Ibiza is an island that means a lot to me. I moved to Berlin in 2009, but I spent 11 magical years there beforehand, where I moved shortly after I finished my studies. It’s where I started to DJ, where I ran a record store and where I founded my label, Vinyl Club. In 2008, Andre Aureli aka DJ Adicto, the owner of the Trim label where i recently released my Unsocial Media EP, became my partner in the record store. So submitting this feature was a lovely trip down memory lane for me in many ways. I hope you enjoy my guide to one of the best islands on the planet!
Favourite club: Ibiza Underground
My first club residency in Ibiza was in Space’s Red Box at the La Comunidad party, and I also played at DC10 during the club’s golden period around 2006 too. But it’s at Underground where I truly found my “home” as a DJ.
Its owner, resident DJ and a close friend of mine, Don Juanito founded the club with his brother for only one reason: their love for music. This really makes the difference. It has a musical identity and is a very welcoming club and a welcome contrast to the commercial clubs elsewhere on the island.
Alongside Andrea I threw the first Vinyl Club nights ever at Underground around 2005, with DJs such as Petre Inspirescu, Sossa and System of Survival. The last time I visited the island around 5 years ago was to play with my friend Don at Underground alongside Funk E and a whole load other Ibiza usual suspects for the closing of the club, which is always a special event.
Favourite beach: Cala d’ Albarca
It’s so hard to pick only one beach here! After all, Ibiza is full of hidden micro-paradises, pine trees, forests, hard-to-access beaches, caves, private properties etc. where raves of all kind of sizes used to take place until around 2004, when the authorities decide to intervene!
One of those hidden gems is Cala D’ Albarca, close to the village of San Mateu, where I myself threw some memorable birthday raves. The beach itself is pretty hard to access and there is a little cave and a drinkable water spring there too. Up the cliff is where the parties happen, a green open space surrounded by pine trees and rare bird species. Magical.
Favourite Coffee shop : Hostal del Parque
The terrasse of the Hostal del Parque is situated on the Plaza del Parque in Ibiza town, right between Vara de Rey and the medieval walls of Dalt Villa. It is nice to escape the heat and traffic of the city center to hang out in the shade and relaxing atmosphere of the square, witch is also a meeting point where island residents love to hang out all year round.
Fave record store: MTM Ibiza / Vinyl Club
Nowadays, I believe a new record store called MTM is doing a great job of importing underground labels to the island. But it is hard for me to talk about Ibiza record stores without mentioning Vinyl Club, which I ran with Andrea of Trim Records. Not only was it the largest vinyl record space ever opened in Ibiza that was totally dedicated to underground sounds, but it was also an important meeting point for similarly-minded DJs and producers and the perfect conditions to start new creative projects; my own label, Vinyl Club being one of the consequences of the great creative energy happening there at that time
Fave restaurant: “Just Fish” / “Els Bigotes”
Another hard question and almost impossible to pick just one! Ibiza is full of amazing restaurants but today, let’s go for fish! “Just Fish” is one of the best such restaurants on the island. Located in Marina Botafoc, apart from being old friends of Andrea and mine, it’s hosted some of the island’s best known names for some time now.
Let’s also mention “El Bigotes”, hidden between the rocks of Cala Mastella, the freshest fish which is cooked in the island most traditional way, right above the crystal clear water of the sea, between old traditional fishermen huts. I’ll have to get back to Ibiza soon!
Luc Ringeisen’s Unsocial Media (featuring a remix by Lorenzo Chiabotti) is out now via Trim Records. Buy/listen to the release here
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