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Sadly, the Ibiza season is ending. The only saving grace is that it will never to go out with a whimper. Carl Cox’s closing party at Space marks the beginning of two weeks of major closing parties, massive line-ups and wildly long sets. This is the time when revellers go all-out in search of their last hedonistic adventures, memories of which will carry them through the winter months.
Carl Cox’s Music Is Revolution brought the first of these huge moments, with the return of the Loco Dice for only the second time on the island all summer. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and when we joined Dice for his birthday bash at Space back in August, this adage seemed to be ringing true. It was the busiest the Terrace has been all season, completely packed from wall-to-wall, and Dice had a rapturous response from start to finish.
This time Dice stepped up to the Discoteca and the ecstatic response was evident again, as hordes of partygoers piled into the cavernous main room. Dressed head to toe in black and sporting a strong beard, the German selector looked at home and thrilled to be present behind the decks – laughing, smiling and moving about with his trademark bounce. This spring in his step was initially channelled in a more subdued way, with Dice providing barebones tech-house – choosing to take his time in building the journey, rather than going full throttle from the outset, as he did back in August.
Channelling his inner Carl Cox, Dice picked up the mic and greeted the crowd with a “Hello Space!” combined with a trademark delay build up, creating heaps of tension, before the intense flash of strobe lights accompanied a huge bass line drop. The reaction was raucous, with cheers, a sea of pumping fists and people jumping – all confirming Dice hasn’t lost his touch after his White Isle hiatus.
Over in the Terrace, Circus boss Yousef was holding it down with a volley of fast paced tech-house cuts, the likes of ‘Free Spirit’ by Kydus standing out in particular. The trip to the Terrace served as an ideal breather, with the temperatures much cooler and space to dance a little more abundant. That said, it was still heaving, and the crowd were just as receptive to Yousef’s selections as they were to Dice’s.
Meanwhile, Dice was hitting his stride as the 3am mark passed, serving up some heavy techno selections as ideal big-room fare. If you get the chance to watch Loco Dice from close quarters you truly realise the man’s technical prowess behind the decks. Although every DJ has their own unique style, it’s hard not to think that Dice puts some to shame with his technical ability – rapidly tweaking delay, reverb and loop effects to create nuances that build immense amounts of tension and manifestly highlight the way he channels his raw energy.
Mr. Cox soon hit the ones and twos, feeding off the energy Dice had created and laying down a salvo of high-octane tech-house that skipped along, fuelling yet more crowd ecstasy. Cox then cooled the vibe a touch with Dennis Ferrer’s ‘Mind Ur Step’, which featured sultry vocals and an emotive tone – perfect for the breaking the set up.
The room was full of high spirits and high energy as performers were suspended from ceiling in heart shapes, dancers gave it their all on the podiums, lasers cut through the room and CO2 cannons blasted away. The closing party sense was pervasive – people weren’t going to waste this last opportunity to dance into the early hours of Wednesday morning at Space.
With such an electric atmosphere buzzing throughout the room, the dance floor was there for the taking as Loco Dice returned to the booth, shared an embrace and a shot of hierbas with Cox and settled in alongside the big man to see out the party’s final hours of the season.
The chemistry between the two was strikingly evident in August, when Cox joined Dice on the Sunset Terrace for a very special back-to-back set, and this connection was channelled yet again. There’s something immediately special and exciting about back-to-backs, with the combination of talents and the unexpected nature coming together to fuel compelling moments.
Cox and Dice bounced off each other seamlessly, pushing proceedings hard, with robust tech-house tracks, jacking stompers and cavernous techno cuts – always remaining on the same wavelength.
The two greats sharing the decks proved to be the ideal summer send off for Carl Cox’s enormous season of parties at Space. One can only hope that Loco Dice returns to the White Isle next year, the clamour to see him is certainly there.
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