Going to a club in Ibiza is often more like going to a festival, and this certainly holds true for one of Ibiza's most iconic clubs, Amnesia, a driving force in Ibiza's house and techno scene since 1976. Now almost 40 years later and Amnesia has grown into a full force super club and remains one of my favourite clubs on the island today. May 30th saw Amnesia open for its 39th season and I jumped at the chance to join the madness.
It's only in Ibiza that the guest list cue is longer than the paid tickets, a standard mix of happy-go-lucky party goers, industry people, high rollers and the occasional resident of the island are queueing up and patiently awaiting to embark on yet another epic Amnesia adventure. If the line-up – consisting of Apollonia, Betoko, Eats Everything, George Fitzgerald, Guy Gerber, Hot Since 82, Mar-T, Richy Ahmed, residents Les Schmitz and Caal Smile, as well as headlining DJ (drumroll please) Maceo Plex – are an indication of what I can expect from Amnesia this summer then I might need to get myself a restraining order.
Doors opened at midnight but since some of the main acts that I want to catch play well into Sunday morning, we decide to head to the club at a casual 4am, just catching the last of Guy Gerber's set on the Terrace as he makes way for Mar-T to take over. Mar-T is no stranger to Amnesia, having held a residency at the club since 1999, he knows his crowd like no other. Mar-T plays electronic music with attitude, mixing old legends with upcoming talents such as Andre Hommen's Battery Park and the synth-laden track Perspex Sex by Freedom Five (Ewans Hinrg's remix).
In the meantime I go to check out the main room as I still want to catch some of Hot Since 82, which comes as a welcome break as he starts playing some groovy house music with feel good vocals and live sax samples – all in all more melodic and deep compared to the Terrace which has me close my eyes and bounce along like nobody's watching. Before I know it Apollonia is on at the terrace from 7 till 10am. The last stretch of the Amnesia marathon has begun and as the light starts to trickle in through the glass roof - all the eccentrics of Ibiza come out to play.
Apollonia has often been the musical highlight of my evening so I'm eager to groove a long to the awesome threesome that is Apollonia. The boys effortlessly match track after track to keep our feet bouncing off the floor, increasingly taking the set in a warm old school house direction which suits the sunlit terrace brilliantly. The atmosphere in Amnesia is great, there's a real community feeling with smiles and pats on the back all round. An excited energy runs through the crowd as 10am hits and the grandmaster comes to take over the rustic stone walled DJ booth, with his army of black clad compatriots cheering him on from the side.
Maceo Plex definitely knows how to hold his own out of the impressive line-up before him. He has a distinct sound and isn't afraid to toy with rhythm, vocals or even genre, playing an eclectic and dynamic set absolutely necessary to keep it fresh and create that next wave of energy for the remaining fans. And fans he has a plenty as the Terrace is still packed and sure enough around 11am the annual Amnesia sit-down has begun – an impressive sight as the room can host about 3000 people and all of them united as one.
After completing my checklist of everything I wanted to accomplish in Amnesia I decide it is time to leave the hedonistic playground and head on home. There is a reason why the big players in Ibiza are called super clubs, because they are literally the crème de la crème where clubbing is concerned, taking care of the setting, the experience and the music. Leaving Amnesia I feel like I am leaving behind the adventure, and I'm already looking forward to my next one. Cocoon here I come!
WORDS | Maya Dupont PHOTOGRAPHY | James Chapman
