ENTER.

10 July | Space, Ibiza

It doesn’t matter where you head in Ibiza; you’re never too far from that striking poster for Richie Hawtin’s ENTER. Quite possibly one of the most unusual clubbing experiences of our life; it’s clear to see why Hawtin’s night is fast becoming one of the most talked about club nights on the island. Back for a third year after two previous successful seasons, the night takes over the whole of Space providing clubbers with a unique experience, each room taking on a different concept and focus. 

Already an iconic venue, the ENTER. crew have set about re-imaging Space with the various rooms completely transformed. One thing that really strikes us on entering is the combination of strong visuals, a love for technology and the fusion of Japanese culture. One of the rooms is transformed into an intimate saké bar, complete with all the applicable Japanese decor, with a custom saké cocktail menu available for the discerning clubber. Sure, it’s easy to be cynical when it comes to these big fancy club nights, all of the bravado is somewhat pointless and pretentious if you don’t have the most important element right; the music. You won’t be left disappointed at ENTER. though. It’s unusual but, none the less, makes for a unique backdrop to some of the finest techno and house around.

One of the areas we continuously found ourselves wondering back to was the Terrace where Heidi kickstarted proceedings. No stranger to playing big nights thanks to the worldwide success of her Jackathon parties. Flawless and energetic as ever, teasing the crowd nicely with a whole bunch of house and techno shakedowns. Back over in the main room young Dubliner Matador takes the roof off, the bass shakes the foundations of Space to its core, leaving even the most hardened of bass lovers somewhat blown away by the all out assault. Apart from the immense sound, one of the striking things from the main room is its huge structural lighting installations, a mesmerising visual display that leaves us gazing in awe.

As we lurch from to room, taking in all the visual treats on offer it’s great to see the looks on peoples faces as they enter the various rooms. Everyone is clearly captivated by ENTER.’s attention to detail. Back over in the Terrace the enigma that is Maya Jane Coles brings a mystical and emotive feel to the dance floor; her ability to read the crowd never fails to impress. Following Maya, Dirtybird label boss Claude Von Stroke, brought his no nonsense combination of house, funk and bass and took the energy of the room in a completely different direction. Closing things out in the main room is the main man himself Richie Hawtin. Taking to the stage with a huge warm welcome and room fit to bursting; what you get from Hawtin is exactly what you want. An enthusiastic performance and straight down the line techno.

ENTER. is a massive party, some might say a massively flash party and it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. But what I will say is this; it’s definitely pushing the envelope and the boundaries. It’s innovative, it’s experimental and it’s most definitely interesting.

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Words: Nathan Southcott

Photography: ENTER.