“The worst thing you can do in Pacha is go on Facebook!”
In my defence, I wasn't on Facebook; I was taking down notes to write this masterpiece (with the occasional Snapchat upload to keep my sisters in a jealous rage). But the guy had a point…
While many of you were tuning in to The Only Way Is Marbs last night, I was hot-trotting down to Pacha to Solomun's +1 event which returns for its second summer until October 5th. With so many DJs taking up residencies at various clubs throughout the season, it's hard to guess which ones are actually worth the 3 euro disco bus (or taxi fare if you're not on an unfortunate worker's budget like me). But the thing with Solomun's night is that the notion is very straight-forward: one ‘carefully chosen' guest plays their set, the German superstar steps does his thing then the pair session it together 'til dawn. And it's this simplicity that works so well. No name-dropping, no army of warm-up acts, just exceptional music.
This week's hand-picked pal was Dixon, a producer and DJ (and bakery owner) also from Germany who is enjoying huge popularity right now. If techno had an "It Girl", Dixon would currently be her (him). As we walked in to the Main Room, the drum beat of his set rolled out the speakers. Pacha had treated us clubbers to a custom-built DJ booth so that we completely surrounded the DJ and Dixon's tribal and electronic-infused sounds took a drop so deep my whole chest shook. There was a tambourine thrown in there, neon tones from a keyboard and at one point I'm sure I heard cymbals.
Pacha seems like the cool kids playground; the interior is lavish and The Terrace is filled with plush white seats, a four-poster bed where partygoers can rest their two-stepping toes and a ginormous champagne glass with a girl writhing and wiggling (“Ass in a Glass”). That said, the crowd of ravers were one of the most fun, friendly and fantastic I've met out here. I even found myself having a dance-off with three flamboyant foreigners (think Louis Spence with lip-rings).
Solomun had been in the DJ booth from Dixon's set. It's so fresh to see the resident and the guest DJ supporting each other and that's exactly what “+1” is about; Solomun picking the artists he personally feels has inspired him and who he genuinely enjoys playing with.
Of course Solomun was brilliant. The bus stop back to San Antonio was abuzz with words of appreciation and gratitude; “Solomun smashed it” ...“What a dynamic duo” ... “That set was tune after tune”. His beats not only shook the ceiling furnishings but were a two and a half hour journey with more builds and drops than Blackpool's Pepsi Max. We cheered and whooped as the bass line took another nose dive. The rollercoaster ride plummeted one last time with Solomun's remix of Foals's Last Night sending the revellers into frenzy.
So why is going on Facebook in Pacha the worst thing you can do? Because this superclub is all about the experience. There is so much to see, feel and explore in this luxurious venue. And with a solid line-up throughout the summer including DJ Koze, Ame, and Pete Tong you cannot appreciate this event to the max while staring at a phone screen.
And to be honest, thanks to the high calibre of music, I didn't even think about reaching for my phone again all night.
WORDS | Francesca Evans PHOTOGRAPHY | Pacha
