During an already hectic closing party schedule, Hï Ibiza would present a mightily baffling conundrum with its plans.
Q: with four closing parties across four consecutive nights, how do you possibly choose which one/s to hit?
A: you can't.
No rest for the wicked. In divide and conquer mentality, there was no other option but to dip our toes into each party and experience the full palate of Hï Ibiza's outrageous good closing week.
Here's what went down in Playa d'en Bossa from Thursday 3 - Sunday 6 October.
Afterlife closing party | Thursday 3 October
WORDS | by Stefano Larricia
1/4 We arrived in The Theatre to find Maceo Plex delving into that favoured dark territory with vintage references, and instantly knew we were in for a white-knuckle ride as only Afterlife knows how.
Once we entered the club room it was like being catapulted through an interdimensional door straight to Berlin. Inside, the likes of Rødhåd and Ben Klock hammered their distinct techno sound. Fast paced, hypnotic loops and bouncing beats sucked us inside the vortex.
Even the Wild Corner - deployed by Afterlife as a dance floor for the first time - was bursting with talent. New sensation Mathame was joined by veteran Italian Franchino.
Eventually, it was time to return to the main room for the narration of Tale of Us.
Mobbed from front to back, modular effects accompanied by rattling bass crossed the room. Yet again, we found ourselves lost between the sonic airwaves. Masters of their craft, Karm and Matteo connected the dots between our neurons, giving us a warming glow.
Closing parties are always special nights and such an occasion calls for a surprise. Tale of Us going back-to-back with Maceo Plex to close was a union of gigantic proportions.
Romantic sounds and harmonic vocals brought us gently down to reality from beyond this life - the Afterlife.
F*** ME I'M FAMOUS! closing party | Friday 4 October
WORDS | by Sasha Wharton
2/4 FMIF! was the next residency to come to an end. Me and his sizeable fanbase stood in the presence of David Guetta's god-like persona one last time at Hï Ibiza. It was obvious that the world's most famous DJ would slam things out of the park, as he has done all summer.
Inviting an A-list team of artists to help him shut things down, Guetta dabbled in many different genres making for an eclectic night on the town. Idris Elba, Bob Sinclar and Ferreck Dawn were amongst the impressive support cast.
The man himself kept things simple and gave the crowd exactly what they wanted to hear. Namely, plenty of his own material - stretching far into his back catalogue. It reminded me of the time when I first fell in love with dance music.
Though my personal tastes may have evolved, I'll forever keep a soft spot in my heart for David Guetta. Everybody's guilty pleasure. Year one at Hï Ibiza has been a total success.
Black Coffee closing party | Saturday 5 October
WORDS | by Jo Dargie
3/4 For the final soiree, Black Coffee enlisted a spectacular roster of international names including Lauren Lane, Lemon & Herb, Themba and more to wrap up Saturday nights at Hï Ibiza for 2019.
With Blond:ish warming things up in the Theatre, Aztec inspired animations decorated the booth backdrop. Here is a party with strong visuality, drawing from a range of ethno-cultures.
An explosion of golden confetti signalled the arrival of the main man. Without hesitation, Black Coffee began firing out rapturous beats intertwined with his signature percussive sound. I found myself in a gold mine of tracks.
2019 felt like the summer where he bedded into his Saturday night residency and made it his own. Finally the faith shown in him looks like a sure bet. Black Coffee is odds on to rule the kingdom for the foreseeable.
Glitterbox closing party | Sunday 6 October
WORDS | by Stephen Hunt
4/4 The final night of four fell to Simon Dunmore's all-conquering Glitterbox clan.
Hearing Horse Meat Disco drop anthems such as Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder I Feel Love and Dan Hartman's Relight My Fire as a drag queen goes for it on the podium are memories I will never forget.
Even the bathroom was rocking in the hands of the Melon Bomb gang.
Living up to her diva tag, Kathy Sledge doubled her allocated 15-minute PA. Not that we had any complaints. Hearing the soulstress belt out classics such as I Want Your Love was an unforgettable moment. But she was about to be upstaged by an even bigger persona.
Enter stage-centre: Fatboy Slim.
Reeling through a medley of his hits in quick succession, the likes of Praise You, Right Here Right Now, Star 69 and Eat Sleep Rave Repeat were spliced with dance anthems such as Your Love, Apache and A-Trak's Heads Will Roll remix making for a riotous atmosphere.
His last-minute appearance in the toilets back in August was a nice gimmick, but if ever there was a dance music icon made for Hï's Theatre stage, it is Fatboy Slim.
Norman Cook's larger-than-life alter-ego stood arms aloft as gold tape rained down will be my lasting memory of Hï 2019.
Good work team - and a round of applause for team Hï for pulling it off in style.
Aside for the four parties that closed the season above, we can also add the rest of its programme was easily the most diverse and successful in its short history yet.
BODYWORKS came racing straight out of the trap, while RICH BITCH cornered the ever-popular Latin market. These aren't just the foundations of 2020, but surely the backbone, central nervous system and heartbeat to boot.
Overall, Hï Ibiza covered all bases from Monday through to Sunday - as indicated by packed dance floors night after night. Everybody from the bookers to the lighting techs, the resident DJs to the operational team can now take a well-earned break reflecting on a job expertly done.
If you want to be the first to know about Hï Ibiza's 2020 plans, follow our club magazine feed or keep your eyes glued to our social channels.
