It was about time something else got clubbers flocking to Space. Carl Cox's mighty return to the island for the opening party of Music Is Revolution went down last night; one of Ibiza's most busy and successful nights saw Cox joined by some of the biggest names in the industry, this year being his fourteenth consecutive season. It was announced the day before that the man himself would also play an earlier set on the Sunset Terrace, taking us from 11pm through till midnight. In order to see the festivities pan out we got there early on and 'The Next Phase' seemed to have caused a bit of a roadblock.
When Carl Cox arrived on stage the excitement levels were running high. Clearly in good spirits, he instantly dropped a club beat, and the clubbers responded full throttle. Spoken word samples, a flash of Armand Van Helden's U Don't Even Know Me and cowbells gave character to the set. Four dancers came out on stilts, eventually bringing out a white sheet to cover the merry crowd. Whistles and cheers were vocalised in kind, and during a sing-along to Derrick Carter's Hey Hey, grins were as wide as Cox's own famous smile. Taking hold of the mic towards the end, he thanked the crowd for being fantastic. The terrace now full, when doors to the rest of the venue opened, there was a sense of relief.
To mark the beginning of his twelve-week stay, Coxy invited Adam Beyer and Ida Engberg to play the Discoteca before he took to the stage. The Swedish couple, tonight sharing decks as well as beds, appeared relaxed throughout the three hours, and showed how a successful working relationship is done. Amongst tough rhythms, eerie build-ups were drawn out for just the right amount of time.
Cox then played from 3am till close, coming on to an announcement that “This is Carl Cox”, for those unsure, followed by a breakout of shuffling hi-hats. Having already enjoyed Cox earlier, the main room, rammed full with phone-wielding onlookers, didn't seem as appealing, so I took a breather. Luckily, there were a few other options, and as Uner played Adam Port's recent 108 mix of Sven Väth's Ritual of Life in the covered terrace, there was a sense that we weren't missing out. Then UMEK went back-to-back with Coyu, making for a bouncy and frivolous couple of hours. All the while, the Sunset Terrace presented by Ibiza Sonica, had a chilled out mood; a guy on saxophone playing the melody to Seven Nation Army provided a nice break from the other rooms.
Back in the main room, the visuals in Space were untouchable. Behind Cox, a 3D jagged backdrop displayed graphics of his face as he injected potent, thumping bass alongside piano house. On the approach to 6am, the main room was still jammed, a testament to Cox's popularity and competence to keep a floor filled.
WORDS | Emma Gillett PHOTOGRAPHY | James Chapman
