Finally, we had arrived. Both literally and figuratively, Tale Of Us opened the doors of sub-consciousness and knowledge. Afterlife is back for another summer-long odyssey into the realm of consciousness every Thursday at Hï Ibiza.
Full of expectations. we were yearning to reset with our favourite pastime: losing touch with reality through the medium of music and ritual of dance.
Much like last summer, the line-up was incredible. As usual, the Theatre hosted lighter and trippier sounds. Meanwhile, the Club, would reverberate with thumping techno. That said, there would be frequent exceptions to this rule to keep us on our dancing toes.
The DJs were dispersed as follows: Tale Of Us, Maceo Plex, Stephan Bodzin and Mind Against in the main room, while in the club we had Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Rødhåd and Vaal - playing in reverse order, naturally.
By 01:00 we had arrived. We were welcomed by an update to a timeless classic. Maceo Plex's own edit of Faithless's Insomnia - “I need to sleep. I can't get no sleep.” Fantastic!
This piece of '90s nostalgia marked our entrance to the Afterlife world. We headed towards the Club, where Rødhåd was just getting started. The Viking wasting no time is taking things darker and more ominous. Despite being on Ibiza, the tone was that of a winter's day in a Nordic country, full of contrast.
Even at the first drop, attendees were whistling in time with the music - a good indication the Dystopian boss was hitting the right notes. There were real clubbers on the floor that night, real techno lovers.
Rødhåd's set proceeded steadily through his repertoire of underground music, while everybody bounced to the beat.
Back in the Theatre, we saw an old friend, Afterlife's iconic falling man - Afterlife's signature motif. The great Bodzin once again reminded us of his love for synthesizers.
Progressive and powerful, Bodzin's live set included the sound of electronic flutes alongside bassier elements. As ever, he worked his analogue equipment to take us on a ride on his spaceship - across the cosmos we soared.
His digital sound transported us to Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The visuals were simple but effective, as a giant moon slowly rotated behind the DJs.
“Is everybody in...? Is everybody in...?”
The lone romantic Maceo had arrived, deploying his trademark Jim Morrison sample. We were all here and ready to go.
The man otherwise known as Eric Estornel forged a set composed of his classics and fresher material. Typically, it included influences from many different genres, such as new wave and rock.
The hour and a half flew by in the blink of an eye. Explosive in nature, by now the entire floor has filled like a beautiful monster. We moved as a single body with a thousand heads, all smiling.
Time had come for Tale Of Us to resume control of our minds. Returning to the centre of the magic circle formed by all of us, we were all members of Karm & Matteo's electronic tribe.
Beginning with a distinctive sound, for a time the melodies were left aside. Rebuilding an atmosphere from scratch, the duo took us in their own direction, step-by-step.
The sound evolved and a sense of euphoria invaded us. It was reminiscent of Blade Runner 2049 - the wonders of a distant future. As the night continued, we all became lost in wonderful entropy, but we had to go... to the next one!
How amazing it was to be there, how beautiful to see all those people dancing and believing, as someone once said a long time ago.
On Ibiza, you can continue to find collective experiences that result in life-affirming moments. From an island in the middle of the sea, you are transported to ethereal planets.
To go beyond everyday life, go to the Afterlife! A portal opens each and every Thursday from now until 3 October.
The gate re-opens tonight (Thursday 4 July) with Tale Of Us, Âme, Amelie Lens, Recondite, Len Faki, Fjaak and Ae:ther. See below for tickets and further details.
