Last night at Glitterbox, the all-conquering House and Disco heroes Hercules & Love Affair made a long-overdue return to Space Ibiza, joined by an all-star cast of Dimitri From Paris, Tensnake, Purple Disco Machine and Mo’ Funk.

This was an incredible glamourous night, as the DJs and live acts were joined by outrageous party performers Hot Heels who dazzled the packed Terrace with their flawless dance routines. Once again, the dancefloor was packed full of happy smiling faces, with the DJs digging deep into the crate for those hidden gems you just don’t hear anywhere else on the island. As Skiddle  said in a recent review of the party, “everywhere you look in Space, everyone is always dancing, smiling and fully immersing themselves in the Glitterbox experience. Glitterbox, you are what dreams are made of, and long may they continue.”

Looking ahead to next week, one of Glitterbox’s key players Aeroplane will be making his final appearance of the season. Here we’ve grabbed him for update on the latest stages of his epic musical journey.

So the next stop is Ibiza then?

I’ve played Ibiza before but never fully embraced it...that feels weird. Basically, I’ve been conscious of having to reflect the whole nu disco, Balearic thing that Aeroplane represents. If I do something different at a gig I ask myself ‘will there be Aeroplane fans there and will they understand?’ It’s always been on my mind. But, this year, I was really looking forward to the island because I’ve found a way of DJing house that fits with Aeroplane. There’s a thin line between journeying one way or another but I think I have the balance.

Tell us about your involvement with Glitterbox…

I first heard about it when I was listening to the new Glitterbox compilation in the car and chatting to my good friend Dimitri From Paris, who played last year and really enjoyed himself. The party is about getting back to the roots. It goes back to the soul, the songs and the melodies...to the gay roots of house and disco music. There’s a realness to letting anything go. In some ways, the soundtrack hasn’t really changed that much but in other ways it is completely different - the intention behind it is the key. Glitterbox isn’t just the music - it’s about what feelings the night’s trying to get from people.

Your early career was in and around grunge and metal bands was it not?

Electronic music really wasn’t my first choice. I studied piano, guitar and music theory when I was growing up. Then I joined rock bands and opened a record shop in Namur (Belgian city south of Brussels). Over time, I feel I have achieved a better grasp of electronic music but when you look at We Can’t Fly there’s no dance at all; that album reflects where I come from.

What about your DJ set-up?

I’m in to using USBs and (Pioneer software) Rekordbox. You can create loops and syncs, and these things enhance the performance. They’re great. I fight on a weekly basis with the vinyl-only labels. The idea that vinyl is the best and only format is in people’s heads. Vinyl was largely available in an era when music just sounded better – not the medium it was played on, but the music itself. It annoys me when labels only release vinyl and ignore digital formats; they claim they make 300 limited edition copies when they couldn’t really sell more. If they could sell 15000 copies they would. To me, it’s backwards thinking. They’re missing a part of their audience and making it harder for those people to have and use the music. It’s hypocritical.

How would you describe your DJ style? What can the Glitterbox faithful expect?

I have a fairly open spectrum as a DJ. The technology helps. When I mix two records together I like to try and create a third one in between that isn’t there – a third record by playing things that are in key or something like that. The technology allows me to seamlessly mix a disco record with the vocals from Tiga’s ‘Bugatti’ in there, for example, and no-one’s expecting it. My aim is to have the tracks talking to one another and when they do it’s an amazing feeling. The best compliment I ever had was after one particular DJ set a while ago when this guy comes up to me and says ‘every song you played I was wondering what the hell are you doing? But then, at the end, it all just made sense’. With DJing, I think you can go all over the place as long as you keep some sort of unconscious link between the tracks.

Buy your tickets for Glitterbox and discover the sound by Aeroplane on Friday, 4th September at Space Ibiza.