Enter at Space Ibiza: review

As you will all know, Richie Hawtin has taken Ibiza by storm this year with the collaboration of his night Enter with Nick Curly's already popular Kehakuma at Space on Thursdays.

Since the very beginning of its 12 week residency at the club, Enter has been massively popular amongst clubbers from here there and everywhere, and once you've been down for one of the nights it is almost immediately obvious why.

Every Thursday Hawtin transforms Space Ibiza from its norm into something quite different. 'Jellyfish' of different shapes and sizes inhabit the Sunset Terrace, where you can use your 'Smudge' iphone app to take control of the Enter.Interact installation, giving you chance to get involved and play with the lights and sounds in the room. What is usually the VIP room upstairs becomes the Sake bar, where you can treat yourself to a royal pre-party and taste some of Richie Hawtin's favourite drink.

The main room is Enter. Complete with top quality lighting and decor that I have only ever seen before at Mannheim's Timewarp festival; Space's Discoteca feels like something else. The atmosphere that this creates, along with a range of the best minimal techno around, can only be described as epic.

We were there for one of the most anticipated line-ups of the season; two friends, both considered (at least in my eyes) gods of techno, Sven Vath and Richie Hawtin.

Hawtin played first with his usual trippy, bouncy, minimal tech and warmed the crowd up an absolute treat (check out Richie Hawtin's Twitter, his Traktor is synchronised with the page to deliver a live updated list of all the tunes he plays), before Vath took over to play at Space for the first time in many, many years (if he even has played there, I can't find any evidence to suggest he ever has, but surely he must have done at some point!)

Vath was unbelievable, and he reminded us just what a good DJ he is. We are used to seeing him play festivals where he is of course very good, but to see him in the club is much more intimate and the spotlight is much more on him. His mixing was impeccable, and boy does he know how to work the crowd! Sven gave Space a long overdue injection of Cocoon, a label which many of us have come to know and love, taking us on a musical journey which had my jaw on the floor in amazement pretty much from start to finish. Epic techno like Gregor Thresher's new Cocoon release 'About A Good Place' and even a tribute to Donna Summer with her classic 'I Feel Love' (which fit perfectly into Sven's techno set nearly 35 years since its production) had us all reaching for the roof in a state of euphoria.

The Terrace is Enter Kehakuma. Last Thursday we of course found ourselves back at Enter, and having usually spent the majority of our time watching Hawtin and the rest of the Minus crew in the main room, we thought it was about time we dedicated our efforts towards Nick Curly and the Kehakuma gang.

Nina Kraviz was tearing it up from the second we walked in, throwing down bass laden techno including a dub version of her popular 'Ghetto Kraviz', across both vinyl and CDs. She posed seductively behind the decks and I for one couldn't take my eyes off her as she continued to fill the Terrace with fast paced and groovy tech, whipping out sexy, staggered shapes as she became one with the music. Nick Curly came on afterwards to round off the evening with some pumping party tech house accompanied by mega blasts from the CO2 cannons surrounding the dance floor.

In comparison with the main Enter room, I find the Kehakuma Terrace has more of a party atmosphere which makes it more fun, probably because it's more of an intimate setting, giving a great alternative if it's all getting a bit serious in the main room; but when I'm at Enter, serious is what I want and I would prefer to join Richie Hawtin and the Minus gang to enjoy that epic experience which they, and special guests like Papa Sven, create; locked in from start to finish.

This week, Enter takes it to the next level with a concept that has had us all excited since the night began back in July; Enter vs ?. After eagerly awaiting in anticipation for the question mark to be answered, it was finally revealed that Enter at Space would be battling it out with Cadenza at Ushuaia across both venues, with what looks like exclusive back to back performances between the label bosses, Hawtin and Luciano. Need we say any more?

Words: Jack Law

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