On Saturday 26 May, we ventured to the west side of the island to experience the second instalment of Ushuaïa's opening party ANTS takeover. That was not all, though. With a cheeky move, we hopped across the road to see Hï Ibiza open its 2018 account with Black Coffee.
With the rise of the affectionately titled weekend offender - the trend for clubbers to make fleeting 72-hour visits to the White Isle Friday to Sunday - whistlestop visitors can easily cram a week's worth of clubbing into a weekend.
This ultimate double-header goes on every Saturday in Playa d'En Bossa. Here's how the first one went down.
Ushuaïa Opening Part Two | ANTS Takeover - join the colony
Earlier in the day, ANTS regulars Andrea Oliva and Francisco Allendes had put attendees through their paces, with help from guest Maya Jane Coles. With the sun dipping behind the hills in the east, the tones became more ominous.
First Drumcode supremo Adam Beyer blasted out his label's signature sound. As the last remnants of sunlight broke through the clouds, dusk settled and Beyer took us into the night.
Oscar L's Monster Tube, O.C. & Verde's Flauta and Tale Of Us' huge new remix of Ibiza classic Café del Mar are just a handful of tracks that did the business.
As Richie Hawtin took to the stage, we were now deep into techno territory. Looking around it was hard not to feel awed by the level of detail. Ants on walls, dancers in ants morph suits. To top it all off, ANTS paraphernalia hung off every other person.
ANTS has captured the imagination of the island.
The production was something out of a Hollywood blockbuster. The stage design was the giant exoskeleton of an ant with the DJ playing from its belly. With dry ice rising from below and red lights cutting through the mist, it looked like the elaborate set of a film.
Selections like AM's Artificial, Daniel Levez's Biene Maya and Bastian Balders's Pva made it clear that Hawtin was holding nothing back. With the dance floor packed right up until the finale, it was a question of WHERE not IF the hordes would head elsewhere afterwards.
Fortunately less than 100 paces due east are the doors to Ibiza's newest super-club Hï Ibiza.
Hï Ibiza & Black Coffee Opening Party - the sound of a continent
Sometimes looking for the after-party, the momentum is lost. That interim period is the timeframe in which uppers become downers and all the dancing starts taking its toll. Being only a stone's throw away, Hï Ibiza completely eliminates the threat of this happening.
Taking a one-minute stroll along with several hundred excitable co-partyers makes it so easy to get caught up in the buzz. For the indecisive, you can find yourself easily swayed to check it out, as staff helpfully hand out wristbands for concessionary admission.
Follow the crowd, as they say.
Once inside Hï, the night takes on a new dimension. Bolting straight to The Theatre, the room lives up to its billing. Reminiscent of his back-to-back with Keinemusik stable mate Adam Port earlier that week, &Me is playing tribal selections with ethnic vocals.
But it isn't until the main man comes on that the venue is brought to life in vibrant technicolour. Nubile dancers adorned in wild beast-like horns and sporting voluminous orange hair, writhe above a sea of clubbers. On the floor, there are carnival scenes.
Our host starts off on &Me's 2015 Trilogy, mixing into his own remix of Keinemusik's Muyé - providing a seamless transition. Throughout the journey, we also hear music from PALMFooD, Lisa Shaw, Argento Dust, Shimza, Kintar and, naturally, more Black Coffee - the sound of a continent.
But the music is only a part of the experience that makes the night so magical. At the IMS, we saw beyond the face of Black Coffee and behind the scenes of all the stakeholders who played a role in his ascent. In a similar respect, the visuals, production, setting and crowd all came together in perfect synergy.
Black Coffee is every bit the superstar he is being built up to be.
A new way of partying
Whether you are staying in Playa d'En Bossa and the surrounding area or travelling from a resort further away, it simply makes sense to stay in the same place. Stay on your doorstep for convenience or make the most out of your visit if you've made the effort to travel.
This is great news for those who want to party around the clock. The Ushuaïa entertainment group has taken the after party model and flipped it on its head.
By day you can party open-air at poolside in Ushuaïa's lush surroundings, as planes swoop-in from above to land at the nearby airport. It even has its own beach club backing onto the seafront, if you're that way inclined.
By night, you can cross the road and sample Ibiza's world-renowned nightlife. In The Theatre, you get the full spectacle: podium dancers, CO2 jets, lasers and sensory sparking production - a real feast for the eyes.
In The Club, things are more stripped back. Darker with fewer frills and music placed at the centre. Each room caters to contrasting styles, moods and clientele.
What's more, you can catch the world's premiere DJs playing at each location.
Now you simply have the experience in reverse, starting in the afternoon, for back-to-back clubbing reimagined. A great compromise.
Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat
As the resort's two premier venues opened their doors, a double-dose of clubbing in the heart of Playa d'En Bossa officially takes over.
What we can also say is that Hawtin's unique take on minimal techno being the segway to Black Coffee isn't even the best example of the Saturday night double-header. Coming up we'll be treated to far more natural progressions.
Next week we have Groove Armada, Nic Fanciulli and Davide Squillace at ANTS by day, followed by Black Coffee and Damian Lazarus at Hï by night. Either or both, it's great to have the option.
See below for full details on Hï Ibiza's programme this summer and head here for Ushuaïa's.
