addicted to ibiza

from student union to space: danny howard is living the dream

The day before Addicted spoke to Danny Howard, winner of Radio 1’s Superstar DJ competition, he had touched back down from Ibiza and headed straight to Blackpool’s Revolution to play a set. Life, since he entered the contest, has been pretty manic: “It’s been a hundred miles an hour”, he told Addicted.

Danny started DJing at eighteen when his friend lent him a pair of vinyl decks which he took to university and practiced every day. “I blagged a set at the local Student Union and got my friends to say how good I was!” - this led to a five year residence. When UK national station Radio 1 launched their hunt for the next Superstar DJ, he was a little slow on the uptake - “I wasn’t originally going to enter but a few friends gave me the nudge”. In his entry video, a nervously grinning Danny selected the first three tracks that he would play at the Radio 1 Ushuaia Beach Party if he won. He chose Ray Foxx - The Trumpeter, the Dario Nunez mix of Can’t Stop and Calvin Harris - Feel so Close (Benny Benassi mix).

He got a call to say that he had made it to the final six and that four days of DJ challenges in London awaited him. This included having to mix live on air for eight million people for five minutes which he describes as “amazing” but cites the MC challenge as the toughest “it was long, five minutes of having to hype the crowd”. On the Thursday that Danny won, he flew out to Ibiza and opened the beach party with a forty five minute set. Ushuaia was “the most stunning venue I’ve ever played at”.

Danny had holidayed in Ibiza two years ago and fallen for the White Isle’s offering of “the world’s best DJs and best clubs” but says it was nothing compared to traveling to Ibiza with Radio 1 and “being backstage with people like David Guetta and Carl Cox”. The magic didn’t stop after the Ushuaia Beach Party. On the back of his performance, he was instantly offered a two hour set at Space later that night. Since then the twenty four year old, who was “always into house music but liked to mash it up” and was inspired by Erick Morillo, has played Space again for Pukka Up, started looking at production by putting some tracks down with Sonny Wharton and played dance festival Creamfields.

His summer has been all about Ibiza though - “watching Bob Sinclair at Pacha absolutely blew me away” - and he’s hoping to head back out for the closing parties. Addicted asked him for his end of summer anthem? “The Jamie Jones mix of Azari & III  - Hungry for the Power".

Danny Howard spoke to Fran Harris, editor of ladyadventurer.co.uk. Find out more about Danny at his Facebook page.

mark doyle on fierce angel, es vive and ibiza in 2011

2011 has been a hectic year for Mark Doyle. Since leaving Hed Kandi in 2006, the clubbing uber-brand he set up seven years earlier, Mark has been working on his new label, Fierce Angel, signed a partnership deal with Strictly Rhythm and released a brand new compilation CD.

Addicted caught up with Mark to find out more about Fierce Angel, why he loves Ibiza and what he has in store for the future.

‘Fierce Angel is more than just a record label, as we involve ourselves in live events and will shortly be launching a few brand extensions’ said Mark. He described the label to be a natural extension of what he was doing at Hed Kandi: ‘it’s all about providing great music and entertainment to people who love to have a good time.’ 

He adds: ‘In philosophy and music style Fierce Angel are very similar to Hed Kandi during the years 1999-2005. This period was the time I was there and running the label and it was very much created around my personal tastes in music and general beliefs.’

Launching Fierce Angel is not the only success for Mark. He has recently signed an amazing partnership deal with the legendary Strictly Rhythm, signed a number of new artists projects and released a new compilation CD. 

The new compilation CD, Fierce Angel/Hotel Es Vive 2011, features three different styles across three mixes. ‘The first mix is very much a classic Ibiza poolside chill mix, the second is much more vocal disco affair and the third takes things a little darker and dirtier.

'It is a broad collection of some of the finest summer tunes, with a few classics thrown in for good measure.’

As he travels around the world, permanently attached to his laptop, he describes his job as a constant obsession, which is made easier by his wife working alongside him. When asked what the favourite thing is about his job, Mark answered with: ‘Getting to travel around the world, playing amazing music in fantastic nightclubs and finding and releasing great music to the public.’

2011 has been a seminal year for Mark and his career. ‘It has been a hectic summer! The new Es Vive compilation is one of the highlights of this summer, I’ve been able to play in both Mexico and Taiwan for the first time and our launch party at Es Vive was spectacular.’ 

Mark has been travelling to Ibiza for nearly 20 years now and the island constantly surprises him. ‘It’s an amazing melting pot of musical talent and unique people.’ He has recently fell in love with a new restaurant which opened this year, called Como and enjoys to spend his time at his base camp, Es Vive. 

The future certainly does not seem bleak for Mark and Fierce Angel, with a compilation in work called ‘Deeply Fierce’, a number of new artists to be released, their radio station set to hit stations worldwide and a touring schedule taking them from Australia to Dubai and all around the world.

Check out Fierce Angel on www.thefutureisfierce.com and tune in to the 4 hour radio show on demand 24/7 at www.jazzfm.com. Click here to preview and download some Fierce Angel music.

 

eddie halliwell talks to addicted about the evolution of cream PLUS win free guestlist for this thursday

Seventeen years is a long time - just think about how much has changed since 1994. We used to read our Ibiza news on paper, we had to navigate the island without the aid of Google Maps and we listened to our music on Discmans. Cream, Ibiza's longest running UK club night, has survived those seventeen years and is back in Ibiza for another season jam-packed with big names. Eddie Halliwell is on the bill this Thursday, so Addicted asked him a few questions about how Cream has evolved over the years and what he is excited about this summer.

Addicted: How do you think the party has changed over the years?

Eddie: Cream at Amnesia has always been consistently good. The music policy has broadened over the last few years, which is great, as it originally used to be mainly trance. I play everything from techno, house through to trance, so the changes suit my style of DJ'ing perfectly.

Addicted: You’ve been a Cream Ibiza resident for some time now, how do you approach each year to make sure it’s different from the previous year?

Eddie: 
The most important thing as a DJ is the connection with the audience and giving them what they want, and when it comes to Ibiza, most people are there to have the party of their life – so that’s what I try to give them with my performances. I keep the energy and interactivity high.

Addicted: This year, you are performing an "ED-IT show" on the Terrace at Amnesia. What does that mean?

Eddie: 
ED-IT is a different concept to my usual performances, combining interactive visuals and special effects, with me editing and remixing live on stage. It’s more of a stage show and I can’t wait for it to go off on the terrace!

Addicted: How important do you feel production and visual effects are these days?

Eddie: Very important – people want more than just a DJ playing records nowadays, they want to see a show!

Addicted: As we've been talking about how Cream has evolved over the past 17 years, would you ever go retro and do a vinyl set as a one off? 

Eddie: I use Vinyl for scratching sometimes – you have to move with the times and embrace change, and although I wouldn’t be against doing a vinyl set again, I prefer to be as creative as possible in my sets, which new technology enables DJ’s to do.

Addicted: Thank you Eddie - see you at Cream!

COMPETITION: Do you want to go to Cream this week to see Eddie Halliwell? We can get you and a friend there for free! We have two spots on the guestlist to give away to a lucky reader. To be in with a chance of winning, just hit 'Like' and '+1' at the bottom of this post and send an e-mail to competitions@addictedtoibiza.com with the answer to this question: "What is the name of Cream resident Above & Beyond's new album?"

To be in with a chance of winning enter before 5pm Ibiza time on Wednesday 13th July. We will randomly select a winner from all correct entries. Guestlist is valid for Thursday 14th July only - if you're not going to be in Ibiza this week then keep watching this space, as we will be offering more chances to win throughout the season!

Cream is at Amnesia every Thursday this summer. Photography by James Chapman.

print it out and take it with you: our ibiza club schedule is now portable!

Following an awesome response to the night-by-night guide to Ibiza clubs posted yesterday on Addicted, we have put together a downloadable poster version that you can print out, pack in your suitcase and stick up on the wall of your villa or apartment in Ibiza.

This schedule tells you the regular events happening every week, an absolute essential for any trip. Also, don't forget to download our iPhone app to keep totally up-to-date with the latest events happening on the island while you are there.

Click here to download the poster. Feel free to send this around all your mates too - perfect for planning your trip!

what's on when: a night by night guide to ibiza clubs

There is so much happening in Ibiza this summer, it's hard to keep track of it all. The biggest single question Addicted gets asked by our friends heading to Ibiza is where to go on a given night. To help you all out, we've compiled this summer's listings from all the major clubs and put them in a simple, easy to read table.

Most parties are midnight - 6am unless marked 'DAY'. Don't forget, things do change from week-to-week and some parties open/close early, so double check this schedule particularly if you are going to Ibiza at the start or end of the season.

Now you know what's happening, the only dilemma left is where to go. Decisions, decisions…  

 

Eivissa / Playa d'en Bossa

	Pacha	Space	DC10
MON	House Mafia	Monday Calling	Circo Loco (DAY)
TUE	Pacha Seduction / Flower Power	Carl Cox
WED	Subliminal Sessions	Be at Space
THU	F**k me I’m Famous	Kehakuma
FRI	Pure Pacha / Pete Tong	Come Together	Pandemonium
SAT	Defected	Café Ole
SUN	Cadenza	We Love Space (DAY/NIGHT)

 

San Antonio

	Eden	Es Paradis	Gala Night
MON		Fabulush
TUE	Clubland	Fiesta del Agua
WED	Pornographic	Ibiza Rocks After Show
THU	Twice as nice	Yes! Ibiza
FRI	Garlands	Fiesta del Agua
SAT	Mondo Loco	Hed Kandi: Disco’s Revenge	The Zoo Project (DAY)
SUN	Judgment Sundays	Urban Heroes

 

Centre of the island

	Amnesia	Privilege
MON	Cocoon	Tiesto
TUE	Tonight	My Clubroom
WED	La Troya / Foam Party
THU	Cream	The Face of Ibiza
FRI	I want my MTV	Supermartxé
SAT	Matinee	Saturday Night Project
SUN	Popstars / Foam Party

hed kandi ibiza razzle dazzles ‘em at disco's revenge opening party

Addicted got its glad rags on, last Saturday, to join 2,000 pleasure seekers and DJ’s Andy Norman, Kellie Acreman and Ben Santiago at the Disco’s Revenge opening night. The uber-brand’s 9^thIbiza summer flutters its disco lashes back to the Studio 54 era. But with the White Isle buzzing about the return of Pete Tong to Pacha, Space’s continuing domination, a sprinkling of fresh underground parties and live music coming to the fore – what’s the allure of Hed Kandi?

The Hed Kandi sound is distinctive if not challenging. Hed Kandi’s Chloe Lecash defines it as “not just an electronic beat – it’s got guitar and sax and the intense vocals”. A new album is released every month, worldwide sales exceed 5 million and the music leads the clubbers to the Ibiza party. Jade from Merseyside told Addicted to Ibiza that her group of girls were at Disco’s Revenge because they “love the CD’s – it’s accessible not like hard house”. There seems to be value in knowing what you’re getting as one Hen Party explained “We like Hed Kandi at home and love the music – it’s been the same for years”. DJ Andy Norman re-emphasised the importance of this constancy by telling Addicted to Ibiza that he was looking forward to his set “continuing from the high of last year’s closing party”. And the tune that encapsulated Saturday night? The David Jones re-mix of Disco’s Revenge.

Tough financial times have always led to the need for escapism (Saturday Night Fever was released as the US struggled to deal with the aftermath of the Oil Crisis) and Disco’s Revenge is a very timely theme for this year’s Ibiza night. It not only plays tribute to the sounds of Hed Kandi through the years but its glamour and it’s exuberance mean that for one night clubbers can assume a jet set lifestyle. Tony, one of the Disco’s Revenge PR’s, agrees “It’s about everybody having a good time”. It’s not trainers clubbing - people come to Hed Kandi to dress up. And this sexiness has magnetism - a group of lads from Canterbury were very clear about why they were at the opening party “loads of fit birds”.

But possibly the most progressive aspect of Disco’s Revenge is the Hed Kandi production. It’s a sensory circus from the moment that the entertainment girls in pink Kylie-esque hooded leotards be-decked with fairy lights roller boot into Savannah’s sunset pre-party. Upstairs Es Paradis is playing a slide show of the crème of its rock royalty visitors from Mick Jagger to Grace Jones whilst a giant roller boot dominates downstairs. Chloe explains that at Hed Kandi the show is “maybe as important as the music” and the night whirls with shimmering dancers, a towering transvestite, live sax from the Lovely Laura, more roller girls and sky acrobats swinging off a silver heart above the dance floor.

And when the live singer started Just Can’t Wait (for Saturday) – the entire sunken white dance floor sung it back to her proving that the good times epitomised by the razzle dazzle of Disco’s Revenge are here to stay on Ibiza.

Fran Harris is the editor of ladyadventurer.co.uk. Disco's Revenge by Hed Kandi is at Es Paradis every Saturday this summer.

live music takes over ibiza as mtv comes to the island

Ibiza is the spirtual home of all types of electronic music, from house to techno and every sub-genre in-between. But since 2005, Ibiza Rocks has been serving up a different type of sound, holding weekly parties with live music from rock and indie bands in the courtyard next to the pool in their San Antonio hotel. Understanding that rock kids want to dance and that club kids like to rock, Ibiza Rocks has grown to become one of the island's biggest success stories over the past couple of years.

This summer, Ibiza Rocks won't be the only destination for live music on the island. 'I want my MTV Ibiza' launches on July 1st at Amnesia and continues every Friday until September 2nd. Shaking up what you might expect from an Ibiza party, Snoop Dogg will perform on opening night - his first ever gig in Ibiza. Later in the season, the club will host acts as diverse as Duran Duran, Robyn, Richie Hawtin presents Plastikman and Mark Ronson.

Could the live music bug catch on and become an even bigger part of the island's music scene? Let us know what you think.

 

bob sinclair returns to defected at pacha

Defected have announced that house music legend Bob Sinclair will return to Pacha to host five nights this summer. The London-based label will be orchestrating Saturday nights at Pacha for another year, featuring big names such as Frankie Knuckles, Sandy Rivera and David Morales. The biggest of all these names is French DJ Bob Sinclair, who will host the opening party on 4th June and the closing night on 24th September, among others.

This kicks off a stream of line-up announcements for this summer's opening parties. F*** Me I'm Famous opens at Pacha the previous week on 26th May and We Love Space 2011 kicks off the following weekend on June 12th. The summer is coming!

ibiza for beginners

If it's your first time, the amount of choice in Ibiza can be daunting. With so many parties to go to and so many places to dance, how do you cram it all into just one week? Here's a rough itinerary for a week long trip especially designed with Ibiza newbies in mind. Going back to work the following day is not recommended.

MONDAY

When you get off the plane, jump straight in at the deep end and head to the world's biggest nightclub to see the world's biggest Trance DJ. Privilege hosts Tiesto and up to 10,000 partygoers every Monday night. You don’t even need to worry about checking in at your hotel first. As we discovered last year, the coat check at the gift shop will look after your suitcase. The icing on the cake? The DJ booth is surrounded by a swimming pool.

TUESDAY

Live rock music in Ibiza? Really? Isn’t this island supposed to be the spiritual home of dance music? Founded on the premise that dance kids like to rock and rock kids like to dance, Ibiza Rocks is the unexpected success story of the last few years. Every Tuesday this year Ibiza Rocks plays host to the Ting Tings, the Klaxons and MGMT, just to name a few. Moreover, they now own their own hotel so you can host after parties worthy of rock stars.

WEDNESDAY

You’ve been on the island for two days now, so it’s probably time for a bit of a rest. Ibiza is famous for sunsets and the best place to watch is Café Mambo on the sunset strip in San Antonio. Not only will you have the thrill of watching the crowd cheer as night begins and the sun goes down, but often you can catch big name DJs warming up for their sets later that night – for free.

THURSDAY

Tonight, it’s time to check out the most famous club in the world: Pacha. The name is synonymous with celebrity, hedonism and glamour; and David Guetta’s Thursday night ‘F*** me I’m Famous’ party is Pacha at its finest. With the VIP, VVIP and VVVIP areas (yes, really) taking up well over two-thirds of dancefloor, some question whether mere mortals are actually able to let their hair down and party. But experiencing Pacha’s unique vibe is a vital Ibiza experience and one you will come to love. The clincher? Destiny’s Child Kelly Rowland is their resident PA this summer.

FRIDAY

It’s Friday, you’ve now been in Ibiza for five days and you’ve still not found time to dance on the beach! Make amends and head down to Bora Bora Beach Bar in Playa d’en Bossa for some cheeky afternoon sangria. Once you’re all danced out, it’s time to experience the more civilised side of Ibiza. Get in a cab to KM5 - one of Ibiza’s many laidback countryside restaurants. Many people say the best thing about Ibiza is the balance between crazy nights out and beautiful places to chill. KM5 and their outdoor cocktail lounge does that job nicely.

SATURDAY

You know you're in Ibiza when it's four o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and you're dancing in an abandoned zoo surrounded by people in fancy dress. The club on everyone’s lips this summer is The Zoo Project, taking over from the much missed DC-10. Their Saturday day time sessions are the talk of the island and attract top underground DJ talent. You’ll definitely leave with stories to tell everyone back home.

SUNDAY

Dancing on the terrace at Space on a Sunday afternoon defines Ibiza clubbing. The former 22 hour We Love Space marathon now restricts itself to a mere 14 hours due to changes in club licensing laws, but that’s not held back the stream of massive international DJs that make the line up every week. Literally, nothing compares to this. Just make sure your sunglasses are suitably oversized and overpriced.

That only leaves one more decision. Once the sun comes up and the music turns down at 6am, will you be running to catch your flight? Or will you be running to the nearest internet café to change your flight home? (It’s just across the road, in case the latter takes your fancy.)

a super sexy night out at SuperMartxé

SuperMartxé is certainly one of the addictedtoibiza team's favourite party nights. Held at Privilege, one of the biggest venues you'll ever see and with a truly supersized and amazing production on a huge stage, SuperMartxé on a Friday night is a must for any Ibiza visitor.

Last week at SuperMartxé the stage curtains unveiled a huge pirate ship with sexy pirate dancers and a live performance from Nalaya Brown to top it off. We've tried to capture some of the excitement on camera but it certainly does not do it justice.

SuperMartxé attracts a sexy crowd with many of it's fans following the party night as it tours the globe, led by the one and only party girl Paris Hilton.

Don't leave the island without experiencing SuperMartxé! To find out more visit the SuperMartxe website.

Checkout this super sexy promo video featuring party girl Paris Hilton: