Having been blown away by Eriz Prydz's jaw-dropping [CELL] show recently, my expectations for another visually stunning experience at Hï Ibiza were, well, sky high! This time, I was after a different kind of spectacle in the form of Afterlife - the brainchild of Italian DJ and production duo Tale Of Us.
Long intrigued by videos captured of their performances shared on social media, I was eager to experience it first-hand. Once again, I set-off to DJ Mag's world's number one club for another night of Melodic Techno and groundbreaking visuals.
Arriving just after midnight, I joined a queue that snaked down the street. At the box office, I was intrigued to find staff handing out stickers to partygoers to cover their phone cameras.
This practice is becoming increasingly popular. In places like Berlin, it's been commonplace for years, but this was the first time I had encountered it myself.
As I later learned, the decision to put into practice a no phone policy was the result of a vote held on Matteo's (AKA Anyma) Instagram. Having expressed their will online, would Afterlife fans respect the policy on the dancefloor? Or would the urge to capture the moment prevail?
The sound of Afterlife
Upon entering we found Olympe behind the decks, accompanied by a dazzling display of lights and Afterlife's "falling man" mascot slowly rotating on the screen behind the stage. The club was already pulsing with energy, which made movement from one end to the next a challenge.
After weaving through the crowd, we snagged a spot on the left side, offering a good vantage point of the stage and some room to groove. Olympe expertly eased the crowd into the night, the music steadily growing heavier and creeping up the tempo.
By 02:00, the lights faded and plunged the dancefloor into darkness, revealing the next DJ. As a fan of Cassian's work, I was particularly excited to support a fellow Aussie. Cassian proceeded to light up the room with a potent blend of his own productions and tracks from other artists.
A few notable selections included his track Aran and his remix of John Summit's recent hit Shiver, which sent the dancefloor into a state of awe. Cassian's set was a display of dancefloor mastery. It had the crowd absolutely buzzing and tee'd them up for our hosts.
The go-home set from Tale Of Us was everything you'd expect from the Melodic Techno titans.
Some of my highlights included two of last summer's party anthems: Simulation by Anyma and Chris Avantgarde and Metro from Kevin de Vries and Mau P, while Adam Port and Stryv latest track Move got the remix treatment. Needless to say, Tale Of Us didn't disappoint.
Mind-bending production
Afterlife's production was undeniably impressive – a jaw-dropping symphony of strobe lights, moving heads and lasers firing from all corners of The Theatre. Not to mention the stunning visuals projected onto the enormous LED screen at the back of the room. In addition, the screen mounted from the roof in the middle of the dancefloor created a further sense of immersion.
If I thought all the stops were out for earlier in the night, I need to think again. As the night progressed, the wall behind the decks seemed to expand further, morphing into a canvas of swirling colours and hypnotic visuals that perfectly complemented Afterlife's signature sound.
No phone policy
Tale Of Us made their grand entrance at 04:00. As if on cue, phones instantly shot it into the air, accompanied by a roar from crowd as the headliners played their opening track.
Part of me can relate to the desire to capture this incredible display of lights, music and visuals. On the other hand, I’m all for a night out free from the distraction of glowing rectangles and phone torches.
After some reflection, cultural shifts take time and while uptake in compliance is slow, artists and clubs taking a stance on this shows that attitudes towards mobile phone use on the dancefloor are changing.
Perhaps, with time and a continued push from artists and venues alike, the sight of a sea of glowing rectangles will become a relic of the past. We shall have to see...
Exhausted but exhilarated, I caught the disco bus back to San Antonio, allowing me to take stock of the night. At its core, Afterlife boasts weekly line-ups that feature the biggest names in Melodic Techno, plus boundary-pushing state-of-the-art production - truly an unforgettable clubbing experience.
If you're looking for a night of Melodic Techno and cutting-edge visuals, Hï Ibiza on Thursdays has you covered. Though, if we have one request, it's please use your phone sparingly, keep it in your pocket and remember to live in the moment.
There are only five more dates at Afterlife until it takes a mid-season hiatus, before returning for a day and night doubled-headed closing party on 3 October. Tickets and line-ups to the remaining six parties can be found below.
WORDS | by Luke Botting
