Back when real people used to make dance music, two icons of the UK rave and progressive house scene, Sasha and John Digweed, came together in 1996 to record what is widely regarded as one of the finest DJ mix albums of all time, the critically acclaimed Northern Exposure. For clubbers of a certain vintage like myself, who partied in warehouses, entered record shops to browse music and contacted mates in telephone boxes, progressive house had become the legitimate son of the underground rave scene and dance music was starting to take over the world. Soon after, Sasha released the masterful analogue synth of Xpander and Digweed went on to create the Bedrock sound.
In Ibiza, Manumission at Privilege was King, Clockwork Orange owned San Antonio, Cream was into its second season at Amnesia, Home was partying 22 hours on the famous Space terrace, while Oakenfold and Morillo lorded it at Pacha. That was the scene, it was innocent, noncommercial and people went to party not to make money. The Matutes family main business interests were in Hotels and boats, not music. Fast forward 20 years and the island is musically, a completely different place. Ushuaia is now a polished and slick commercial operation, catering to a new generation of international clientele. It has assimilated Pepe Rosello’s Space into its collective of entertainment portfolios and is marketing Ibiza as an “on trend” and fashionable holiday destination.
But the island still allows space for quality music, parties with substance rather than style and one that has blown across the island like a fresh summer breeze in recent days, is the announcement by Privilege that the old alliance of Sasha and Digweed is back with the aptly named party, Resistance. It will challenge the manufactured, Botox infused EDM sound that is now trying to attach itself to the type of music that Sasha and Digweed curate. Both men have held firm over the decades, refusing to compromise their music for the sake of an easy buck. Integrity in music is what Resistance is about and it will not find two finer standard bearers that Sasha and Digweed. Join the Resistance in Ibiza this summer from July 25 to September 12 and help make Privilege great again.
Recent Comments