots of new edits utilising familiar vocal samples.
We heard a fresh interpretation of Roland Clark's I Get Deep, Inner City's Big Fun and Ron Carroll's The Sermon monologue. This was as much an education for the young crowd, as it was entertaining them.
A Hundred Thousand
100,000… as in watts - the power behind Eden's impressive Void Acoustics sound system. Such specification demands for music of this mould.
If the first half of Sam Divine's set had been a homage to house music's founding fathers, the second moved into the present day.
Defected Radio's hostess had the crowd lapping up everything she threw at them. Here was an entertainer doing what she loves and doing it well. You could tell from her energy, that she was as invested in music as everybody else in the venue.
Sam had set the benchmark, but now the stage was set for the main attraction to carry that momentum forward.
Seventeen
17… the name of MK's 2017 track, still resonating with the dance floor as much now as it did on its release. And it isn't the only one.
The veteran producer reeled through his exemplary back-catalogue with assured swagger. Each drop was met with starry-eyed whomps from the crowd.
Throughout a packed club, we saw countless beaming faces - every one of them, priceless. Music from across the decades, old, new and reinvented. Timeless and pan-generational. Trends come and go, faces may change but the spirit of house lives on in 2019.
Simon Dunmore believes not only in his company's message but also in the new generation - a generation sometimes overlooked. On a night like last night, that endorsement is justified.
House music is alive and well - and so, too, is Defected at Eden.
Upon leaving, we realise how inspired Defected's decision to set up base in San Antonio has been. A decision that was initially frowned at by some is now fully vindicated. Look at how many others have since followed its lead. Defected remains as relevant today as at any time.
Exiting into a fresh May night, our pathway was illuminated by the midway point of the current lunar cycle. The flow of traffic may have switched, but even at this time, San Antonio remained busy. Queues for taxis and queues of hungry revellers inside takeaway shops. The entire ecosystem of the town clearly benefiting.
A full moon it may have been, but a night of no half measures to boot. This lifelong house music fan left 100% satisfied.
nineteen
19… the number of opportunities left this summer to experience Defected in all its glory at Eden. To kick-off our club playlists for 2019, we've published the first 20 tracks - the biggest from last night - into our Defected listing which you can listen to below:
20 tracks to mark 20 years... for now. Many more will be added in the coming weeks.
Next up, MK and Sam Divine return on 24 May, with Todd ‘the God' Terry providing more house mastery alongside Jacky.
Pick-up tickets for that and all remaining shows below, where you can also check line-ups until the halfway mark of the season.
