Anyone who attended the biggest birthday party of the season at Space Ibiza took away an experience they’ll never forget.The legendary Chemical Brothers’ rare appearance at our birthday bash in conjunction with We Love… was completely and magnificently off the scale. Taking over from Jem Haynes and Jason Bye in the Discoteca after a pumpin’ acid lined back to back set with some ripped up funk and techno, The Chemical Brothers’ avant-garde mishmash of electronic cuts from past to present, whipping snapshots of every sub-genre into their powerful beat fuelled journey that went from metallic techno to burning acid house, to old school trance and then whizzed into the future as it built up multi-layers of sound before simultaneously exploding – and always at just the right moment – left the pulsating walls of the main room just about hanging together as thousands of clubbers held on tight, on board the musical journey of their lives.
Fresh from their Olympic collaboration whereby they produced the official soundtrack “Velodrome”, played thoughout almost a week of Track Cycling events, the sense of speed, pace and drama which The Brothers - Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons - had set about creating, is definitely an integral cog inside their core. Transferring the same speed, pace and drama to their set on Sunday, being enveloped in the nucleus of the Discoteca was more like an inside-the-cockpit experience than a DJ set. The intensity alone would have won them a gold medal.
Another special birthday treat came from the crew on the Sunset Terrace. As the remixer who loves to surprise and refuses to stick to any specific style, Riva Starr got his new Traktor out and played Bateria Fantastica live with Giom. Waves of rich South American influence came shining through as Riva rocked it and then some, as he was hosted by Mr Doris’s weekly After Dark soiree where the musical rules get twisted to incorporate everything from new world to drum and bass, soul, funk and hip-hop.
Floating happily on the Terrace after chilling out to the cool sounds in The Love Lounge (hosting El Salon), Joris Voorn effortlessly had the crowd in the palm of his hands with old-school crowd pleasers mixed with contemporary floor-burners. The We Love… favourite who continues to attract a massive following every time he plays at Space Ibiza on Sundays is summer with his infectious sets of pure energy and ability to please all music lovers, makes him an important family member of the unshakable party that just gets better.
With stellar performances by Simian Mobile Disco, an action packed mash-up by Radio 1 regulars Jaymo & Andy George, Alfredo and son Jaime joining generations with the Heritage Project on the Premier Etage and an exclusive live set by Martin Buttrich, we can safely say that our birthday party went with an immense bang that’s wet our appetite for more.