Ibiza Diaries: Solomun +1 @ Pacha

20 July 2013


Pacha has without doubt been the talk of Ibiza this summer. Speculation over whether it would continue to attract the masses without the likes of Luciano or Subliminal, calls that management had got the new lineup wrong, shouts that the club wasn’t moving with the trends. But those in the know had a quiet suspicion that all this change was just what the doctor ordered. The new lineup has a distinct freshness to it. Pacha is renowned for reinventing itself and it’s clear this is another step forward for the iconic brand. It readily embraces the underground, seeking exciting new performers to reach unexplored avenues. The addition of the charismatic presence that is Solomun was a masterstroke from the Pacha Family. There were many that claimed the transition from Sankeys to one of the islands most formidable venues would not be an easy one but having witnessed the German in all his might, we would have to disagree.


WWD arrived on a balmy Sunday evening full of expectations. It’s fair to say these expectations were satisfied, wholly. The +1 aspect will feature some prestigious and talented guests including the likes of Tensnake, Dennis Ferrer, and Ame. On the night in question DJ Hell a legend in his own right was the man charged with electrifying a large, vibrant Pacha crowd. Solomun warmed things up with a few early groovers (a very neat RAC remix from up and comers Andhim) before DJ Hell arrived to unleash some of demons of his own. There’s something about the different layers and platforms to Pacha that has always endeared itself to the writers of this blog. When you enter the mainroom from the terrace the club is a hive of activity bound together by the sweet music reverberating around the room. At +1 the you can almost taste the atmosphere.

The particular brand of house music associated with Solomun and the Diynamic crew is incredibly groovy. It’s not particularly fast and there aren’t many hard hitting kicks which makes it appealing to almost any music fan, it’s accessible on so many levels. Allied to all this is the constant presence of a delightful vocal hooks to keep the crowd tuned at every instant.


In the later hours when Solomun reemerged to play back 2 back with Hell things really took off. We were greeted to everything from classics like Eleven Eleven – Tourist Trap (Jamie Jones Remix) to Solomun’s most recent gem a remix of new Foals track ‘Late Night’ with a vocal drop to chill even the most composed raver. 

By the time we reach 4.30 the big tunes are coming quick and fast. A particularly special moment is when the soft chords of Kolsch – Der Alte make an appearance and Solomun and Hell proceed to slowdance around the DJ booth, “now it’s a party” we thought to ourselves. If you see one night on the White Isle this year make it this one. A dreamy experience that you will look back on fondly for a long time!