IMS Ibiza: Day One Round Up

"It could have all so easily gone Pete Tong, couldn't it". The words came from Pete Tong himself to a rapturous guffawing by a packed conference room, as he quizzed Cream founder James Barton about the colourful history - and future - of Cream in a frank and open discussion on day one of the International Music Summit. 

The conversation was a highlight of the summit's opening day, which saw a who's who of the electronic music scene descend on the glamourous Gran Hotel Ibiza for the three day networking, partying and development event.

James Barton has recently struck a deal with behemoth events company Live Nation to sell his beloved club brand, and take a desk job for the company in Beverley Hills. Barton will be President of Electronic Music, with a focus on developing the genre in North America. 

The candid chat between the old acquaintances saw Barton open up about the hardships the Cream brand has faced in the past, and look forward to a future which he believes will only be enhanced by its new home underneath the Live Nation brolly. 

The International Music Summit, now in its 5th year, is a gathering of DJs, promoters and key industry figures who come together to discuss the electronic music scene and - of course - enjoy themselves at specially curated events on the island. 

Other highlights of the day included talks on the impact of social networking on the music industry, and a panel discussion by the management team behind Chase and Status - which offered an enlightening insight on what goes into taking an artist to a global status. 

Day one also saw the revelation of the official IMS anthem for 2012 - this year created by Northern Irish duo Japanese Popstars. The track, entitled 'Matter of Time' is a blinding collaboration with Green Velvet, and is already being talked about as the best IMS anthem to date. 

Carl Cox at the Skiddle Social @ Grial, Ibiza

As the sun set over day one of the IMS, attendees disappeared to spruce themselves up for an evening of entertainment which included a dinner event with Carl Cox, an official IMS opening party at Pacha with Chase and Status, and - most importantly - the Skiddle Social at Grial with Graham Sahara, Sonny Wharton, and Japanese Popstars. The late night party was well attended, with Carl Cox himself even taking to the dancefloor to enjoy the bouncy tech-house grooves of Sonny Wharton. 

All in all, an insightful, enjoyable start to the IMS 2012. Roll on day two!

Read more Ibiza news, reviews and features and buy tickets to upcoming events in our Ibiza 2012 guide