Simon Dunmore Interview
Simon Dunmore knows more than most what it takes to move the dancefloor;
as A&R for Defected Records he has unearthed some of the defining
tracks of the past decade and as a DJ, he regularly plays out across the
world, as well as residing in Pacha for Defected’s weekly Pacha party. He
had just finished putting together the latest Defected compilation,
‘Defected In The House Ibiza 10’ when Essential Ibiza captured him for a
quick chat�
What’s it like playing to a packed Defected party in Pacha Ibiza?
If you were to go back five years and someone were to say to me that
you’re going to play Saturday nights in Pacha, full house, crowd going
crazy, I’d have said, yeah, right! It’s as good as it gets, simple as
that.
Is Pacha Ibiza the perfect home for Defected?
Yes, I believe so. I believe it’s probably the most pure discoth�que on
the island and I think musically it fits what we do; there’s a lot of
synergy.
What can we expect from the Defected Pacha party summer 2011?
For me, house has never been about playing a particular sound; it’s about
keeping people interested through the night. I think our diverse guest
line up gives us a point of interest throughout the season. It’s great
with it being a label night in as much as there is a lot of variation in
the line up, whereas a lot of the other nights, where they’re based around
a producer – and all the producers that have their own nights are iconic
for all the reasons that we know – but once you’e been a couple of times,
you know what you’re going to get, whereas with us there’s a diverse array
of talent on throughout the season.
What’s the secret behind Defected’s success in Ibiza?
I’d say you’e got to be on your toes, anyone that has stood still in the
last six years will have paid the price already. It’s a very fluid world
that we live in, not just the music scene, the world of technology is
moving so fast now and you have to move with it. I have a really good team
of people that work with me and I think the key to it is to trust them and
listen to what they have to say and take it all in.
Defected Pacha Ibiza plays host to many of the world’s top producers/ DJs
throughout the summer; who is the most likely to get themselves into
trouble?
Sandy Rivera is still playing for us and his album that he released on
Defected Records is called ‘Trouble’ and it is called trouble for good
reason, lets leave it at that.
What does Ibiza mean to you personally?
It still surprises me and I have a lot of good memories. You can get so
much out of the island; everybody usually concentrates so much on the
music and the hedonism and the celebrity hang out aspect of the island,
and I think that is undoubtedly a big part of the attraction but I think
that when you dig deeper and you visit some of the beaches, coves and
restaurants, it’s so much more. You can be 200 yards away from a rave and
be having the most peaceful, spiritual time and I think that’s the ying
and the yang of the island are the reasons that it’s lasted as long as it
has.
If it was just about one story to tell then I think that story has been
told but people are always discovering new things and having been going
there for twenty years, I’m still coming across beaches and locations that
are just magical. And whether it’s going to watch the sun go down at
Benirras beach on a Sunday with all the drummers or just finding a beach
that you have to yourself, with a couple of naturists wandering around for
you to chuckle at, there’s always something different going on.
Do you have a favourite spot on the island?
I’m fortunate enough to have a place in Santa Eulalia and all the beaches
on that side of the island are pretty special so I’d say Cala Martina or
Aguas Blancas. You can plop down and people just leave you to yourself,
it’s great.
Best place to grab a quick lunch?
Sa Punta on Talamanca beach
Best place to catch a sunset?
Benirras Sunday, with the drummers
Favourite Ibiza restaurant?
Es Calou, near Santa Gertrudis, I also love Casa Colonial in Santa
Eulalia.
Why do you love house music?
It’s a release; Defected at Pacha Ibiza is feel good time every Saturday
night.
DEFECTED IN THE HOUSE AT PACHA:
Pacha Ibiza
Avenida 8 de Agosto
Ibiza
t: +34 971 31 36 12
e: pachaibiza@pacha.com
w: www.pacha.com