Back at the start of the season we provided our Top 15 Tracks To Rule Ibiza 2014 piece - 15 house and techno cuts that were poised and ready to do the damage on the White Isle's dance floors. Three months later, we're at the height of Ibiza's peak season, we're out almost every night and after countless parties we've got a handle on some of the island's most ubiqitous club tracks. Here we provide a selection of 15 of this summer's biggest anthems, which have provided hair-raising moments on the White Isle's best dance floors.
Patrick Topping – ‘Forget’ – Hot Creations
To describe this track as ubiquitous would be close to an understatement. It’s safe to say that are very few sound systems on the island which this track hasn’t been heard pumping from. Pumping is the choice word here, with its straight-up banging house rhythm further propelled by that huge bass line. The trippy synth injections build tension and once that vocal cuts through the mix, there’s guaranteed mayhem on the dance floor, be it DC-10, Space or Amnesia, we've heard it everywhere.
Floorplan – ‘Never Grow Old (Re-Plant)’ – M-Plant
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Whilst ‘Forget’ has become the anthem for selectors leaning towards the tech-house side of things, the pure techno heads have been rinsing this one from Floorplan, AKA Detroit’s Robert Hood. From Marcel Dettmann, Carl Craig and Ricardo Villalobos to Bicep and Deetron, ‘Never Grow Old’ has had full support from the techno community and beyond. Hood’s 2013 'Paradise' edit contains one of the most striking and uplifting vocal samples you’ll ever hear in a piece of techno. The way it builds on the dance floor to create an almighty crescendo of peak-time euphoria has proved it to be one of the tracks of the summer by far.
Moderat – ‘Bad Kingdom (DJ Koze Remix)’ – Monkeytown Records
The superb original has had the remix treatment from Marcel Dettmann, Head High and Robag Wruhme, all of which do the damage on the dance floor, but its DJ Koze’s remix which has that certain edge to it. The understated subtlety of the percussion and the breathy clean cut vocals build towards that buzz saw bass line that lazily rolls in. Dropped by Papa Sven, Tale Of Us, Dixon, Âme and Adam Beyer to name just a few – Koze utilises the most striking bass line we’ll hear this summer.
Sailor & I – ‘Turn Around (Âme Remix)’ – Life And Death
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Life And Death’s association with soaring emotive melodies is typified here with Âme’s huge remix of ‘Turn Around’. The track is built around a sumptuous vocal which is allowed the prominence it deserves by leaving the intricate percussion and synth work in the background. There's no surprise revellers were singing the words back at the brilliant Lost in A Moment takeover at DC-10 this month. It’s a slow burning cut swelling with warm euphoria and a staple in Âme’s sets this summer.
David August – ‘Epikur’ – Innervisions
If you can, picture yourself on Amnesia Terrace. It’s 8am. The morning sunlight is streaming through the windows, you’re surrounded by like-minded revellers full of ecstatic empathy and Papa Sven has spent the past four, five, maybe 6 hours guiding you through an emotion filled techno journey. This is his last track – pure bliss.
Caribou – ‘Can’t Do Without You’ – JIAOLONG
Caribou has returned to the fore with the sweetest of summer anthems, its floating vocal hooks suck you in and its melancholic yet uplifting tone are filled with emotion. Tale Of Us, Dixon and Mano Le Tough have been supporting an, as yet unknown, remix, but it was Bicep dropping the original on the Space Terrace that captured our hearts. It’s the kind of track that sticks in your head on your journey home and nags you persistently until you find out what it is – a track of undoubtedly epic proportions.
Trus’me – ‘I Want You (Alan Fitzpatrick Remix)’ – Prime Numbers
Manchester’s soulful house and techno head, Trus'me, has had his music remixed by just about every big name in techno. On this occasion, Alan Fitzpatrick took care of ‘I Want You’, morphing it into a slamming dance floor cut. Tough percussion and some ghetto vocal sampling provide an utterly infectious banger occupying the ground between techno and house to killer effect.
Dan Croll – ‘From Nowhere (Âme Remix)’ – Unreleased
Âme’s second appearance in our list and the list wouldn’t be complete without this spacious piece. In Âme’s inimitable style, the vocal is allowed to soar in the mix amongst minimalistic yet driving percussion. Another DC-10 mainstay, the first time hearing this grabbed our attention and resulted in huge amounts of curiosity as to what it was, due to the fact the track is actually unreleased. As of yet there are no plans to release the remix, so the club remains the ultimate place to get your ears 'round this delightful piece of music.
Maceo Plex – ‘Conjure Sex’ – M_nus
Carl Cox’s 10-hour Opening Party set was the first time we wrapped our ears around this one, and what a track to hear on those giant Funktion One stacks. Tracks don’t sound much more colossal than this – aeroplane-like roars, manic claps, monstrous sub-bass, sexualised vocals and many more textures add to this melting pot of a techno stomper.
Bicep – ‘NRG106’ – Aus Music
When Marcel Dettmann starts playing one of your productions in his sets you can take that as a fairly huge seal of approval. The way the crisp percussion interplays with the throbbing bass line, and the floating ethereal pads, is like nectar to the ears. Ida Engberg dropping this moody dance floor thumper to a packed ENTER. Terrace immediately springs to mind every time we hear this.
Enzo Siragusa & Alexkid – ‘Kilimanjaro 2’ – FUSE London
Kilimanjaro is Enzo and Alexkid’s deep dark journey into jungle and garage inspired dance floor bangers. The bass on this one transports you back to the sound of intense ‘90s jungle raves and it’s done some serious damage at Sankeys’ Tuesday night affair, FUSE. Enzo dropping this one at the tINI & The Gang Opening was something special though – combining rough club cuts with the ideal party atmosphere on the beach – perfect.
C.P.I. – ‘Proceso (Barnt Remix)’ – Hivern Discs
Space Terrace has proved the ideal stomping ground for this wild amalgam of crazed claps, acid gurgles and that wonderfully disjointed break down – a massive warped cut supported by the likes of Âme, Roman Flugel and Michael Mayer this summer.
Politics Of Dancing – ‘Battle Groove’ – Politics Of Dancing Records
One of the most innately grooving tunes we’ve heard all summer, this one is a bit of a Circoloco anthem thanks to the likes of Apollonia and Tania Vulcano. ‘Battle Groove’ has Apollonia stamped all over it with that chunky bass line rolling infectiously alongside the scattered rhythms.
Dusky – ‘Inta’ – 17 Steps
Dusky brought the raw power with this one, providing a pure jacking house stomper perfect for losing yourself with some excitable peak-time dance moves – very much at home when emanating from Space’s famously crystalline sound system.
One from the vault: Argy – ‘Love Dose’ – Poker Flat Recordings
It seems that every season an old classic is subjected to something of a revival – this season we’ve been treated to this one from back in the day, 2005 to be precise. This Argy classic is just trippy madness made for those moments on the dance floor when a mind-bending left turn is the order of the day – cue the kind of reaction typified by a combination of excitable cheering, screwed up faces and hands in the air.
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