This year, Thursday nights at Pacha have been dominated by Marco Carola's Music On. The Italian has proved his worth over the years as tech house's main man, but there's even more. Next door in the Pachacha room, Cassy runs Cassy's PlayHouse.
Whilst in Pacha's main room, head honcho Carola treats the crowd to his signature tech sound, over in the Pachacha room is a little sanctuary of house music.
It has a thing going on of its own - a unique concept for Pacha's side room but equal in its offering.
Tucked away on the left of Pacha's main entrance, it's easy to look past the Pachacha room. But for those in the know, this is often where the magic happens.
With a much more romantic and seductive vibe, it offers a more intimate Pacha experience. It is even complete with scented candles that fill the air with a beautiful incense note.
As an advocate for female talent in the island's electronic music scene, Cassy is one of the few women to head her own residency on the island. As this is a topic that's close to my heart, I was eager to see how Cassy was leading the way for female DJs on Ibiza. And yes, she did us proud.
Cassy's good friend Danny Howells joined her as special guest for the evening and the chemistry between the pair transmitted way beyond the booth. It was a good start.
Everyone was dancing and everyone smiling. Even Cassy joined in the fun as she couldn't help but bop to her own tunes.
She possessed the ability to pick out the feel-good tunes. The crowd noticed this, too, as there were plenty of hands reaching for the ceiling. That was when I realised the Play House was appropriately named, as everyone relished the vibe.
Although there were elements of the tech-house sound that the Music On crew were expecting, Cassy offered much more than that. Classic house, disco and techno all got their time to shine through Cassy's thoughtful selecting.
As I fought my way into the Pachacha room for the first time, Cassy was teasing the crowd with Bouncing by Stephan Crown & EiZer G. A suitable track as the room was indeed bouncing thanks to the song's rapid high hat.
Her diverse selections gripped the crowd that was growing in size track by track. The intriguing vocals on this remix of Josh Wink's Sixth Sense got me hooked. It was an intense track with a funky rhythm that really worked. Check it out.
As I frequented the Pachacha room for much of the evening, I kept seeing the same faces. They were clearly fans of Cassy, too, coming back for more when the madness inside Pacha itself proved too much. It was a safe haven of music with a no-frills and no-nonsense quality.
Body Tonic by Demarkus Lewis brought an acid house vibe. The quirky beat was the tonic we needed to loosen up the last remaining members of the crowd that were reluctant to shake their bodies.
The evening was now in full swing and the dance floor was full of dancers willing to move and shake to the varied soundtrack.
Three hours in and the volume and bass began to match that of the main room. I wasn't complaining. The vibe was strong, and it got even stronger as the night went on, especially with Solardo's remix of Hot Business by Love & Logic - a groovy tune with plenty of attitude.
Clearly taking pleasure in the all-night set that many DJs crave, I could tell Cassy and Danny were using this chance to express themselves, their mood and their friendship via their music.
Midnight City's Got 2 Be There got the pair on a level as they sang and danced along with the rest of the room grinning from ear to ear. It's always nice to see the DJs having as much – if not more – fun as the crowd in front of them.
Even though we live in such a male-led industry out here in Ibiza, Cassy is doing the island proud. For a small room, it has a big impact. We should expect great things from the residency in the future wherever it might take us.
Come and have a play at Cassy's Play House every Thursday in the Pachacha room until 3 October.
Photography | Phrank
