Just like that, Defected's 20 year celebrations on Ibiza are complete. What a season it has been for the London-based house label.
Making the move from the Sunday night slot to Fridays, Defected went head to head with some of the island's A-league competitors - not that you would have noticed. Not only did it hold its own, but it came out fighting.
"Smashed it" doesn't do it justice.
Clockwise from top-left: Simon Dunmore, Sam Divine, Low Steppa, Dennis Cruz, Roberto Surace
Despite the change of night, Defected quickly re-established itself as the easy going, happy-house destination in San Antonio. Business as usual then. Each week seemed to get bigger and bigger, with young crowds packing out Eden's dance floor.
We've seen faces like MK, Gorgon City, Armand Van Helden, Danny Howard, Basement Jaxx and more provide the smoothest blend of current house bangers and sing-along favourites. The winning formula didn't need to be tinkered with.
For the closing, the anthemic nature of the party continued. Check out our top ten tracks from Defected's killer closing party.
Havoc & Lawn | Give It Up | Defected Records
Head of the house Simon Dunmore broke in the evening with a teaser of brand new tune Give It Up which is due to be released on Defected Records very soon. We love an exclusive listening and - trust me - you'll want to keep your ears peeled for this one.
Steve ‘Silk' Hurley feat. Sharon Pass | The Word Is Love | S&S Records
This track oozes funky feel good vibes which was exactly the energy that Amine Edge & Dance aimed to pass on to the crowd when this was dropped. Defected once again proving its reputation as the fun-filled Friday night fiesta that is all about cutting loose to the music.
Thom's | Dance | Ride Music
Progressing through their set, Amine Edge & Dance took things a little deeper into tech house territory with this absolute toe-tapper. The infectious beat throughout this track kept everyone first pumping as the venue continued to fill.
Mark Knight and Prok & Fitch | Into My Life | Toolroom Records
The arrival of our special guest Roberto Surace heralded the airing of this thub-thumping track from another 2019 Eden incumbent, Mark Knight. Top drawer stuff.
Magnus P. Eckhell | Primal Instincts | Maskinmusik
With the party now in full swing, we indulged in this fast-tempo track that borders on techno territory. Something a little different for the house-fuelled Defected crowd, but they absolutely loved it.
Optimus | Nail | Classic Music Company
Much like Defected itself, our next track came from fellow British house emblem, Nail. With a wealth of experience as a highly respected producer it's no wonder that Dennis Cruz wanted to give Nail's track Optimus a spin on Friday night.
Demuir | Rawness Beat 3 | Hot Creations
Ah yes, the unmistakeable sounds of a juicy jungle-house track. There's just something about the percussive sample, paired with the groovy house flow that sends a crowd loco when the beat hits.
Washerman | Basement Chord | Drumpoet Community
Now hitting 04:00, there were no signs of slowing down.
Low Steppa jumped onto the decks and kicked things off with Basement Chord. Instantly channelling classic house qualities, the beat running parallel with the piano melody had us transported back to the sounds of the 90s. Now that's what I'm talking about.
Soul Central | Strings of Life | (Martijn Ten & Mark Knight Remix) | Defected Records
Keeping with the old school theme, Martijn and Mark added a contemporary twist to the classic track. This tune was explosive on the Eden dance floor when Low Steppa threw it into the mix.
Dirty Channels | Catch Me | Classic Music Company
Our final guest of the Defected closing party 2019, Sam Divine opened her set with this funky little number. Blending the perfect amount of groovy bass lines with a pulsating beats and killer vocal, this was a ideal track to signify the beginning of the end.
If this is only a handle full of the great tunes that blare out of the Defected speakers, then imagine the tuneful treasures you could uncover at one of its parties.
Few things in life are certain, whilst this may be their last Ibiza gathering for 2019, we don't doubt that Simon Dunmore and the Defected team be back in 2020. See you then.
Can't wait that long? Neither can we, so why not check out our Defected Ibiza Spotify playlist full of tracks straight from the dance floor below or subscribe to our channel.
Want to be first to learn about Defected's 2020 Ibiza plans? Then stayed locked to our magazine feed for all the latest developments.
