While many people who consider themselves hardcore clubbers like to tell you August is a month to avoid, I'm having none of it.
Sure, the heat, snarled up roads, packed beaches and generally younger (and more boisterous) crowds add something extra to contend with, but the parties are still great.
Being August didn't make it any easier for me to whittle down to just five DJ highlights, which is proof enough that the calibre of line-up remains strong despite what the critics may claim.
I'll defend August to the hilt. If you hate on August, I suspect you've just reached the point of the season where clubbing fatigue has set in. It happens to the best of us. Power through the wall and reap the rewards with this fine selection of, erm, selectors.
Margaret Dygas | FUSE | 528 Ibiza
Sunday 2 August
Polish-born Margaret Dygas has lived - and helped develop the scene - in numerous party hot spots around the world. They include London and New York, although she's likely to be best known for her decade and a half tenure as a resident of Panorama Bar in Berlin.
Outings on revered imprints Ostgut Ton and Half Baked have cemented her reputation as a skilled producer, while Dygas describes her own sound as drifting between "hypnotic minimalism and dubby warmth".
In other words, she's the perfect candidate to lead us into the night, in 528 Ibiza's dimly lit inside space. Long after the outdoor stage shuts, FUSE makes a case for staying deep into the night. I label that underground clubbing perfection.
Do you think we could convince her to move to Ibiza next?
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Krzysztof Dygasiewicz
Nakadia | Carl Cox | [UNVRS]
Sunday 2 August
Nakadia is a DJ who isn't booked on Ibiza nearly enough. Arguably Thailand's most prominent ambassador of underground electronic music, she makes a welcome return to the White Isle to play for Carl Cox at [UNVRS]. If she isn't yet a DJ on your radar, I suggest you scope her out.
The full line-up is also notable for its diversity - every confirmed artist is from an ethnic minority and the number of women outnumber the men. It doesn't happen too often, but when it does, it should be acknowledged and applauded.
Now that's how you kick-off the month!
Boris Brejcha | RESISTANCE Ibiza | Amnesia
Wednesday 12 August
If this date isn't ringing any bells, then it should. There's a lot of coverage surrounding it, due to the total solar eclipse. There's a proliferation of daytime parties keen to cash in on the natural phenomenon, but it's something happening after dark that has my attention.
The backstory to this choice is that, last winter, I was due to see Boris Brejcha at Ally Pally with my pals. I ended up pulling out last minute and have regretted it ever since. Now, those same friends are visiting Ibiza and I have a wrong to put right. That happens at Amnesia on 12 August.
Boris has already ripped up RESISTANCE this summer, having graced the opening night with his self-coined "High-Tech Minimal" style. I chose not to attend, on the logic of saving myself (and Boris) for the arrival of my boys and girls.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Crea Siempre
Alicia Hahn | Nido | Akasha
Saturday 16 August
When it comes to electronic music - and Techno specifically - great things come from Mannheim, whether that be DJ Nick Curly or Time Warp festival itself. The next big thing emanating from the region could well be Alicia Hahn.
Inspired by Mind Against and Adriatique, Alicia is quickly earning a reputation for how she layers chords and choses her synths. There's an elegance to the ethereal melodies of her music. Each set tells a story, connecting the dots between the different strokes of contemporary Techno.
Sounds like she'll fit right at home at Akasha. Get us there now.
Summer Ghemati | CAMELPHAT present Summer Of Love | Hï Ibiza
Sunday 30 August
World events between 2020 and 2021 were a disruptive factor, to put it mildly. Many DJs seemingly on the cusp of breaking through suddenly had their progression derailed, as partying ground to a halt. One of those on the brink of making the step up was Summer Ghemati.
Thankfully, she's now back on course and making up for lost time. After gigs at 528 Ibiza and Eden last year, Summer takes on the Wild Corner at Hï Ibiza for Beatport Live on 30 August. She lines up alongside Victoria Whynot and polymath Lauren Mia.
If that isn't enough for you, you can check-out recommendations from Lissy by clicking on the link in sky blue.
Tickets to all five of Steve's picks can be found on our party calendar, along with extensive listings at the island's best clubs.
