Bowing out for the 2015 season last Saturday was Amnesia. It closed its doors for the final time with a line-up to match its magnitude; each act allocated one-and-a-half hours to show off their skills. After rubbing our eyes to check this was really happening we skipped our way inside.
One of the names turning their hands to terrace action was Tale Of Us, with their borderline orchestral take on electronic. Bringing a recurring theme of slow-burning strings and thunderous brassy tones, finding their way in-between deadly claps, finishing up with a new tune with Mind Against, Astral. Mar-T followed and had the honours of bringing in the daylight, a time slot he has finally perfected to an art, as Melanie Ribbe and Reboot went B2B to close the main room dishing out I Wanna Go Bang, one of this season's favourites.
The Martinez Brothers then took it away in the terrace, where they stole the show. I'd managed to spot one of the siblings up on the balcony during the penultimate party three days prior, peering down to the floor in the hands of Loco Dice. Now he watched the floor with closer inspection while the other brother beamed throughout. Charismatic as ever, they observed us as they played around with the mixer, discerning how to ensure the right parts popped off as the terrace deserved. The boys demonstrated a knack to party fuelling, maintaining the energy with Bas Ibellini - That's Right, ample claps on La-4a - Invader (Alden Tyrell Remix), before hooking us in with 2011's India In Me by Cobblestone Jazz.
Maceo Plex proceeded to slap us right in the face with upfront tech, peppered with ethereal breaks, the return of the kick drum something we all knew about. Wild scenes were on the swarmed floor, inflatable bodies diving from the balcony, while Maceo Plex's remix work on Crossfade riveted its way into the picture. This slot is no small measure, the energy inside is incredible so mighty moments are what you have to provide, along came tracks from his forthcoming album Solar and Maceo's resonated 808 Dub of Odd Parents - Learn To Fly. Maceo closed his set with a sit down that's not getting lived down (or should I say lifted up) in a while. During Four Tet's remix of Eric Prydz – Opus it was started, but it proved a little premature for the extent of the build-up, baffled faces rising while some remained hovering. Confusing for some, hilarious for many, Plex included.
The night-turned-day had unfolded ahead of us in record speed. Now it was time for Joseph Capriati to take centre stage and make his long awaited return to the terrace. When the decks changed hands inside the institution built around the desire to dance, there was a distinct ‘this is it' feeling, and bubbling anticipation for what was coming, with good things foretold by anyone who has witnessed Capriati smash it out during Music On these past few seasons. Stepping on the gas with bouncy tech house - sometimes jacking, always danceable - constantly dropping us back in with triple kick drums, we stomped our way with Amnesia right to the end.
Doing well to adjust his style to the set, Capriati incorporated classic cuts like Pete Heller's Big Love, feeding us euphoria. While he certainly packed the heat, there were some parts that drifted off, although he can be forgiven for extending himself a tad in all the excitement. Then again, the speakers had taken a punch and he did have a race against the clock to leave us satisfied. One tangent with an all round seal of approval was when Ricardo Villalobos' recently repressed, defining minimal track Easy Lee, mellowed the mood a bit.
Amnesia couldn't get the permit to allow the club to roll through all afternoon for this year's closing party, due to Music On, Cocoon and Hyte all ending way past 6am in the last week. Pushing their luck with every track, at the 1:40pm mark when an outro wasn't met with an incoming track, I looked up to see Capriati lift the headphones off his head and proceed to clap in thanks. ‘Is it really over?' was a thought I'd had all evening and now one shared with many. Standing around in disbelief, this ending was a hard one to swallow, the battle over closing times depriving us of a mega climatic ending point or final tune to replay in the weeks to come.
Cutting our losses and refiguring the day's plans under the baking sun, the scene on departure could only be from Amnesia: crashing glass heard from inside as I cornered VIP, a sports car stalling in the car park mid-exit, with groups piling in for a picture in front of the bus. The much-loved haunt with its ridiculous sights and sets will be missed until summer comes back around.
WORDS | Emma Gillett PHOTOGRAPHY | James Chapman
