Just imagine incredible House music under the Balearic sun, a cold drink in hand, dressed in a new 'fit and surrounded by your best pals. There are few feelings that can compare to it. When I think about daytime raving in Ibiza, there are a couple of venues that instantly come to mind.
Over the last few summers working as a music journalist at Ibiza Spotlight, some of the standout moments of each season have been spent partying at Destino Five Ibiza.
Synonymous with grandeur, elegance and a certain je ne sais quoi, there's something special about stepping into the venue that immediately awakens all of your senses.
Even before you enter, the music drifting through the entrance sets the tone.
Eager to get straight into the action at this year's Opening Party, I arrived at 19:00 and made my way straight to the epicentre of the venue: the main stage. The dancefloor was already packed with eager ravers in the mix, keen to catch a glimpse of Mason Collective doing their thing.
Fortunately, I made it in time to hear their final track, which just so happened to be one of my favourites at the moment.
Coming out on Three Six Zero next month, Sun Goes Down is a summer-ridden dripped in that signature Mason Collective bounce, added Fletch flair and a sultry vocal from rising star Ellie Allen (who is also the vocalist on my new track, which is out now on Roni Seikaly's Stride!)
Even though I missed most of their set, I'm glad I managed to catch that track. It could even be an outsider contender for track of the summer (along mine, of course).
Mau P was next up, and brought undeniable aura to the stage. Cleverly teasing his hit track from last summer, Like I Like It, from the very start of his set before eventually dropping it in full force midway through. He knew what the crowd wanted and finessed the moment perfectly.
High energy, cool boy charisma, Maurice West sure knows how to work the crowd in the palm of his hands.
After bumping into DJ Grace Arribas, she kindly sorted backstage passes for us to join the throng of booth lurkers. Being Carola’s number one fan, I didn't need any further encouragement.
After battling through a few members of his glamorous posse, I managed to get close enough for a prime view. Best believe my Shazam was active for the duration, during which I managed to catch a few fresh IDs.
Cowboy Killer from Kyle Walker and Nate Katz was one of them. They are a pair of talented producers who very much have their foot in the door with Carola. This was just one of the standout moments from Carola's closing set.
Whilst I have your attention, I am putting it in writing: this is my official manifestation for my own Marco Carola play this summer. Fingers crossed!
One thing I noticed in terms of the music, was a further shift towards straight-up House music, with Carola seemingly drifting a little away from his signature rolling Tech House. A lot of groovy, vocal-led House paved the way, with a few underground weapons intertwined for good measure.
Packed from start to finish, if you’re a true House music lover and missed opening weekend, do not fret. There are plenty more opportunities to catch King Carola this summer.
You can catch him weekly at Music On on Friday nights and eight further times at Destino Five for the daytime edition as part of the Pacha ICONS series.
For a full list of his confirmed dates (excluding advertised back-to-backs) click here.
