Ibiza Calling is a night that aims to filtrate fresh house music with classic tunes, allowing clubbers who like a little something to sing along to mixed with something new, to come down and absorb everything the party has to offer. The line-up on June 18th was one that completely echoes what the night aims to be, a fusion of rising artists mixed with those who are a little more seasoned in the game.
Monday night resident Camilo Franco opened the night on the sunset terrace, followed by Oscar Cano and Ramon Castells. At midnight, Camilo hot-footed it to the terrace where he was succeeded by Rene Amesz, Wally lopez and Deniz Koyu.
Rene Amesz started off steady, with his set gaining real momentum when he dropped 'Where's your head at' by Bassment Jaxx. Tinkering with more tracks, including 'One more time' by Daft Punk and the famous Temper Trap'Sweet disposition' remix by Swedish House Mafia, Rene was literally building the crowd up from the ground and coaxing those who were sitting down at the edge of the dance floor to get up and join in, and by the end, his mission was complete.
Wally Lopez made his appearance after Rene to a complete frenzy of people literally rushing to the front to get a glimpse of the man who is just as famous for his kitsch fashion sense as his clear ability to spin the decks. He showcased his style effortlessly, delivering another set that was cool, what the crowd wanted but with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. One song in particular really emulated with audience members old enough to remember the original, a remix of Syreeta Right and Billy Preston's'With you I'm born again'. Bringing a song that was originally released in 1979 as a Motown track right up to date in 2012 and playing it in a club like Space takes nerve, and the clubbers lapped it up, once again proving that Wally knows how to give people something a little out of the box that they probably wouldn't get with anybody else. Also featured in Wally's set was Green Velvet's 'La La Land', a song that is becoming a staple part of his sets, along with another golden oldie 'I feel love' by Donna Summer. The difference with Wally is, although he throws in a few old school tracks, they would never be described as old, as he delivers them in a way that can only be described as 'vintage chic'.
Deniz Koyu, named by MTV as 2012's electronic dance music artist to watch, rounded off the night with a set typical of his progressive house style. People opt for Ibiza Calling to get their fix of mainstream fused with underground and this is what Deniz effortlessly gives, striking the balance before the mainstream factor of the night becomes too cliche.
For people who want to experience Space in a more intimate and intricate manner, but still want their dose of underground thrown in with a bit of something sweet then Ibiza Calling is the night that is clearly benchmarked for them. It's cool, new, fresh, a bit funky and is destined to have you walking away singing to an 'old/new' song.