As the winds of change blew gale force through Ibiza's clubbing landscape during the off-season, one new party to emerge in the aftermath was Pyramid at Amnesia. The new face of Monday night is here and oh so ready.
Taking its name from the venue's logo and one-time water feature, the night returns Ibiza to the days of old.
Intrigued by the premise, we set-off on a voyage of discovery with one mission: to decipher the cryptic clues, unlock secrets and, hopefully, be treated to some amazing music. Pyramids, of course, were the central motif, represented in most hypnotic ways.
With a host of international talent on the card for the opening, unearthing some real treasure is exactly what we did.
Berlin techno icon Ben Klock led the charge, with Ricardo Villalobos reinstated in his familiar home on the Terrace. Heavyweight support came from DJ Sneak and rising stars Charlotte de Witte and Luigi Madonna, with regular Luca Donzelli also in tow.
Six big artists, so six big moments from each of their sets. Here are six tracks that shaped Pyramid's opening party.
Luca Donzelli – Terrace - Open to 02:00
Scott Franka | Toenail | Quartet Series | 2017
Often the most thankless – but no doubt important – task of the night, is laying the foundations of the warm-up. With the numbers still filtering in, opening duties were left to Amnesia resident Luca Donzelli to set the tone.
We couldn't think of a better track for this period of the night than Scott Franka's Toenail from last year - Donzelli ever the pro.
Luigi Madonna – Club Room – Open to 02:00
Joeski & Gorge | Jogo | Selador | 8 June
In the Club room, Luigi Madonna killed it with a flawless set, with plenty of peaks and troughs, without ever stepping on the toes of the DJ following him.
This is one act who deserves a more peak time slot. With more Pyramid appearances to come, we hope the Italian gets the opportunity later this summer.
This mammoth track had even this stone-sober clubber on tenterhooks on the dance floor, building to a devastating drop. Bass-face certified. Forthcoming on Dave Seaman's Selador imprint to celebrate five years of the label, it drops this week.
DJ Sneak – Terrace – 02:00 to 04:00
Stefano Ritteri | Nice Up Your Dance | Pets Recordings | 2013
Over on the Terrace, veteran spinner DJ Sneak was putting the crowd through its paces with some astute selections. The self-proclaimed house gangster was going through the motions. This number from the chameleonic Stefano Ritteri caught us off guard with its mesmerizing guitar rift and catchy-as-hell haywire organ.
An extravagant centrepiece in the middle of the dance floor stole the focus. Two starry-eyed dancers entangled in a choreographed tryst inside the skeleton of a tipi, shielded by a force field of moving beams.
Amnesia has caught the imagination of clubbers with the production of its new Monday venture.
Charlotte de Witte – Club Room, 02:00 – 04:00
Slam | Constructivism | Soma | 5 Mar
By this point, Charlotte de Witte rattled them out in the Cub room. After a handful of dates on the island last summer, she has returned with more in 2018. Of which, several are lined-up for Mondays at Amnesia.
With her porcelain doll complexion, the Belgian starlet struck a bold figure being the decks. Flicking hair out of her face and taking the occasional drag on a cigarette, she carried herself as every bit the techno superstar she is destined to become.
Kudos must go to the girl wearing the Acid 88 tee around her waist and her straw hat donning friend. They danced on top of the bass bins all night long. Even a wheelchair clubber cut some serious shapes to Charlotte's acid-drenched set.
We could've picked any number of high spots, but this is the track we take home the most. Thousands and hands rose before the fists started pumping. So fierce, we were almost blown away in the after-draught.
Ricardo Villalobos – Terrace – 04:00 to Close
Boris Werner | Set It Off (Maka Orchestra Drama Remix) | Soweso Records | 2012
Back on the terrace, Villalobos actually ended up playing an unannounced and presumably impromptu back-to-back with Sneak, which actually panned out a lot better than the pairing does on paper.
Sneak was the domineering presence, constantly hovering over and tweaking the controls. Conversely, Ricardo was his scatty, animated self – appearing briefly to mix in his tracks, before wandering in-and-out of sight behind his well-built bedfellow. The odd couple, this certainly was.
What we can say, is that their musical expertise coming together produced some gems. We earmarked this as having all the drama and deranged composition that any good Ricky V track should have.
Ben Klock – Club Room – 04:00 to Close
TAFKAMP | PLEASEMAKELOVETOME | Revenge Techniques | 13 April
Being immediately above his head, the pull of the lasers was too strong for even Ben, as he wryly reached up to break their beams.
Now all that was left was to take us on a white-knuckle ride all the way through to the end. Of course, Herr Klock was more than capable of the task at hand.
This selection about an hour into his set summed things up nicely. With Klock in the midst of unleashing full throttle Berlin techno, we were begging for more. This track choice eloped with our eardrum.
It was pure, unadulterated energy release.
Of course, like every new party, Pyramid will naturally take time to bed in and find its own rhythm big boots to fill and stiff competition. A few things are already certain, though. The music was phenomenal and the production uniquely novel.
With some incredibly attractive dates coming up, we are excited to see how the secrets of the Pyramid are slowly revealed. Whilst it's still early days, this party could very well become one of the wonders of the White Isle.
Six tracks from six international heavyweights. For more of a feel for the music played, check out the Pyramid Spotify playlist to discover a more extensive list from the night.
