For the second time this season someone, somewhere allowed us to takeover Space's corner room, El Salon. Once more a sub-party of Carl Cox's Music Is Revolution, this time we were making sure September was seen in correctly, with some good old-fashioned nonsense and music courtesy of Nightmares On Wax, as well as Negghead and Alex Wolfenden who make up
Acid Mondays, fresh off the back of playing Circoloco the night before. Thanks to a collection of party gear grabbed (we've made a life-long friend at the variety store), that ticked an either weird or wonderful box, those stumbling into Space's El Salon last night may have questioned what was going on. Let me try to explain.
It all started with Yousef, drawing out energy early on from the Discoteca dwellers with tight remix work from Butch on Re.You - Very Very, later going for &ME's brilliant remix of Vermillion by Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons. In El Salon, the party starters rolled out as Negghead brought the tunes; Ibiza Spotlight's clubbing team plus extended family were out in force, potentially in a pink wig or two and definitely glittered. Everyone loves a gimmick and chocolate cake right?! Novelty accessories were in abundance. Giant glasses, neon flashing mouse ears and Chinese parasols were successfully dispersed to whoever happened to wander in, later worn as they went off to conquer the dance floor.
Carl Cox was having a night off so another CC initialed fellow, Carl Craig, held the thought in the main room. Nicely executed with Mark Fanciulli - 8 Track (Terrace mix), followed up with warehouse tinged Stone Flower by Adam Beyer. A nod to the Drumcode label boss he passed the reigns over to at 4am. When the bass is churning as it does with those fellas and the cymbals are sharp enough to slice your ankles off, taking shelter in the El Salon for funky disco time with Nightmares On Wax made a good breather for your ears. DJ Reverend P's dreamy edit of Go Away Dream put us at ease, later Michael Jackson's Rock With You fulfilling our disco needs.
Not to mention the makeshift entertainment that was going down with impressive limbos, and how many things can you do with a slinky. I got so carried away with said object that I fell over trying to wave it mid-limbo, probably raising some eyebrows. Anyway, time to whack on universally loved Never Too Much by Luther Vandross thought Nightmares On Wax, then spinning reggae slash club monster Now That We Found Love by Third World. I could have cried if I didn't want to ruin the glitter get up I was rocking. Last on, Alex Wolfenden was responsible for taking the tunes housier, going back two decades with Danny Tenaglia's dub of Kiwi Dreams - Y? Our venture to El Salon ended in a fancy dress haven filled with bubbles, sparklers and confetti, not forgetting our good friend hierbas. Much of him. Antics painting a silly picture for sure, because it's too late in the season for serious behavior.
A big thank you from team Spotlight for those who played for us and who partied with us!
WORDS | Emma Gillett PHOTOGRAPHY | James Chapman
