Cream Goes Above And Beyond

Words: Al Krastev
Images: James Alexander Chapman

Fresh after a big 21st birthday bash last week, Cream proves it needs no occasion to shake up the Thursday party scene. With superstars like Above & Beyond and Eric Prydz headlining the two large party spaces, Amnesia shows its unique ability to consistently reach full capacity, drawing thousands of fun-loving trance and progressive house fans.

Just after one o’clock the spacious club is still building to capacity, but with the progressive upbeat tempo of Andy Mac in the terrace it’s not long before it gets there. It is only a massive blue wash through the smoke that illuminates us rocking to the prolonged slowdowns, only to get us bursting in screams at the reintroduction of the beat. All the fans are abuzz in conversation, as we get ready to welcome Pete Tong as early as 1:30. Soon enough the terrace is so full that the first shot of the ice cannon could not be better timed to cool down the overheating fans. In the mix there are multiple drops of disco with memorable choruses that encourages the floor to automatically sing along. The terrace feels even tighter when the ceiling of glowing LED lights that change colours drops almost low enough for the tallest to touch it, encapsulating us in an intense chamber of spotlights, lazers and pulsing neon colours. The room fills up yet further in anticipation for Eric Prydz, who finally he comes out to a completely silent dance floor, swollen in red washes.

The beat is immediately picked up with a heavy remix of Big Arthur, which swiftly changes into a deeper mix of other well-known house tunes. It has us all zoning out to a spectacular lazer show and music beckoning the shufflers to show their skills. With the entrancing strobe lights and visuals on one side and the DJ himself on the other, it is hard to choose where to look and which way to dance, so many of us look spellbound, as we carry on dancing in circles. The terrace remains busy, even if each of us gets to claim a bit more dancing space through the morning and you can see it is the real fun-thirsty folk that stick around as more and more smiles can be seen through Eric Prydz’s set. In the meantime, the main room holds its own, packed as Grum delivers a very upbeat and uplifting mix of trance right from the start. Above & Beyond make their appearance right at 2:00 to very loud welcoming cheers from the floor, clearly delighted that their favourites have arrived.

Above & Beyond greet us with ‘Hello Ibiza’ in big letters on the large screen right behind them, which only serves to fire the crowd up further. Their characteristic, uplifting build-ups have more and more of us flocking to the dancefloor until we end up singing the first vocals in the mix tonight – ‘Get your sticky finger out of my head’. Above & Beyond proceed to take the complete room on a twisting journey through melodic synths, driving basslines, infectious choruses, the culmination of which was a mass karaoke session on their own ‘On A Good Day’. Shortly after 4 o’clock the DJ booth in the main room is taken over by Cosmic Gate who keep up the fast pace with a mix of electronic classics from the likes of Sandstorm as well an array of more recent tracks. This holds us properly entranced, the neon wash of the lighting washing across a packed floor as yet another amazing Cream Ibiza party hurtles towards conclusion. With Eric Prydz consistently switching the tempo in the terrace and a progressive closing by Ilan Bluestone in the main room, Cream has us going until long after sunrise. It’s not difficult to understand why this has been one of the most prominent parties on the island for over two decades, as the throngs burst out of the door into the bright sunlight, albeit a little reluctantly, chat has already turned to next week’s episode!