FUSE at Sankeys Ibiza is one of the parties proudly standing alone in Ibiza.
It really bucks the trend for the White Isle in terms of staying true to the underground quality that the FUSE residents represent, an ethos that some club nights daren’t attempt.
Big names at FUSE are always a special added surprise, so I was feeling particularly excited about the prospect of seeing both Martin Buttrich and tINI at last night’s party.
As always with FUSE, members of the core family are showcased – this time Ittetsu and Luke Miskelly were warming proceedings up nicely from the start, laying out the dark groovy minimalist beats that typify the sound of FUSE.
It was then time for the boss man Enzo Siragusa to offer up his selection of records. Playing a whole host of quality vinyl, Enzo kept the mood very deep. It was quite a mellow set – probably the mellowest I’ve heard from him out here.
Out of everyone connected to FUSE it is certainly Enzo who has the most distinct sound, epitomised by the chunky bass lines that rumble out of Sankeys’ Void sound system and weaving intricate percussion. It was only with the last couple of tunes towards the end of the hour’s set that he stepped things up a notch and set things up for Martin Buttrich perfectly.
The Desolat co-boss is an artist that commands respect, having been at the very core of house and techno for a number of years now. Martin Buttrich provided his own spin on the night’s musical selections, taking the sonic journey through some deep-rooted techno tracks with progressive elements.
The German used swathes of reverb and delay effects to build up the peaks and troughs of the set. Each track held its own burning intensity that contributed to the set’s gripping and subtly explosive nature. Buttrich contributed something slightly different to the sound of the evening, yet slotted alongside his contemporaries with ease.
Subtly is a theme that ran throughout the night – with subtle changes of pace subconsciously working the crowd, the sparse red glow of Sankeys’ strip lighting and the minimalistic aesthetic of the music which manages to pack one hell of a punch thanks to the way each of the artists expertly crafted their sets.
Throughout the evening anticipation was growing ever stronger for tINI, and by the time she hit the decks at 4.30am the club seemed to be at its busiest all night. The electric atmosphere penetrated all corners of the room and Sankeys’ Basement became the perfect venue as all the right elements fused to create a forceful synergy between the club, the crowd and the music. These three elements working together are essential in creating clubbing magic.
We were taken into ultra-stripped back mode, with the lighting kept to a distinct minimum as tINI broke into her stride with the characteristic dark thump of her selections. After thoroughly enjoying her set at the tINI & The Gang opening, I was particularly excited to see her in an intense club environment.
On the beach she showed a mellow and atmospheric side whilst the dark and raw edge was underlying throughout. In the Basement, tINI was unleashing more of that raw edge than I expected, which turned out to be gripping dance floor fare, complemented by the hot red glow cutting through the darkness.
Couple these elements with the aura that tINI possesses and the recipe for an exceptional night is complete. FUSE was dependable as ever and I can’t wait to see tINI again already.