Ibiza's super-clubs are on sabbatical now for winter, but the island's global influence continues elsewhere in the world. During the low season, we bring you club reviews from Ibiza favourites at other party destinations from around the world.
After the Ibiza season finished, the clubbing team could have been forgiven for putting their feet up, but did we do that? Instead, we hightailed it immediately back to the dancefloor.
In autumn/winter 2023-24, we start in the Dutch capital for Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE).
Defected ADE | Hemkade48 | Saturday 21 October
"Are we here?" Our taxi pulls into a desolate industrial site on the outer reaches of Amsterdam. If we thought we'd travelled out of town the night before, nothing could have prepared us for this. A fellow passenger points to a steady trickle of errant partygoers.
"Look, we're in the right place." Hmmm. Not that they look like the typical crowd Defected pulls. Soon it all becomes clear.
Hemkade48 is a hulking warehouse space located on the northern bank of the North Sea Canal, a thoroughfare that pierces the city from east to west. Imports and exports come and go via this route. Fitting, perhaps, that today the world's biggest House music conglomerate is in town.
The procession of clubbers are indeed not Defected attendees. Instead, their destination is the eponymous Gabberland, held concurrently in the adjacent unit. Noise considerate neighbours, they aren't. Quite a contrast and a testament to the diversity on offer across ADE week.
A howling wind cuts across the waterway, biting icily at the skin. Inside, it isn't much warmer. Yet. Once doors open, the Defected crowd start to arrive. Before too long, the hall has started to fill and the mercury has crept up with it. Within an hour, it's a bustling sweat box.
ADE is about new music, but it's also about new artists and few brands are prepared to invest in the future as much as Defected. Paige Tomlinson and Rio Tashan (pictured top) have been unsung heroes of Defected Ibiza 2023 campaign.
The burgeoning DJs underpinned 11 out of 23 line-ups at Eden this summer, either playing solo or together.
Their usage in the opening slot, as well as bookings for the likes of Ben Rau, Prunk and Mason Collective point to the direction House music is headed in the not too distant future. Defected always pushing their sound forward. The faith shown in them was again on display today.
The chemistry between the duo is undeniable, as they blend tracks from Cajmere, Todd Terry and Burnski. We enjoy their set so much, that we hastily make plans to attend the pair's all-night-long showcase back in London on Friday night. Impulsive decisions always go rewarded.
Controls are handed to home town boy Dennis Quin next and by this point, the crowd has really started to surge. Musically, the tempo is edging, but when another Dutchman takes over in Ferreck Dawn, the energy of the crowd and the acoustics of the building symbiote.
His set is a mixture of old and new, transitioning from FISHER's Atmosphere straight into Patrick Topping's cult classic Forget. It might be our favourite set of the entire week - and we have Hannah Wants, Darius Syrossian and Low Steppa still to come. Defected always spoiling its fans.
On our way out, we pass a poster that catches our attention.
Come the last night of the year, Defected will be throwing parties in no less than five different locations, across five different time zones and five separate continents. Sydney (Australia), Koh Samui (Thailand), Johannesburg (South Africa), London (UK) and Las Vegas (USA).
Fireworks on New Year's Eve. Maybe there's time for one more Ibiza worldwide Defected edition before we say hello to 2024?
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Jack Kimber
In the interim, we'll bring you more Ibiza worldwide reviews from Amsterdam and beyond over the coming weeks. For a detailed low-down of all our exploits in the Dutch capital, read Lissy Lü takes a trip - the final instalment of this year's dancefloor diary.
For those of you lucky enough to be on Balearic soil, head to our party calendar to cater to your dancing needs.
