Its not very often a DJ can claim two residencies in Ibiza, especially in two clubs that are both legendary in there own right, as well as being polar opposites in just about each and every way. However, Solomon has done just that this year, owning both Tuesdays at Sankeys for Diynamic Neon Nights, and Sundays at Pacha for Solomun +1.
Sankeys is a small, underground sanctuary with a grimy feel, taking you back to your favorite hometown club, transporting you miles away from the island of super clubs and over the top production. On the flip-side, Pacha is the epitome of what someone might expect each and every club in Ibiza to be like – beautiful, big, bright white walls, expansive VIP area, a maze of corridors with rooms tucked away underneath stairwells, and hidden garden areas to escape the hustle and bustle that is the main room.
Normally to the right of the main dance floor upon entry to the club, for Solomun’s night, the DJ booth saw a move to the center of the main room just above floor level, giving things a more involved feel, and Solomun the opportunity to really connect with the crowd. Throughout the entire night he could be seen high-fiving, shaking hands and nodding to all the fans that pushed there way up front and center, as Keith Haring-esque artwork adorned the ceilings high above the crowd, completing the magic touch.
The main room is of course the center of attention, but the side room, known as The Funky Room, is a nice little escape from the masses. Small, with just a bar and a few areas to sit, island favorite Graham Saraha smashed out familiar house tunes laid over groovy, funky bass lines, while we chilled out, cooled off with a beer and got ready for another trip back downstairs to all the action.
Solomun is known to most as a deep house artist, and rightly so, as most, if not all of his productions would fall into the deep house category on Beatport or another similar online music library. His sets at Sankeys are what I’d consider classic Solomun – deep, heavy tracks that keep the crowd rocking but not necessarily jumping. We got to see a different side of Solomun on Sunday though, as he brought out bigger, more upbeat, energy filled tracks, while still maintaining his roots in the deep house sound. He pumped it up with Cajmere’s throbbing, hypnotic ‘Coffee Pot (It's Time for the Percolator),’ everyone mouthing the familiar words along with the track.
From there, he headed over to big room territory with Dennis Ferrer’s newest bomb, ‘Mind Ur Step,’ it’s booming and sensual vocals filling Pacha’s main room with ease, cascading down into the plucky 2005 breakthrough hit ‘Rej’ by Âme, which has been seeing quite a bit of play time this summer. From there, he headed to more funky and euphoric territory with H.O.S.H.’s remix of ‘Skin And Bone’ by Marlon Hoffstadt & HRRSN, it’s howling vocals pushing hands up and keeping eyes closed, trapping everyone deep in the moment. A massive fan of the genre himself, there was also a theme of hip-hop inspired house grooves during Solomun’s set, with tunes like ‘Wine & Chocolates’ by Theophilus London providing funk and class, a perfect blend of the two genres.
A confetti filled room by the end of the night, Pacha’s main dance floor was in constant buzz, alight by the non-stop energy given off both by Solomun’s ripping track selection, and the Diynamic boss’ non-stop dancing, smiling, fist pumping and anything else he could squeeze in between builds and drops. The man truly looked like he was having the time of his life, and I think that energy reflected onto the crowd, who were unwavering in their joy. Not seeing a single attendee skip out early means your doing something right, and when you can do that twice a week every week for an entire summer, it’s safe to say the sky is the limit.