He’s enjoyed a stellar debut season with his Labyrinth concept, a party that has been drawing crowds all summer long and kept Pacha Ibiza’s hallowed dance floor sizzling all the way into September. So you’d be forgiven to think that Hot Since 82 might be getting cosy on his laurels and basking in the glow of his success as the closing parties approach. Not so! Because last week, the British DJ and producer surprised us with an invite to dinner and drinks before joining him behind the scenes, giving us access all areas to the musical universe he has created.

It’s not often that you get the chance to hang out with a resident of one of the world’s most legendary clubs in the run-up to his set, so needless to say we jumped at the chance. Dinner was aptly held in the onsite eatery of Hot Since 82’s – real name Daley Padley – White Isle base, the glamorous Pacha Restaurant Ibiza, which is located within the walls of the sprawling building on the club’s terraced entrance area.

Daley was there to greet us and his other guests, looking utterly at home as he worked his way around the table to introduce himself to everyone. Welcoming, friendly and down to earth, he animatedly chatted away as we savoured the delicious Japanese cuisine that was brought to the table, which included crunchy tempura vegetables, the finest fresh sushi and mouth-watering black cod. A huge dessert platter later – Hot Since 82 says he never has pudding, result, more for us – and the DJ led us into Pacha’s garden area for pre-drinks before it was time to hit the dance floor.

And what a great night he had chosen to invite us down, with the legendary DJ Harvey and Erick Morillo joining him in the booth, an expertly curated line-up that shows Hot Since 82’s appreciation of quality house music expertly mixed by two turntable icons who are both revered for their legendary marathon sessions behind the decks. He told us, ‘I think it’s a very mature line-up, which reflects where I am musically and how long I’ve been DJing. To have some of the DJs that I used to see at Pacha when I first started coming is very exciting. They inspired me, so I think that it’s a beautiful thing that I’ve been able to invite these guys back.’

Without further ado, we followed Hot Since 82 into the maze of his labyrinth, a dark and sultry jungle fantasy inspired by Mayan and Aztec culture as well as the cult fantasy movie. With Harvey in the booth, the dance floor was already heaving as the legendary music selector warmed the crowd up for the night ahead. Playing a notch harder and at a slightly faster pace than fans of his Mercury Rising residency at Pikes Ibiza have come to expect, his set was as left field and infectious as ever, effortlessly moving from a tropical edge to a futuristic space age vibe before indulging in unadulterated disco rhythms the next minute.

When Hot Since 82 took to the decks, the club was raring to go and the energy in the room was palpable as he launched straight into an energetic and bouncy house beat that had the floor going wild. Surrounded by the exotic decorations and fierce dancers in tribal style costumes, we felt like we had been magically transported into a secret jungle rave, allowing ourselves to immerse ourselves completely into the illusion. Daley kept the bass line driving and energetic and the atmosphere was one filled with pure feel good vibes, keeping us going way longer than we should have considering we had a flight to catch just a few hours later. But we guess that’s the thing… Once you’re in the Labyrinth, it’s hard to find your way out!