ENTER.Space. Lining up in the queue outside and all of a sudden I am welling up with emotions bittersweet as I stand at the cusp of the beginning of the closing parties marking the end of Ibiza 2015. I am also simultaneously kicking myself because as a season veteran, I should have known that the closings would draw out even the most introverted of characters to flock to the gaping black hole known as ENTER., and as I inch forward in the crowd, I can feel Marcel Dettmann slipping away.
ENTER.La Discoteca. I still catch the last of the Dettmann, and am again kicking myself and simultaneously dancing my pants off, which must have looked like quite a scene, but then again, with all the crazies out, maybe I fit right in. As his set comes to an end a standing ovation ensues (for sure if we had been sitting, everyone would have gotten off their backsides to honour this man!). Although I am curious about the Frenchman Julian Jeweil, a regular fixture at the Minus label after riding on the success of his EP 'Don´t Think', I leave the dark and twisted techno of Jeweil and excused myself to the Matador.
ENTER.Terrace. Minus man Matador is absolutely smashing the main room, expertly navigating the loyal ENTER. crowd with a fluidity of a conductor navigating the orchestra, only this time he is orchestrating a music-hungry crowd which is revelling in the dark throws of his tunes. Soon the Matador has reached his climax which get swiftly picked up by the Italian duo Mind Against who take us on a trip through the darker workings of their musical mind. A duo that seem to be so in tune with each other that I wouldn´t be surprised that they are having a full fledged conversation through the sounds of thriving basslines and trippy synths, complete with dancers who are pop, drop, and locking in their sexy sultry ways, smiling at just about everyone in the room, hypnotizing us, as is the music which carries away our worries and takes us to a higher frequency, in this case a dark and private but happy place.
ENTER.Sake. A quick trip to the Sake bar where I get treated to one of their delicious Sake infused cocktails, and off I hop back to the Discoteca for the one and only Richie Hawtin to take his place at the head of his kingdom. Enter Richie Hawtin, the master of black clad followers, as the steady thrum of bass announces his arrival, a stream of arms reach up from the crowd in pure elation, everyone trying to get a piece of the lord and master of Techno. Slowly the hi-hats start kicking in and anticipation mounts, when we are finally released with a thunderous bang of techno beats. This year's stage productions have Richie enfolded in a cavernous rock formation with the moon hanging low in the background, further intensifying the dark and mysterious nature of ENTER. and its looming black hole logo. It feels like ENTER. at one of the first editions, with everybody on the dancefloor and all the familiar faces of the inner circle, the loyal following dancing to the unstoppable groove laid down by Richie Hawtin.
The colour black relates to the hidden, the secretive; it carries an air of mystery. It protects emotions and feelings and hides insecurities and vulnerabilities, black provides comfort by shrouding those vulnerabilities in its dark folds. Black is the color of ENTER., a color which signifies elegance, sophistication and confidence, exactly what ENTER. gives back to its following. Dark and sexy music, technology, sake, and experience. Thank you for yet another weird and wonderful season!
PHOTO CAPTION | Maya prepares to enter the black hole
WORDS | Maya Dupont PHOTOGRAPHY | ENTER.
