As the international hype surrounding award-winning DJ and producer Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, better known by his stage name Black Coffee, continues to build and build, last night the Hï Ibiza resident was given the honour of cutting the ribbon on the superclub’s second season by opening up the Playa d’en Bossa party palace for the 2018 summer.

The hotly anticipated night also marked the first of the South African star export’s self-titled shows at the state-of-the-art venue as he begins the consecutive year of his residency following a stellar debut in 2017. And it turned out to be a justified vote of confidence from the Hï Ibiza crew as the skilful music master transformed the up until recently only moderately busy strip outside the club into a bustling street scene that seemed straight out of high season August.

With the sleek white Hï Ibiza logo illuminating the dark night sky and the warm glow of the tipis peaking out amidst the palm trees of the Secret Garden, the ever-so-stylish crowds arrived from all corners of the island in their finery, their excitement palpable in the balmy May evening. And with a carefully curated roster of international turntable talent that included &Me, Audiofly, Blond:ish, Guy Mantzur, Mandar, Salomé and Serge Devant awaiting across two rooms, as well as new Saturday night Club hosts Housekeeping, Wild Corner favourites Melon Bomb and, of course, the man himself, there was absolutely no time to waste.

Salomé was up first in the cavernous Theatre, Hï Ibiza’s futuristic and spacious main room, which had been decorated with lush green foliage dangling from the ceiling for the occasion, with the unique LED installation called ‘The Twist’ covered in a galaxy of stars to mesmerising effect as colourful lasers in rich reds, ambers and greens cut through the dark. Having only made her White Isle debut last year, the talented sound curator was giving it her all during an intense but beautifully composed set. She was followed by &Me, who led us further into the night with deep, driving beats.

As the club began to fill up ever further, excited partygoers were visibly enjoying rediscovering this stylish adult playground, with its two beautiful outdoor areas and many hidden surprises. Skipping between rooms, we followed our ears into the more intimate confines of the Club, which will be hosted by London party brand Housekeeping for each night of Black Coffee’s Saturday residency. Greeted by a deep, vibrating bassline and distorted vocals that sounded as eerie as they were exotic, people appeared in a voodoo-style trance as they lost themselves in the music.

With the purposefully hazy lighting and tropical plants dangling from the ceiling, we felt like we had entered a far-flung nightly jungle, the effect enhanced by tribal elements like drums and chants echoing across the room. The Housekeeping crew looked utterly at ease in their new White Isle home as they went B2B for their official Hï Ibiza ‘housewarming’, with gems such as a clever remix of A-Ha classic The Sun Always Shines On TV set to electronic birdsong pulling us back onto the dancefloor every time we so much as they tried to leave.

As the night marched on, it was time for our gracious host to step behind the decks in the Theatre for a tasty three-hour solo set. Known for his sophisticated genre-traversing approach to his sets, Black Coffee began on an upbeat and infectious house tip marked by elegantly teased builds, one of which was so emotive and intense it made the hairs on our arms stand up. It was a sheer pleasure watching the South African maestro play, his demeanour graceful and cool yet, at the same time, visibly loving every single beat and bouncing along behind the decks.

With Hï Ibiza’s spectacular light system firing off a myriad of thin, geometric laser shapes into the dark, and the majestic dancers in their fierce costumes throwing shapes on the podiums, the overall effect was mind-blowing. As we approached the small hours of the night, Black Coffee gathered pace with galloping basslines and minimal, isolated sound shards on a more tech house edge echoing off the walls. Needless to say, the room was packed with a captivated audience, intently watching the master mixer.

For us, no visit to Hï Ibiza is complete without a trip to the Wild Corner, and with the Melon Bomb crew on deck duty we couldn’t resist a quick visit to this secret third room every time we passed it. Founding members Scott Gray and Paul Reynolds were entertaining the heaving space with a dirtier and more driving take on the funky and soulful house sound you might hear during other Melon Bomb parties, whipping revellers into a frenzy of happiness. Watching the two friends and collaborators in the booth together, it’s impossible not to get swept up in their infectious energy as they drop one tune after the next – and near on impossible to leave. Eventually, though, our tired party feet reluctantly wandered towards the exit, excited to see what awaits next Saturday!