Open for less than a month, Gatecrasher is still very much the baby when it comes to Ibiza clubs, so it seems only fitting that its Tuesday night slot is filled by British promoter Créche. However rather than look after children, this is one nursery that takes expert care of the dedicated house lovers of San Antonio.
The Birmingham clubbing brand, clearly not one for travelling solo, has brought with it some the UK's finest party-throwing talent to join them on their trip to the Med, and along with in-house nights like electro fiesta El Carnival, these residencies help make up what is now a packed out schedule at Gatecrasher with six weekly parties, (seven come August). Two of these fellow Brits are none other than Alexis Raphael & Cozzy D with their legendary East London night Crèche, a night focused on showcasing upcoming house and techno which sees them bring some of the best artists on the underground scene to Gatecrasher every Tuesday.
It got off to a flying start with a packed out opening, and last night I went along to the third instalment of their 16-night residency, where Andy Baxter was joined by head-liner 29 year old Orlando Tobias Edward Higginbottom aka Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. No Artificial Colours, Jaymo & Andy George and Alexis Raphael were also lined up to play, but unfortunately the French Air Traffic Controllers had other ideas. Walking out on strike yesterday over budget cuts, the cancelled flights meant that like many of the other parties across the island last night, Créche had most of its line-up left stranded at the airport. A huge disappointment for everyone, none more so than the Créche organisers, but testament to them and the two DJs who could make it, who powered on and put on an amazing night nonetheless.
VIDEO | The aftermovie from the Créche opening party. Yup, that's a party right there.
As soon as you step foot into Gatecrasher it's immediately clear that Crèche is a night all about the music. A stripped back production, the club is dimly lit with just a few red lights and not a nipple tassel or confetti shower in sight. Even the large screen behind the DJ booth, that would usually be awash with colourful visuals was pared down for the night, simply displaying an inspirational quote on the black screen every now and then. Without these commonplace sequinned distractions that DJs can usually rely on in Ibiza's clubs, it ensures that they up their games and deliver well thought out, engaging sets that are more than enough to keep the crowd entertained.
This was demonstrated expertly by top of the bill, London based DJ/producer Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, who kept the intimate but educated crowd hooked with the kind of set crafted for the dedicated house lover to get lost in. A relentless, unadulterated beat moved expertly from Maceo Plex's Enter.Space through to the Kink remix of Daniel Avery's Knowing We'll Be Here, with the newly installed Void sound system pumping out the sort of bass you can feel in the pit of your stomach. Like a great chef, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs nailed the less is more mantra, sticking to uncomplicated, authentic house, with just a few perfectly timed moments where he took the set to more melodic place, the feather-light tones of Syreeta in Keep Him Like He Is or the distant voices in Dusky's Love Taking Over.
I wasn't planning to stay to the end, but anyone who's been here will know that making plans in Ibiza is nearly as redundant as having a planned itinerary for your weekend at Glastonbury. The music had me dancing until the very last moment, when everyone spilled out onto the promenade, many I assume to take heed from one of the aforementioned quotes which had read 'don't go to sleep', and continue their nights elsewhere, as if Ibiza had to be told.
WORDS | Joanna Wright PHOTO | Tasya Menaker
