After a mad few days partaking in all the IMS fun their grand finale party was finally here and last night we, along with hundreds of others, got to enjoy another unique party at Dalt Vila. Occupying the heart of Ibiza Town for a second night the International Music Summit hosted its Grand Finale Festival which had a line-up of the best of techno talent creating a great contrast to yesterdays more commercial party. Adding a bit of diversity to the evening Azari & III were booked for a live performance before the main man Carl Cox took to the stage. Friday nights party also saw Seth Troxler, Loco Dice and Pete Tong perform.
Arriving just in time to see happy lad Seth Troxler come onto the stage wearing his John Lennon style circular glasses, which have become his signature feature over the course of IMS, Dalt Vila was already noticeably busier than the previous nights party. It's no great surprise that the grand finale attracted an older crowd and whilst the sun was still shining the atmosphere resembled that of a festival - with the portaloo queues to match. Seth did his usual cool thing whilst behind the decks and could even be seen communicating with Loco Dice who was sorting his tracks out to this side of the booth. Both artists were clearly having a laugh and communicating through vinyl, with one holding a record up to the other in acknowledgement of it being a T-une!
Next Loco Dice was welcomed by the crowd and the German DJ did a lot of dropping in on the offbeat and was passionately adoring the bass which of course made the crowd go absolutely crazy. The level of excitement and happiness in the air was infectious and everyone was dancing and having a good time. Following on from Loco Dice in a roll of the genre ball Canadian quartet Azari & III unleashed their quirky style on the audience. Wearing very flamboyant clothing the two vocalists Fritz Helder and Cedric clashed so many wrong patterns it looked right making the pair style visually mesmerising. Belting out their hit 'Hungry for the power' the band had the crowd going wild and all singing along to every word, a similar response was achieved when they performed their track 'Reckless with your love'.
Finally, the moment that everyone had been waiting for... Mr Carl Cox wearing his Space tee approached the booth and arranged his headphones. Half expecting him to speak before he played, I was left wondering when we would get to hear him shout his famous words 'Oh yes, oh yes'. The global super star DJ began his set with a techno intro dropping into New Order's hit 'Blue Monday'; a little unexpected but a crowd pleaser none the less. Coxy continued with a fantastic set proving that the legend still has it in him and really is '50 years young'. A few tracks in he got on the mic and shouted 'Oh yes, oh yes IMS!', which made the crowd erupt with cheers and hunger for more music. The whole set was rich with techno beats, basslines, melodies and ghostly vocals which paired with the robotic graphics and a green laser show really took IMS into another realm. Finishing his set with the sound of keys creeping into a build up and ending as a mad drum interlude which finished on the tip of a drop. Carl Cox cleverly left the crowd wanting more, so it is a good thing that the vast majority of the crowd are probably seeing him at the Space opening fiesta Sunday on Sunday.
This summer the International Music Summit has had a strong focus on how house music is evolving and the revolution of EDM in America and after an array of live gigs, sets and intriguing conferences IMS has once again captivated Ibiza's spirit and provided the island with a string of events to enjoy.
I wonder what IMS 2013 has in-store for us...
