Approaching DC10 one last time this season, walking up from the dusty car park to see queues of people outside, I felt a pang of sadness. It has undoubtedly been my favourite club this summer, as well as most frequently visited, going Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays some weeks. Unlike the Opening party where rain had threatened to ruin the outdoor area, today was a blazing hot day for October and the Garden stage, which is especially set up for the occasion, was the perfect place to enjoy the music.
Two DJ's that have been instrumental this season in leading the Circoloco sound are Dan Ghenacia and Dyed Soundorom of the Lola Ed camp. Going back-to-back for most of their sets, they are known for their groovy, underground house. Playing the middle set in the Garden was the perfect timing to get people into the mood and vocal tracks like Shonky's edit of Chez Damier ‘Close' had a girly, dancey feel. The outside very quickly filled up to the brim and even though the stage was in a much better position than last year, it felt like there were too many people. I didn't think about it for long though as Dan and Dyed finished up with Miguel Campbell's ‘Something Special'. Ibiza has gone crazy for the track in the last month and the whole Garden sung aloud together as it blasted out the speakers – definitely a top season moment.
Another key duo in the Circoloco line-up's this summer has been Jamie Jones and Seth Troxler. Although both superstar DJ's of the underground in their own right, for me, when they go back-to-back they bring out the best in each other. A few sound issues at the start didn't phase them and I was loving the old skool house vibes and Garage bass lines. There was a festival type atmosphere as inflatables bounced around in the air, and feathers, fans and quirky fancy dress were in abundance. Now in darkness, the crowd in the Garden was unrelenting and the pair carried on for an extra hour or more.
Inside, newcomer Richy Ahmed played his debut Circoloco set and totally stepped up to the mark. Asserting a strong, steady groove with a little more pace than usual, everyone was dancing away, including Cassy and friends in the booth. Another impressive set came from the young Martinez Brothers who were smashing the Terrace, although you would be hard pushed to get into the room. Apparently Villalobos vs. Zip was also a highlight of the night, but I actually found it impossible to fight my way into the Terrace and had to admit defeat, retiring to the backstage bar.
I had more luck in the Main Room catching some fast-paced, pumping techno from DJ W!ld, followed by an interesting set from Timo Maas involving reverberating drum noises. Later on, Damian Lazarus (sporting a rather lovely-looking turban) with super-cool Crosstown crew in tow, treated us to the electro-pop vocals of Ali Love and Maceo Plex's ‘Stay High Baby'.
As the night drew to a close, friends that had got lost along the way congregated on the Terrace for Visionquest's Shaun, Lee and Ryan on a back-to-back session. Surprising the dancefloor by rooting through the house archive, tracks like ‘Get Down' and ‘U Don't Know Me' were interspersed with the more recent ‘Everybody' by Benoit & Sergio, which completely held its own amongst the classics. There was a real feeling of climax in the air, but we dragged ourselves away to make a dash for the taxi queue, before the last the track finished and the chaos started. A quick pit-stop back at the apartment before heading to a villa party, then onto the Circoloco After. Tuesday afternoon was spent on the beach at Sands with more outstanding music from the likes of System of Survival, before I finally headed home and mulled over the disturbing thought that summer 2011 had ended.
It's strange to think back to 2008 and 2009 when DC10 wasn't always open every week for different reasons. The club has been such an integral part of Ibiza 2011 clubbing, not just on Mondays but now also with stellar line-ups on Wednesdays and Fridays. And for the resident DJ's it has provided a platform on which they can grow and develop their sound, and promote themselves as part of the Circoloco brand. Such has been the success of this summer, I have heard many ponder over whether DC10 is in danger of becoming commercial. No matter what, I have faith that promoters Andrea and Antonio will maintain the underground vibe, it just may be that Circoloco gets even greater global recognition.
