Life on Ibiza might seem like the dream, but it isn't all boat cruises and endless tanning (okay, there is plenty of that too!).
For the workers that come here, the quickest, most vital lesson to learn is that living here comes at the price of putting the graft in. Those of us who live here all year around already know.
Work hard first, party later. That's as true of DJs as it is waiters, receptionists and concierge services - nothing worth having comes easy.
Our next profiled DJ might just be the hardest working of them all.
DJ Policy holds down multiple weekly residencies. In fact, you can catch him playing somewhere seven days a week. During a summer with a reduced event programme, that's an impressive feat.
Not that you'll hear him complaining. Quite the opposite. Policy is eternally grateful for the opportunities he has - and you'll never see him frowning. Here is an individual who loves what he does and whose smile says it all.
We caught up with the grafter to find out just how busy he is.
Q&A
What's happening Policy? It's good to see you. You lived in Ibiza over winter. How did you find that experience?
"Hello. Yes, this winter was my first and I have to say that I’m shocked I hadn't made the move sooner. After ten summers of full-on parties, you’d think I would have at least tried it once. This winter I decided to take the plunge and, boy, it did not disappoint.
Even during the pandemic where we were all made to curfew, it was still the best. I got to explore the island in ways that I never imagined. Ibiza is full of hidden gems that I never get to experience during the season, as I’m so busy DJing.
A good friend, who sadly passed away earlier this year, formed a travel group and every weekend we would go and explore somewhere new. It was probably the best winter of my life.
Thank you Hannah, Rambo Dan, Kristy, Rick, Connor, Dom, Nathalie, Sophie and to our late friend, Kevin. We miss you dearly."
Sorry to hear about your loss. You sound like you're keeping as busy as you've ever been. Can you tell us a little about all you've got going on?
"2021 has been a crazy roller coaster ride to say the least. Somehow I've managed to come out with two big residencies at Ibiza Rocks and lots of other gigs. To say I’ve been one of the lucky ones is an understatement.
I'm covering a number of pool parties, including Nathan Dawe on Thursdays & Joel Corry on Sunday."
Policy bringing the vibes to Ibiza Rock's poolside for Hip-Hop specialists Applebum
"I’ve also got the headline slot at Applebum and I'm a weekly resident for Garage Nation as well.
My very own weekly Hip-Hop party, You Know The Vibes, takes place at Itaca every Tuesday.
You can also catch me spinning Hip-Hop, R&B and Reggaeton at Rio every night from Wednesday to Monday. Rio is great, as it does amazing food and has amazing views from the rooftop.
It's also a great little place to play. It’s nice and intimate and you can really connect with everybody that is in the room. For a DJ, that's important. The club is small compared to those other venues, but it provides all the necessary ingredients to have yourself a solid night out."
"When you get to feed off of the energy of your party people, it makes the job one hundred times more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I love big crowds at the bigger venues. They're also special, but for different reasons.
So, yeah, it's fair to say I'm keeping busy!
Doing all this has kept me working around the clock, seven days a week. Even with the 01:00 finish, the days have been full-on. I can only thank the Ibiza heavens for blessing me this way. Sleep is essential to get through it, so any down time is welcomed."
That is absolute graft. Aside from being able to see you play, what else should people expect from a visit to Ibiza Rocks this summer?
"Ibiza Rocks is Ibiza Rocks, you know?
For me, it's still the number one place to party even with all the restrictions that have been put in place. I understand that the rules and regulations are there to help keep us all safe, but it does sometimes feel like the fun police are out on a mission to bazooka anything remotely good.
That being said, I have still been able to enjoy one of my best summers ever. This will be my tenth summer coming to the island, so that takes some beating! Good vibes are good vibes, no matter what obstacles are placed in front of you."
Ibiza will always be synonymous with dance music, but R&B and Hip-Hop are huge here now. You must be pretty pleased with the diversity on offer that you've been such an ambassador for?
"I think Ibiza has now arrived at a place where people want to go out and listen to a variety of music and not just the specialist sounds that the island is known for. R&B and Hip-Hop is known by most people, simply because it's been pushed to the forefront of popular culture.
If people want to go out and feel the electric spine-tingling, hair-raising energy that Fisher's Losing It provides, they can. But later on the same night, they might want to celebrate their mate's birthday screaming out the chorus to 50 Cent's In Da Club.
Going forward, I think it's going to be beneficial to be a versatile DJ who can play across the board. The more bases you cover, the more knowledge you possess and, ultimately, the better DJ you will be. It's a special skill to entertain any crowd, no matter their musical preference.
You have to be able to adapt to whatever crowd is put in front of you."
With that in mind, what tracks are getting your biggest reactions this summer?
"I get asked this all the time. Rather than talking about individual tracks, I've compiled a special You Know The Vibes Ibiza 2021 playlist for your subscribers. In no particular order, these are probably the top twenty tracks from my sets across all my residencies."
Catch DJ Policy supporting the one-and-only Fatboy Slim at Ibiza Rocks on Tuesday 17 August.
Of course, you can also catch him playing there every Saturday and Monday until the end of September, as well as regular guest slots on Thursdays and Sundays, not to mention his parties at Rio and Itaca. DJ Policy gets about!
