addicted to ibiza

the squatters prepare for their final judgement sunday battle.

In preparation for the Judgement Sunday closing party taking place on the 25th September at Eden Ibiza, The Squatters are getting ready for their final DJ battle. Addicted caught up with Alex and Oli of The Squatters, who will be playing back to back with Micky Slim, to talk tunes, Judgement Sundays and future plans...

The boys are currently rounding off a few special bits in the studio that have been prepared especially for this final Judgement event: ‘We can't wait to get back on the island for the final battle! Alex is hitting the sun beds as he doesn't tan very well, he usually looks like a lobster. Oli on the other hand is half Italian so he goes golden brown instantly!’

This is certainly not their first time playing at the Judgement Sunday events. All summer they’ve been sending crowds crazy with their tracks. ‘A track we always play that gets the crowd going at every gig we play has to be our remix of the oldskool track "Up To No Good" by the Porn Kings. We never released this so it still remains a weapon of choice in our DJ sets.’

They’ve been playing a few of their brand new tracks "Sucka Punch", which was released last month and their forthcoming release "Zippyshare" which is released on 10th October: ‘These have been doing some serious damage on the dance floor. After all we did create them especially for this crowd.’

They describe Judgement Sundays as different to any other event that takes place on the island. ‘We have been going there as fans for many years and now it's great to be behind the scenes of it all. Everybody in there feels like part of the event from the clubbers to the organisers. It's like one big Judgement family. 

They added: ‘We have had a lot of international fans come to see us and it's great to be able to get up close with them. With Ibiza being the central hub for clubbing it's not just a British crowd and it's great to see everyone enjoying themselves together.’

Year in, year out The Squatters end up in Ibiza, even if it’s just for a couple of days in between gigs: ‘We love the place! It’s starting to feel like a second home. There's something magical about the island! And where else in the world is totally devoted to partying on this scale?’

The boys favourite places include a little Tapas bar in Ibiza Town, at the bottom of the castle entrance, which they say does the most amazing food and wine. They also enjoy spending time at Golden Buddha: ‘Chilling out with a few mohitos, watching the sunset. We don't often get chance to hit the beaches but when we do Cala Banirras is a beautiful place to chillax.’

The Squatters cannot believe summer is almost over: ‘We’ve had so much fun out in Ibiza this year, especially playing for Judgement Sundays. We’ve made lots of new friends on the island and will be venturing to see them through the winter months. We’ll be sad to leave here.’

The fun does not end there though, as The Squatters have plans of getting back in to the studio, lots of photo shoots and performances around the world. ‘We are running events back in the UK as well and we want to make them extra special through the winter to keep the excitement going for our fans until the summer is back.’

With many plans in the pipeline, the future is looking far from bleak: ‘Our record label is going really well (Whats Your Status?) and we have even bigger plans for it for 2012. We are also looking forward to playing in the USA next year and a whole other bunch of international gigs.

'We are working on collaborations with other artists in the studio and we will continue to listen and talk to our fans, as they are the people we do this for.’ Watch this space...

Judgement Sunday closing party takes place at Eden Ibiza on 25th September

ever wanted to spend crazy summer working in ibiza? 'ibiza virgin' jennifer eric introduces her essential new book

If you're heading to Ibiza for the very first time, eager to discover if reality lives up to the hype, then like it or not you're an ‘Ibiza Virgin’.

Jennifer Eric was one of those Ibiza Virgins when she was offered a job on the island, a position she used ‘to study the extremes of the nightlife industry, inside out, from within the belly of the beast.’

Addicted caught up with Jennifer, who has written the book ‘Ibiza Virgin’, in which she shares her crazy summer spent working in one of the island's top clubs.

Her expectations of the island and the reality were quite far apart: ‘people are people wherever you go, and work doesn't change much wherever you are as long as you have a good head on your shoulders and both feet on the ground. In one season, I made what feels like life-long friends, which was amazing.’ 

Jennifer worked in Ibiza during a time of change, when the local government clamped down on party culture by restricting club's opening hours and forcing Space to bring their terrace indoors. Jennifer compares this era to an army occupation. ‘There are a lot of new restrictions that I do not think are very good for Ibiza nor good for the businesses that the people on the island thrive on and live off all year round. 

‘Ibiza is a hedonistic paradise: it should not be modeled after other commercial summer hot spots. Ibiza has a soul and a life of her own. This should be respected.’

On a more positive note, Jennifer also experienced many unforgettable moments in Ibiza: ‘There were so many highlights for me, from dancing with my feet in the sand, goosebumps watching the sunset accompanied by the drummers at Benirras, to having sangria in the moonlight at a private birthday party on Salinas beach.'

But first and foremost, the biggest highlight for Jennifer was learning to love house music ‘thanks to the amazing music by David Piccioni every Sunday - I was all hip hop before that and would even leave a club when they started playing house!’

When asked if she would do the whole thing again, Jennifer was unsure: ‘As I work hard all year, Ibiza is is best as a place for me to relax. Everyone thinks I'm insane when I say that, as they need another vacation when leaving the island.'

She continued: 'When in Ibiza, I have everything you would need when on vacation: sun, sea, tranquility, good food, good company and fun. But I also have the most amazing nightlife if needed - having been in the industry for a good 15 years now, it's an addiction - although I've spent months on the island only going out once or twice.’

‘I also have absolute and total freedom. I can wear exactly what I want, including nothing, and nobody cares. That is quite the breath of fresh air, now that I live in the UAE and I used to live in Paris where men will harass you as soon as you show a bit of leg. Men are not pushy or inappropriate; everyone addresses you, but they don't harass you, they let you just be. There is this live and let live atmosphere that is very soothing and unique. Paradise. Santa Ibiza!’

Jennifer Eric has signed 40 copies of her book exclusively for Addicted to Ibiza! Purchase a copy for only £8.05 or €9.22 at Addicted to Ibiza Exclusive Deals.

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.

 

"ibiza's such a soulful place" - addicted speaks to nightmares on wax

George "Nightmares on Wax" Evelyn took time out of the frenetic run up to Saturday's launch party for new record Nightmares on Wax presents Wax Da Beach to talk music, moving to Ibiza and the Leeds United Calypso(!) with Addicted.

George explained that the nature of putting together a compilation album means that you "chose far too many songs" and after all of the rights have been sorted "everything's last minute. I had forty eight hours to deliver the mix." The advantage is that you "feel your way through" and the record becomes a reflection of the "way that I DJ" . "I can't remember doing half of it. It's only started to sink in as I listen to it".

Growing up in Leeds, George was "surrounded by music" from the Soul Funk and Disco loved by his sisters to the Reggae sound systems in the neighbourhood. "I've got a lot to thank Leeds for". His influences include Bob Marley, Third World and Duke Ellington and he bought his first record, Third World's Cool Meditation, when he was seven. Later he was "breakdancing and body popping" which he quips he does now "only when I'm drunk". This synthesis inspired the sound of Nightmares on Wax: "my music has always been influenced by the street". A former season ticket holder, George remains a Leeds United fan and watches the matches whenever he can "I think we are back on the up now after many dark years". He laughed "I would for a ticket" when Addicted joked about whether he would ever consider doing a re-mix of, sixties football anthem, the Leeds United Calypso.

As for realising that music could become a career, George says that he "tries to remain focussed on the music" and that it was "just something that I wanted to do". "There's been tough times" but "you need to remain connected to why you are doing it" and it's the business elements "the marketing and the product placement" that "seem alien".

George "didn't know anything about the place" when he first flew out on holiday to Ibiza at the age of eighteen. He stayed in San Antonio and "ran out of money in three days". In between other travels, he came back "sporadically" and played the opening night of the Space Terrace. "The first time that I hired a car and drove around the island, it reminded me of St Kitts...the terrain, the lush beauty and the secluded spots" . "Ibiza has a special energy...you can't believe it's only two and a half hours away from England" and, creatively, the island has made him realise that "paradise is a fine line. You can get lost or found".

Talking about the annual rhythm of the White Isle, George remembers that "when you first move here, you're on holiday" but then winter comes and "downtime is writing time. It's not as easy to write in the summer". His daughter has become fluent in Spanish and is learning Catalan. Now a full time Ibizean, he started the outdoor Wax Da Beach parties to provide "an alternative". "Ibiza's such a soulful place" that George wanted to play music that reflected the "foundations of what built dance music". "I've been given a blank canvas on a beautiful island". 

Looking ahead to Saturday's launch party, George is bringing Massive Attack's Daddy G to Ibiza for the first time "I've been talking to Daddy G for over a year". Wax Da Beach is about "music with roots and feeling and Massive Attack have that...good music sounds ten times better in the sun". Addicted finished by asking George to pick the song of Ibiza Summer 2011 from the Wax da Beach record and after much deliberation "it's a difficult decision", he chose K'bonus feat. JtotheC 'Dance Baby Dance'.

Wax da Beach from Nightmares on Wax is out now and the launch party takes place at Sands Ibiza on Saturday 6th August. Find out more at www.ministryofsound.com/summer.

George Evelyn spoke to Fran Harris, editor of ladyadventurer.co.uk.

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.

defected’s first lady: more white isle than white house

Fresh from Saturday’s opening of the Defected in the House poolside pre-party at Ushuaia, Addicted caught up with the label’s first female resident to talk Ibiza, Defected and success in an industry dominated by men.

Sam Divine is still buzzing from her opening and closing set on Saturday: “It was incredible – it exceeded all my expectations” and she loved “playing music in the sun...starting off with deep house ... chilled stuff and watching the party build up”. She explained that the marriage of the club and the beach (the two things that people go to the White Isle for) has a big appeal “people can go to the pool to hang out – it brings the Miami Music Conference vibe to Ibiza”.

Sam’s Ibizan Saturdays have changed since she was Defected’s Events Manager. Multiple trips to the airport have been exchanged for daytimes “chilled by the pool” with the label giving her the support that she needs to concentrate on ”playing records and making people dance”.  It was a valuable experience: “running a Pacha Saturday Night makes you learn so much” and she still hosts club nights – notably  La Vita which, now in its fourth year, has raised over £25,000 for breast cancer charities. The party is held annually in London (“bringing back the warehouse crowds to the clubs”) and also Ibiza with the backing of DJ royalty (Todd Terry and, Defected founder, Simon Dunmore have played whilst Judge Jules donated 1000 Euros).

Bristol, the south western capital of UK drum and bass, was where Sam grew up and a formative moment was seeing a  Lisa Pin Up set at Bristol Academy. “It was the first time that I had seen a female DJ... she had the crowd at her finger tips. Everybody else was dancing but the young Miss Divine stood transfixed.  “It made me realise that’s what I want to do”.  Apart from Lisa Pin Up, her inspirations are diverse from Tony De Vit to Andy C. As the Bristol Drum and Bass scene evolved into harder dance Sam had to go to Cardiff to find the kind of soulful house that she was playing, the Masters at Work sound. Working in a record shop in Weston Super Mare she was head hunted by another shop in Notting Hill. The move to London “accommodated my sound” and, once there, she borrowed friends’ records to play Subliminal nights.

But it was Ibiza that made Miss Divine’s career take off. She “rocked up with a suitcase and a record bag” at the start of the 2005 season and worked six nights a week.  Her Tuesday nights off were spent partying to the “Defected sound of DJ’s like Junior Jack and Kid Creme. Their music was what I wanted to do”.  She “hounded Simon Dunmore for promos” and by 2008 was their PR Manager. “Everybody adores Defected and they have taken my career to a whole new level.” She gives Ibiza credit for her success “I owe my career to Ibiza. You wouldn’t get so much exposure in London. Every night is different. You never play the same set twice”

So how macho is the world of dance music? “It’s definitely still male dominated” but she cites people like Maya Jane Coles and Steffi  as putting “female DJs on the map”.  “We don’t really produce and without making records it’s harder to get noticed... Women are emotional and we take what we do very seriously.” She predicts that the days of the stereotypical Superstar DJ are now over “I don’t see another legend happening this decade” but says it’s still difficult to obtain respect when you are starting out. “I’ve been really lucky that Simon Dunmore took me onto the artist rosta making me the first female Defected resident...having Defected after my name has been a huge help in getting respect” Sam combines a strong look with sharp business sense “My image isn’t the first thing on the list but I do see myself as a brand... My music complements the image.”

Addicted asked Miss Divine what the future holds and whether radio might be part of it. She loves doing the Bargroove Podcast and “did Pirate Radio when I first moved to London to get my name out there”. “My own show on Radio 1 would be the ultimate dream.” And Addicted couldn’t leave Defected’s First Lady without asking for her prediction of the Summer 2011 tune: “Ray Foxx – The Trumpeter . Chocolate Puma have done some killer re-mixes”. 

DJ Miss Divine spoke to Fran Harris (editor of ladyadventurer.co.uk)

 

felix da housecat speaks to addicted

Last season, Addicted caught up with legendary electro house DJ Felix da Housecat just before he played a series of gigs at We Love Space. To get us ready for 2011, we revisit the interview with some of his top tips for summer on the island.

Addicted: Let's kick off by talking about Ibiza. This summer you are playing some dates at We Love Space. What's your favourite thing about playing at Space?

Felix: I love We Love Space because they let me be me and do whatever I want. I can totally be myself there.

Addicted: There is always talk of somewhere being 'the new Ibiza', whether it's Brazil, Greece or somewhere else.  What do you think makes Ibiza unique?

Felix: There is only one Ibiza and it’s still doing its thing after all these years: sin!

Addicted: Tell us about the first time you went to Ibiza.

Felix: Oh my god, the first show I was ever booked to play in Ibiza was Sundissential at Pacha. They put me up in this horrible hotel. I mean, the worst hotel I have ever seen. There was no TV in the room! I called  the promoter to complain and he said I wouldn’t need a TV in Ibiza. Sure enough, he was right! That night my Ibiza virginity was taken; my Ibiza cherry was busted.

Addicted: Apart from Ibiza, where's your favourite place to play in the world?

Felix: I love playing in Spain, Brazil and Mexico.

Addicted: Your new album, He Was King, comes out next month. What were your big influences when composing this album?

Felix: I try never repeat myself on any album I do.  I am always pushing myself creatively to another level.  Sometimes I reach back to old ideas and make them newer and fresher, but I felt really relaxed, stress-free and happy on this record.

Addicted: 'We all wanna be Prince' is the first track on your album. It begs the question ...do you wanna be Prince?!

Felix: I am a leader not a follower so I don’t wanna be him.  I just love him!

Addicted: Aside from tracks on your new album, what tunes are playing when you DJ this summer?

Felix: Felix Cartal, D.I.M. and Ducksauce

Addicted: Looking at your DJ schedule, you're on the road a lot! When do you find time to make music?

Felix: When I am on the road I just find studios and jump into them to work.  I am always trying to stay active and busy.

Addicted: What do you do to chill out?

Felix: Chill – that word does not exist to me.

Addicted: And finally, what is your top tip for anyone coming to Ibiza this summer?

Felix: DRINK A LOT OF WATER

Addicted: Felix da Housecat, thank you and see you at Space!