Despite being a Thursday evening in mid-May, I should never have underestimated the powerful pull of a weekday on Ibiza - even so early in the summer. Maybe it was my body's circadian rhythm still adjusting, but I felt tired.
Wakey! Wakey! No time for sleep. Tonight was Do Not Sleep's opening party.
Meeting at promoter and Amnesia's artistic director Neil's place for a pre-game tipple, I was able to have a prep-talk with my girl Blondi. After sinking a few drinks and getting in the spirit, we headed off early doors to make sure we maximised our time on the dancefloor.
Opening up the night with the warm-up set, this was Blondi's first time playing Amnesia and the excitement was real. She brought along a whole troop of her closest pals in support.
Warming up the terrace perfectly, she played a blend of Deep-Tech and Minimal beats infused with some sultry vocals.
I barely blinked, it was already time for the next DJ to start. Before the transition, Blondi dropped in a cheeky crowd-pleaser in the form of Dennis Ferrer's Hey Hey, which really took the vibe to the next level. As you can imagine, this was very well received from the rapturous dancefloor.
Next up, was my new pal LP Rhythm who I had met backstage at Ushuaïa earlier in the week. He was playing back-to-back with Gaskin, who coincidentally, I had also just met at Pikes later the same night. Small island.
Despite LP Rhythm only being in his early twenties, he has become an increasingly influential figure amongst the underground community with his slick productions and infectious performances. Definitely make him one to watch.
Afterwards, Locklead proceeded to take control of the decks. His set was right up my street, however the only thing I was gutted about was the fact he didn’t drop in his 2023 anthem Moon, which was released on Chris Stussy's label. Maybe he didn't feel like it was the right vibe.
With so many tracks to play in an hour, sometimes it isn't possible to fit them all in.
By this point, the dancefloor was heaving, setting up for the boys from Mason Collective to absolutely shell it as per usual. It has to be said that, these three really are coming into the top of their game.
Their summer on the island is looking pretty damn busy, with this being the first of six Amnesia dates this summer. While you can catch them playing all over the island, the trio are back here for five dates at Paradise alone.
Veteran of the line-up, it was left to Richy Ahmed to close the club down, which was still swamped at 06:00. Nights seldom end when the lights come up and DNS opening was always going to be one occasion when we carried on long after the birds started chirping.
A big group of us retired to the rooftop for a night-cap cocktail, before heading off to an after party until some ungodly hour.
The first of the summer (but probably not the last), I met some lovely new pals, caught up with old ones and proved that, even midweek, Ibiza really does not sleep.
Exhausted? Check. Ready for bed? Check. Likely to miss work commitments later? ... likely. Worth it? You bet! Will I learn my lesson?
I expect I'll be in the same predicament of my own making this time next week.
This coming Thursday, you can find a huge line-up talent taking over the Terraza. East End Dubs, Eats Everything, Sidney Charles, and Luuk Van Dijk all play, with Evie on support from doors open.
Later in the programme, you can also catch Alisha, Archie Hamilton, Sosa, Wheats and more over the next four weeks, before DNS moves to Cova Santa for the remainder of summer.
Tickets for next week and the other three Amnesia dates are on sale below. For tickets and info about the five parties at Cova Santa from June to October, please visit this page.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Mario Pinta
