Very few DJs left Ibiza this season honoured to have dug out the tracks that would soundtrack the closing sets at Space's big farewell bash. Nic Fanciulli is one of those booth visionaries, who after clocking up Space closing gigs for the best part of a decade, earned his place lining up the loops alongside Carl Cox in the Discoteca on that bittersweet Monday morning.
Elsewhere on the White Isle across the years, the international DJ, producer and owner of Saved Records has pushed house and techno rhythms with some of the most enticing promoters, including Carl Cox, We Love, La Familia, ANTS and most recently, Insane at Pacha.
So, we've seen a lot of this critically acclaimed British export and the reason for his unrelenting longevity within the industry is in his humbleness and impassioned attitude toward progressing dance music's design. We grabbed a moment during the madness of the closing period to get Fanciulli's lowdown on the season, and by all accounts, we'll be seeing plenty more of this illustrious force in Ibiza 2017, after a globetrotting winter season.
Carl Cox's residency has come to an end and we've waved goodbye to Space's last season. What life and career lessons do you take away from being involved with such an iconic artist in a club that's been globally institutionalised?
"When I first came to Ibiza, I would go and watch Carl play and regularly go to his nights, so being invited to come and play and be a part of that was a childhood dream. I've been able to experience both sides of the DJ booth and learn from one of the humblest men in the industry."
We're preparing ourselves for the big void in 2017 with Space and Coxy gone. That void may be unfillable, but as the island is always developing you'll be looking forward to the next big projects?
"I don't think anyone could fill what Carl did. He will always be a unique person in a unique time in history when Ibiza was growing - he was pretty much one of the people that took Ibiza forward as a DJ and as a person. However, I definitely think there's time and room for moving forward with new DJs and new styles of music. Ibiza is our second home and it's somewhere we always play and enjoy working, so hopefully next year there will be more exciting projects to do. But at the moment we are still talking about them."
What do you think of Space continuing elsewhere on the island with rumours of a hotel complex in San Antonio? Do you think a new Space could be suited to that side of the island? And do you think it would help San Antonio to improve its image?
"I think there is always room for another Space. What everyone was saying when it closed was that it was the end of the club and the walls but that the love is still there. So, if they still want to move to another project, then I think there is always room and I think anything positive to San Antonio and bringing something new there would be great."
You have been at the peak of Ibiza rosters and line-ups for some time now. But you remain quite a low-key person, has that been your intention and how have you gone about maintaining your profile in Ibiza?
"Well first of all, I just want to play music. I don't need to shout about the other stuff that comes around that. I want my personal life and my work life to be two separate things. I've always lived in England and I've always lived in Maidstone where I'm originally from. Ibiza is the place I've been coming to for 20 years every summer so you don't need to prove anything apart from the music that you play. Plus, I have great people around who help with these projects. We did La Familia with an amazing creative team and the same with We Are The Night - I couldn't have done it without those guys. Any of these great nights you see in Ibiza isn't just about the DJ, there's a whole team behind it - even Carl's Revolution involved 10 other people that helped make that night. With We Are The Night, we wanted to bring a certain type of party. We wanted to keep it very family based with the DJs so it was very relaxed and easy and that's always been our theory, even with La Familia. We want to create a really nice, relaxed and non-egotistical vibe - it always seems to work for us."
Your We Are the Night project with the Insane at Pacha brought in quality line-ups. How did your debut go with the Insane crew?
"With Insane, I didn't really know too much about it. I knew it was on a Friday and I hadn't played at Pacha for five or six years. But we were never really dictated by the club or the brand Insane. They were very open minded and so great to work with. It's always good working with different people on the island, but one thing I will say about those guys is that they're very professional and really supportive about bringing names that aren't typical Ibiza names to the club."
You have also been at Destino with Guy for RUMORS this summer. How do you feel the venue change has suited his concept and do you have any highlights from your gigs there?
"I've covered him twice this summer, but the first time we did it we weren't allowed to play outside. I was playing in a club at 8PM in the evening so it felt a bit strange but the vibe and the people were some of the best I've seen on the island. Then I went back in September and covered him when he was at Burning Man, and that was one of the highlights of the summer for me because I got to play a different style. At Ushuaïa or Space, the bigger rooms hold 13,000 people and you have to try and connect with every single one of the people there. With Guy's night you've got 2-3000 music heads that are standing on a cliff edge looking over Ibiza Town - you couldn't get a more beautiful setting. I said to Milo - I'd really love to do it again next year because it was actually quite inspiring."
What's happening in the Fanciulli camp over winter?
"I think this is the 19th time we've been to Ibiza this summer and we haven't left Europe since May. I made a real point that we stay in Europe this summer so we can concentrate on Ibiza, not being too tired from going to America and stuff like that. So now, we're going to go to South America next week, then to Abu Dhabi, the Middle East and back to South America before we head to North America. So, we're going to be doing a bit more travelling in the winter."
*NOTE: If you, like us, are at Amsterdam's ADE, check out Nic Fanciulli will be playing this evening at elrow presents ADE After Hours Madness.
WORDS | Aimee Lawrence
