BE at Space: Clubbing stripped back to its roots Featured


It was 1988 when Mark Knight first hit Ibiza with a group of friends and discovered house music. Now, 24 years later, he plays host to one of the biggest nights on the island, BE at Space with Toolroom Knights.

The line up on 6th June was impressive to say the least, with Wally Lopez, Mark Knight and Sander Van Doorn taking to the iconic Terrace. Resident DJ's Oscar Cano, Camilo Franco and Marcoloco were also on hand to pump up the crowd with their intoxicating beats combined with sweet melodies that seem to trigger involuntary movement from avid clubbers.

With the main room closed, the night was an intimate affair, allowing DJ's to get up close and interact with their loyal disciples, a practice that very rarely comes into play in today's era. Stilt walkers and acrobats expertly made their way through the audience, but these are not the stereotypical manufactured models who stand and pose - these guys get down and dirty with the crowd, which is no mean feat when you hover 5ft above them. Clever light shows that were ingenious yet discreet reinforced that this night is about one thing; the music. Everything else is there to just compliment it.

Wally Lopez turned the crowd into a pulsating mass of matter when he dropped 'La La Land' by Green Velvet and maintained a strong hold on them throughout the set, keeping them hanging on his every last beat for the next. His unquestionable love of his trade emulated throughout the night, with his energy seemingly being constantly rejuvenated by the feedback from the crowd. His set culminated with a throwback from 1998, Danny Tenaglia's rather ambient 'Music is the answer', where onlookers went wild.

When Mark Knight kicked off his set the crowd were well warmed up and ready to listen to what he had to offer. And he played a blinder. This man knows what the crowd wants before even they do. His set is all about a mixture of old and new, combining classic tracks like 'The Bomb' by The Bucketheads, and 'Insomnia' by Faithless with up to date anthems like Axwell's 'Let it Go' and a slick remix of P-Diddy's 'I'm coming home'.

Mark 'gets' that it's not all about playing back to back brand new tracks that not many know, but carefully intertwining songs that people can sing along to with new beats that will soon become the older of the two, ready for him to repeat the process again.

Sander Van Doorn up next provided the club with a heavyweight trance vibe that kept the crowd throbbing. His set was a heavier affair compared to those of Mark and Wally, although it suited the later clubbers down to the ground, giving them a trance fix incomparable to anything else. The intimacy of the smaller room provided an experience rarely repeated, as the tone and beat of the set got heavier, the dancing became even more animated and the crowd seem to merge closer together, almost joining in a cult like, trance worshipping congregation.

The line-up for 13th June is again tipped to be a fine one, with Space DJ's Marcoloco, Danny Marquez and Oscar Cano set to gear the crowd up with what promises to be another fine round of sets.
ATFC will also be on hand to inject a bit of funk into the night, along with the pair famous for their 'Iberican Sound', Chus + Ceballos.

Forza (Alex Kenji, Luiggi Rocca y Manuel de la Mare), known for building a connection with their crowd, promises to add a different dynamic to the night, and of course, Toolroom Knights wouldn't be the same without the man himself, Mark Knight, who just delivers to the crowd time and time again.

'BE' is a night of anything goes. It's not about what you're wearing, it's not about how well you dance and it's not about a VIP status - it's all about being stripped back to the basics that defines a club like Space. It is quite simply all about the music a night where you are invited to come along and just 'be'.
Read 10098 times Last modified on Wednesday, 13 June 2012 11:33