In a week that is notoriously tough to sell out parties on the island, the leading light came from a party that’s all built around a little black dot.
Now in its second year, Richie Hawtin’s latest wave of genius, ENTER. has become the talk of the town – so of course it was going to be filled to the rafters! Week 10 brought a very special guest, as Luciano vs Richie Hawtin took place for the second year in a row. Having had my first ENTER. experience last week, I was back for more, this time heading their early to catch Cadenza’s leading man play Enter.’s official pre-party in the Sunset Terrace, renamed the Sake Bar, in keeping with the Japanese theme of the party. There you can find delicious and exquisite sake cocktails in a very Zen setting.
At the time, words failed me to describe the quality of Luciano’s vinyl only performance, though. to say this could go down as one of the performances of the season so far would just about do it justice. Many talk about Luciano and how his sound evolved from minimal techno to an infusion of house and techno with extended build-ups and piano riffs. Last night there was no debate, Luciano and his vinyl collection took me to place I have not been to in a very long time. His flawless and ingenious transitions from track to track, his charisma behind the decks, and the overall vibe of the Sake bar made this an occasion that you felt privileged to be a part of.
Once Luciano finished up, all of Space’s rooms were now fully open for thousands of music lovers who were free to explore Hawtin’s playground. The Terrace packed out very quickly, Andrea Olivia replaced Ernesto Ferreyra going back-to-back with Mirko Loco before Cassy weaved her magic, putting a spell on every human being that stepped foot on to what is my favourite dance floor in the world. She effortlessly upped the tempo, and the British DJ who was making her first appearance at Enter created a silky smooth wave of sound reminiscent of her recent Fabric 71 mix.
It was time to plunge into the main room, where Christian Smith was turning the Discoteca into a sweatbox. Clubbers of all languages and cultures were wrestling for position trying to get the best view possible of one of their favorite techno stars, crowding in ever further towards the booth. After a hard core boogie, we were in need of a cool off before the nights main attraction, going up for ‘Air’ on the roof, chilling out to cool, relaxing beats.
After picking up the pieces and counting my marbles, the night was still young, and one of my favourite underground queens was in control of the Terrace. Madga is a DJ who isn’t too flamboyant behind the decks, instead taking a precise approach to things, so when she unleashes devastatingly nasty bass lines, it can really throw you for a loop, in the best possible way!
Spot on 6am, I made my way through the heaving masses getting a solid spot of dance floor in Space’s main room. Hawtin and Luciano unleashed a fury of big room techno that bounced from wall to wall, rattling our rib cages as we entered darker territory. Hawtin and Luciano traded punches all night, working together magically, leaving the entire cavernous main room packed to the gills right up until close.
Next week, Damian Lazarus returns with fellow Rebel raver Francesca Lombardo while Nina Kraviz headlines the Sake Bar early on. ENTER., I’ll see you early next Thursday for the addictive house sounds of the Russian goddess that is Nina Kraviz!
Grab tickets to next week's ENTER. with Richie Hawtin, Paco Osuna, Ambivalent , Damian Lazarus, Mathew Jonson, Barem, Francesca Lombardo, Nina Kraviz and more!
