[UNVRS] 2025 Preview. A Space Odyssey.
They were proven embarrassingly wrong with Hi, and they continue to mislead the public with their anti-Ushuaia Entertainment mantra, peddled by those with a vested interest in other clubs and sectors of the industry. Mark Twain observed that it is easier to fool people than convince them that they have been fooled, and those who continue to hate and buy into the fake narrative championed by Pepe Rosello will never acknowledge that they were deceived.
Ibiza is now on the threshold of its clubbing evolution. French brothers Yann and Romain Pissenem are tasked with delivering on that mission—their expedition is sponsored by the island’s Royal Family, The Matutes. While Yann is front of house, Romain is the chef in Ushuaia Entertainment’s creative kitchen. He will deliver on the artistic design and concept of [UNVRS], and if one is to judge his work to date, we can expect a Michelin-starred production when the club opens next summer. As well as being renowned for their work ethic and ambition, the Pissenem brothers are known for keeping their plans secretive. The [UNVRS] plans could have been kept in a vault under the Bank Of Spain in Madrid; such was the secrecy surrounding them. While they lost the surprise element when unveiling the branding of HI, Ushuaia Entertainment took extra precautions to ensure nobody would crack the [UNVRS] code. So, with very little information out there in the public domain, we can only take an educated guess at what to expect from the architectural design and concept of [UNVRS].
To coin a classic science fiction tagline, the truth is out there. Romain Pissenem’s creative production company High Scream, based in Soho London, is currently producing the Monolith Tour for David Guetta, which premiered in the desert of AlUla earlier this year. The impressive livestream event followed in the digital footsteps of similar shows at the Louvre, Abu Dhabi and the helipad on Dubai’s Burj Al Arab building. Romain Pissenem was first drawn to the movie industry, but the cost of entry as a producer was beyond him as a young man. Instead, he turned to the theatre, a blank canvas where he could produce his magic for a fraction of the cost of movie editing and production. The dancefloor became his stage, and the DJs his actors. As a Hollywood movie buff, one of his favourite films was the Stanley Kubrick-directed 2001 A Space Odyssey. This groundbreaking movie defined modern science fiction when it was released in 1968, a year before Armstrong made “One giant leap for mankind” as the Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon. So, we already know the direction he is working on, and something similar may be transported to [UNVRS] when it opens in Ibiza next summer.
Kubrick was known for his meticulous attention to detail. To create the highest level of technical realism, he employed a team of NASA astronomical artists, aeronautics experts, and aerospace engineers to design the style, display and communication systems for all the spacecraft’s interior & exterior shots. The Monolith represented an ambiguous alien presence. Kubrick dispensed with the slimy and robotic B Movie alien interpretation and envisaged a technological monogram instead. Its presence served as an alarm left by advanced cultures to the existence of similar technologically advanced species. You could call it a Techno Signature, which the movie’s writer, Arthur C Clarke, explored in his short story The Sentinal. NASA has recently turned its attention to exploring techno signatures in its search for extraterrestrial life. Sound is how we connect with the future.
2001: A Space Odyssey utilised clean, modern, minimalist, and black space imagery. Combined with Pissenms’s love of light and computers, one begins to feel the direction in which [UNVRS] is travelling. Its UFO logo is black and white, and the classic domed roof of Privilege replicated the opening scene of A Space Odyssey, which was used in the UNVRS promotional branding. In the Paris Hotel, where the finale of the Stargate sequence is played out, the floor of the futuristic room is constructed of light panels similar to the ones used over the Wild Room dancefloor at HI. The blackness of Space combined with Pissenems digital theatre effects looks set to play a big part in the design concept of [UNVRS] Ibiza. While there are rumours that it will not be ready in time, one only has to remember that the same team demolished Space and built a brand new club in a six-month turnaround in 2016.
With David Guetta already exploring his Monolith Tour concept, the Frenchman will undoubtedly claim the UNVRS star player accolade again. Afterlife and their Alyuna shows will also fit perfectly into the new concept, as will Black Coffee, Eric Prydz and Swedish House Mafia. Live electronic acts like Kraftwerk and Daft Punk would dazzle on this Ibiza stage. Calvin Harris has stated that he no longer plays late-night club appearances, so his participation at[UNVRS] is questionable. When [UNVRS] opens, slots at Hi and Ushuaia will become available. Solomun, Tiesto, Jamie Jones, and Camlephat are already rumoured as Ushuaia Entertainment players next season, with HI taking a more underground feel to its music programming. Also, doubts surround the future of the daytime party venue Ushuaia Beach Hotel, but thats a story for another blog.
The Monolith’s primary function in 2001: A Space Odyssey was to manifest just as a race was about to advance to the next stage of evolution. The Monolith first appears in the centre of a desert, which has already occurred in AlUla. I think [UNVRS] will herald the evolution of clubbing in Ibiza, honouring the energy of Space and Privilege as its forefathers. Kubrick was a master of ambiguity. His work was left open to interpretation in the minds of his audience. I feel Pissenem will draw from this technique to develop his artistic concept at [UNVRS]. He can explore several directions using Kubrick’s creative vision as an inspiration. The Tale Of Us Afterlife party will benefit most from this interpretation. With Scientology already linked to the club, conspiracy theorists and the ANON brigade will have a field day with its message, and that will be the stick they use to beat the club.
Just like the apes in the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey, afraid of change and progress, some will not welcome its appearance. However, we must keep pushing the envelope of human exploration in creativity and technology. Our ability to adapt and learn to the changing environment around us makes us unique as a species. I believe Ibiza never changes; it’s the people and their behaviours that do. If the island is to continue setting the trends in modern culture, we should all welcome the evolution of clubbing on the island.
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