Subliminal Star-Gazing Sessions: Pacha, Ibiza

As the full moon gleamed over Pacha on Wednesday night, inside Ibiza’s most glamorous club the stars did shine.

SASSY American R&B songstress Kelis surfaced for a half-hour live sing-a-long at resident witch doctor Erick Morillo’s Voodoo Nights. The Harlem-bred birthday girl’s disco-dance performance was most certainly the highlight of the hard-hitting, male-dominated house fiesta from the likes of Carl Kennedy and Dirty South.

Looking toned and radiant in a blue dress and gold wig, Kelis mixed up a dance medley of old and new, including a bootleg of Madonna’s Holiday and her own Milkshake hit injected with her unique cosmic techno and R&B twist. While at the other end of the main room sidekick DJ Rashida supported her on the decks.

Narrowly avoiding several wardrobe malfunctions Kelis’s own dance influences became apparent as she demonstrated robotic Kylie-esque moves with tracks from her new album Flesh Tone – produced by Pacha resident and megawatt multi-platinum-selling man-of-the-moment David Guetta.

An off-duty Deadmau5 emerged from the darkness during Dirty South’s set, and loitered behind the decks looking shady. The Canadian DJ, in Ibiza for a mini residency at Amnesia’s Cream, hid beneath a baseball cap like he does his iconic mouse helmet, which he dons while performing on stage. Evidence that he recently cancelled a series of gigs under doctor’s orders due to ‘exhaustion’ were alarmingly clear – at close proximity it occurred how desperately in need he was of a hearty meal and a decent night’s kip.

Dirty South (aka Dragan Roganović) dominated the evening’s peak period, mashing up various hits including In For the Kill by La Roux and Coldplay’s Clocks – two massive favourites on the scene this summer. There was also Temper Trap’s Sweet Surrender with some AC/DC riffs thrown in for good measure to prove he’s staying true to his Australian roots.

Erick Morillo began his set with Black Box’s international ‘80s hit Ride on Time. The head honcho of the house scene’s renowned Subliminal Records showcased the best of the label’s hard house and electro to rapturous applause. At one point there were so many people behind the decks you could barely see the pint-sized producer. But what does size matter when you’re the brightest star in the room?

First published on I Voice, Ibiza, August 2010.
© Abbey Stirling