House and techno heads assembled last Tuesday night for the opening of Hï Ibiza's new residency, BODYWORKS. Brought to us by tech house masters Solardo and Camelphat plus FISHER I expected to be wowed. The verdict: we might just have found the new place to be on a Tuesday.
Kicking things off in the Theatre were Raul Rodriguez and Heidi before Camelphat and Solardo debuted their inaugural BODYWORKS sets. Meanwhile, FISHER hosed the Club Room alongside Francisco Allendes, Eli & Fur and Tini Gessler until close.
The new night is an upgrade for the residents who were on support for last year's Eric Prydz residency at the Playa d'en Bossa super-club.
On opening night, my expectations were met with a high energy medley of genres that kept everyone guessing until the very end. Not only were we gifted with some forgotten gems and new beats, but also plenty of bodies on the dance floor made it one of Hï's most successful openings.
As I entered the Theatre for the first time, Heidi was making a strong end to her set with an acid-heavy track - a remix of Wink's Higher State Of Consciousness.
Following on from Heidi, Camelphat opened in stark contrast. They opted for a more progressive sounding track from ARTBAT & Dino Lenny called Sand In Your Shoes.
Their choice grew some suspense – an intriguing move compared to high impact openings I have seen from them in the past.
The Afterlife-esque start went hand in hand with Hï Ibiza's top class production. The lights and graphics behind the DJ booth added to the anticipation for an all-around atmospheric intro. This was something I didn't expect from Camelphat, but it worked nonetheless.
As they went on they persisted to kill every track they selected. They weaved us through genre after genre, switching up the vibe with each tune. The boys were clearly having plenty of fun and felt able to play whatever they fancied.
They continued with a funky house sounding tune – a Kalyde remix of Cut My Hair by Simon Shaw. Despite the concoction of genres, the duo mixed with ease without faltering or disappointing the crowd at any point.
Cristoph's edit of Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap provided us with the festival vibes and suddenly my Glastonbury FOMO had melted away. The crowd knew every word. This was evident from the volume that rose in the roof.
As expected, all the Camelphat bangers were in there, too. The list included their new tune with Jake Bugg, Be Someone, alongside their old classic Dopamine Machine and Breathe.
After witnessing Camelphat nail their set, I nipped over to the Club Room to see what FISHER was cooking up. And sure enough, the room was packed.
Ever the lively one behind the decks, the Australian was killing it with his unique energy. It resonated out through the room.
As I made my way through the crowd to find the perfect dancing space, I was greeted by the pounding bass of Good Morning City Bleeding Town (Twitchin Skratch Mix) by QuiQui.
FISHER brought the tribally tech house in with a mixture of funk and techno. Again, it was another journey of genres. But this made for an exciting set that was filled with recognisable tracks amongst those I couldn't wait to Shazam.
For me, on the night FISHER delivered the most to the occasion. And of course, his hit Losing It was a huge hit with the crowd who had been waiting for it.
By 04:30, there was a bit of breathing space on the dance floors and I headed back into the Theatre where Solardo were already making headway.
As I entered, there were more acid vibes in the form of Acid X Tadao's Amor. The sound picked up from where Heidi left her set earlier in the evening.
True to form donning their signature wacky patterned shirts, the Manchester duo brought their infectious power to the Theatre.
There are two songs have made regular appearances this summer. Those being Green Velvet's Bigger Than Prince which was played by Carl Cox last week and MD-Xpress' God Made Me Phunky, which gets frequent plays at Glitterbox.
Both were interesting selections from Solardo but still sounded good, even if a little overplayed by now.
A remix by the Martinez Brothers of Da Madness by D'Julz was also thrown into the mix.
Overall, the evening was strong musically and had an even stronger atmosphere. Teamed with Hï Ibiza's impeccable production and lighting, BODYWORKS has the perfect formula for an all-round unforgettable night.
If you missed the opening, catch it every Tuesday at Hï Ibiza from 25 June to 24 September.
For more details and confirmed line-ups, keep scrolling.
