Ibiza: a virgin’s guide #3 (Space: the final frontier)

Ibiza: a virgin’s guide #3 (Space: the final frontier)

26 June, 2008 | 10.03AM

• Section: Music News Topics: Ibiza
• Written by: TokyoNeon

I was depressed as hell yesterday, having been to the self-titled “Biggest Club In The World” – Privilege – which was full of British chavs, a stinking cess-pit of a swimming pool, crass “laughing gas” stalls selling balloons full of nitrous oxide, closed rooms and echoes of a time when Ibiza was fresh, new and free.

Then I went to a night at Space called La Troya, and can gladly confirm that the legend of Ibiza is alive and well: orgasmic music, ribcage-rattling sound systems, carefree, hedonistic vibes, waves of beautiful people and the knowledge that you couldn’t be having a better time anywhere else in the world.

I’m going to be honest with you, before Space, I was finding it very difficult to tell the truth about Ibiza and not disappoint those who come here expecting a positive spin.

I came to Ibiza to celebrate dance music and to report on the Mecca of clubbing, but all I’ve found so far is a lack of attendance on the island, tourist saturation and a whole lot of anti-climax.

The locals and some established DJs have been telling me that “things are not what they used to be”, the big clubs are “shutting down” and that the freedom of their famous “fertility island” is becoming strangulated by the authorities and heavy tourism.

I know clubs: I’ve been to Twilo in New York, Fabric in London and Womb in Tokyo, and upon entering Space, its status as the world’s No. 1 venue hit me like a ton of bricks.

Why?

THE MUSIC

The music at La Troya, Space is Godlike.

They don’t mess about here, going straight for the jugular with disgracefully funky tech house, truck-heavy 4/4 beats and 5-star quality.

If you want a permanent grin tattooed on your face then you’ve met your maker with Space and La Troya.

It’s almost as if the sounds from the speakers in Space possess you, melting away all your insecurities and anxieties, keeping you dancing and feeling high.

The sound system is quite possibly the best I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard them all several times over.

It’s the cleanest, most consistent, fattest, best-balanced audio rig in club land, delivering sonics to your brain the way they were intended by their meticulous producers.

THE PEOPLE

The people make Space.

This is what I always envisaged Ibiza to be like.

A room full of thousands of friendly, attractive, fun music addicts from all corners of the globe.

The positive energy is palpable.

As soon as you walk into the “zone” of the main room you’re part of it.

Space is packed to the rafters, but there’s always a bit of room to be found, and with each fresh dancing spot comes new experiences, new people, new stories and ultimately, memories you’ll cherish.

There really is a sprawling mix, a large percentage of which are attractive, young women.

They are complemented by guys in their forties and fifties, huge muscled gay men with ripped bodies and police hats; English, German, French, Spanish and Europeans of all creeds and colours, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, disabled partygoers in wheelchairs, transvestites, professional dancers and pretty much every type of human being you can think of.

This is not a place for close-minded, ignorant people: Space is for music lovers, thrill seekers, exhibitionists and, ultimately, those who want new experiences.

What really sums up the experience of this venue is the fact that its V.I.P room is empty, and those that are in V.I.P are completely severed from the special vibe.

Space’s promoters care more about the “people” than catering for burgeoning Swiss bank accounts of those who anchor at Ibizan shores on their yachts.

THE VENUE

Space is pretty classy but its concept, unlike other Ibiza clubs, isn’t the product of a promoter’s head disappearing up their own ass.

Everything is beautiful and functional; there’s no unnecessary icing on the cake like fountains, swimming pools or decor that will make wealthy oligarchs nod with approval.

It’s a club after all and, whilst other venues pander to the wallets of the rich and famous, Space understands the core of what Ibiza is all about and stays true to it in the knowledge that A) This is why Ibiza exists and B) This is how Ibiza’s popularity as a holiday destination can be cultivated and maintained.

The dancers and entertainers almost become one with the venue, such is the exoticness of their outfits and the way they sprawl themselves all over the pillars and walls.

They range from freaky old women with skull masks to stripper girls with tiny tassles on their nipples and thongs, to bikini-clad dancers with 12” vinyl plates taped to their writhing bodies and others that just have to be seen to be believed.

Great venues cannot be manufactured or mass-produced, as there are so many intangibles that constitute their successes.

Space is one of them.

It has a certain je ne sais quois about it which cannot be quantified.

The only way to really understand is to visit Space in Ibiza.

Along with Amnesia, these are the two clubs that really make Ibiza tick.

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