Last night one of Ibiza’s coolest cult parties entered its third summer on the White Isle with an opening that saw the iconic Pikes Ibiza bursting at the seams. With two successful – and critically acclaimed – seasons at the mischievous party palace already under his belt, the excitement surrounding DJ Harvey’s Mercury Rising concept is far from waning. In fact, as he returned in his new role as Pikes’ Cultural Attaché and on the brink of releasing a Mercury Rising compilation, the buzz surrounding the man and myth that is DJ Harvey is bigger than ever.
When we arrived at the relatively modest ‘witching hour’ – that’s midnight – the sprawling finca looked particularly enticing bathed in the silver light of the full moon and the car park was already packed, a steady stream of revellers trickling in from all corners of the island. Trying to make our way to the dancefloor via the festival-style backyard with its quirky decorations, comfortable beds to lounge on and garden shed bar, we spotted many a familiar face from the industry – including fellow Pikes resident Artwork – and Ibiza’s eclectic, music-loving community mingling in the al fresco space.
Lured inside by the leisurely, deep and utterly irresistible house beats that came drifting out of the infamous Freddie’s Suite, newly revamped this summer with a brand new sound and lighting system, and – thank the heavens – air conditioning, we… hit a human traffic jam. With Harvey playing all night long, many had gone against the Balearic tradition of arriving late and decided to hit the dance floor early to maximise the fun and make the most of the soon to be very limited space. “I have been waiting for this moment for 11 months,” one enthusiastic disco princess clad in shimmering white sequins and tasselled shoulder pads told us as we shared a boogie in front of the booth.
As we have come to learn from the previous two year’s of dancing our nights away at Mercury Rising, again, there was no need to even remotely try to reduce Harvey’s set to a distinct genre or even guess what tempo, era or vibe would be up next. Named one of ’25 DJs Who Rule The Earth’ by Rolling Stone magazine and dubbed ‘the DJs’ DJ’, Harvey has gained living legend status thanks to his epic and unpredictable mixes and eclectic sound, all effortlessly blended for one hell of a sexy, feel-good soundtrack.
Mercury Rising doesn’t need a big production, fierce dancers or high-tech special effects; it’s a party that draws crowds because they love the music, and they love Harvey. Returning to his home on the White Isle last night, the man himself looked so utterly relaxed and at ease in the booth at Freddie’s, we felt like we were having an impromptu dance in his living room at a house party that has gone slightly out of control.
Closely reading the audience at any moment, he took us on a sonic trip that effortlessly arched from exotic Brazilian Nu Disco tracks to melodramatic ‘80s pop rock via minimal German electro beats – a feat not many can pull off, but Harvey did it with ease and charm. Likewise, most of the revellers paid attention to little else than the icon behind the decks, totally mesmerised and greeting every expertly cut-in sample or teased break with a roar. The legendary master mixer will be holding court at Pikes Ibiza every Monday until the closing on September 25th, and we can’t wait to lose ourselves in his mesmerising musical universe again!
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