Last night I hopped on the disco bus and headed to the opening of Flying Circus. Being a favourite among both my fellow Brits and the other workers on the island, Sankeys has come to be a staple in my Ibiza calendar, and after only hearing good things about last year's residency, this was one of the nights I had been particularly looking forward to.
Following last year's success, it was clear that Audiofly's underground extravaganza was a match made in heaven for Sankey's stripped back basement, and this year they're back for round two. As I headed in, I was greeted with some pure and simple housey goodness, as Daniel Bortz hit the decks with Radio Slave's RJ. The basement was - if this is possible - even darker than usual, with just the odd flash lighting up the inky darkness. It's OK Flying Circus, after a few heavy nights and without the luxury of time to get ready on my hands, it's not like I needed anyone to see me anyway. But enough about my eye bags, the inky back drop was in fact the perfect setting for a party that is without a doubt all about the music. Bortz gave us a delicious mix of house and techno, with tracks from DMS12 and Super Fly, finishing up with a lovely Innervisions style vocal number.
It was by no means a sell out for Sankeys, but the basement was comfortably busy. On a selfish note, it was actually quite nice having room to breathe, without any sweat-soaked strangers with their armpits in my face - does that happen to everyone or do they just hunt me down?! The fact the night is held on a Friday, with clubbing giant Music On to go up against is a tough feat for any night, but with a quality line up and dedicated following, it's no surprise that Flying Circus are proving to be a decent David to Amnesia's Goliath.
The hosts were up next to entertain us, and that's certainly what Luca Saporito and Anthony Middleton did, kicking off with some Rework and Any Other (Original Mix). They kept the crowd moving with a steady stream of house gems, like the steady bass line of Cengo's Square Wave and a switch in tempo up with Janie Robinson's Dreamer (Dancin' Divaz Club Mix). Robag Wruhme was last up and, although the musical bar had been set dizzyingly high, he kept up the pace with some Marc Romboy, Spotlight favourites Moderat, and some Alex Niggeman with Materium to finish my night off. Lovely.
So if you're looking for a more chilled out Friday evening than Amnesia's marathon offering, we definitely suggest you head to Bossa to run away with the circus.
WORDS | Joanna Wright PHOTOGRAPHY | James Chapman
