Sankeys Full Steam Ahead For reverse

Words: Lena Kochetkova
Images: Hrvoje Slebur.

On June 6 Reverse, the infamous Spanish tech house party, celebrated its opening at Sankeys Ibiza. Last summer Reverse made their debut on the island at Vista Club and managed to make quite a statement, but then decided to relocate in the epicenter of action that is Playa d’en Bossa. This created a win-win situation: when the most British club of the island and a committed Spanish promoter joined forces, they lured a nicely mixed international crowd and enjoyed a beneficial synergy. Despite the fact that the opening took place very early in the season, it was a resounding success that hinted at a boiling hot July and August.

Reverse occupied The Lab, while the Basement was ruled by Magna Carta. The Lab this summer got a new Pioneer Pro Audio sound system that was just as loud as presupposed by the bouncy tunes that were played that night. The room was full from the get-go, and there was actually almost no build-up: Tapesh started at midnight, Waifs & Strays picked it up with frenetic enthusiasm, Simon Baker went on in the same vein, then Tube & Berger as special guests added a palpably deeper tinge and passed the baton to Robert Dietz. The key element of every set was a steady stomping beat that rolled on and on, penetrating deep into the body and becoming its new heartbeat. It’s curious that even though Vista Club at Privilege is bigger than The Lab at Sankeys, Reverse at the opening looked more focused and sounded more colossal in the latter.

If we arrange all Ibiza club nights on a scale according to people’s activity on the dancefloor (from staying nearly motionless and harking attentively to the music, to organizing a proper workout with leaps and pirouettes), Reverse will be on the top of the list. The amount of calories burnt in the room during the night was enough to provide electricity for the whole island. The difference from last summer was easily noticeable. The blue alien Rebbie, whose smiling face used to be all over Vista Club in the form of stickers, flew back to his planet and is no longer present in Ibiza. The spirit of Sankeys seemed too raw and urban for him – even the VIP area upstairs has a certain ‘illegal rave in an abandoned factory’ feeling about it. Instead, Reverse teamed up with ANTS and got the status of the official carry-on for the event at Ushuaïa. Shall we expect a surprise flashmob invasion of black morphsuits one night?

Reverse will keep on going at Sankeys for four full months, with the closing planned for September 26. During the season their line-ups will feature such names as Sasha, Kevin Saunderson, Nick Curly, Noir, Agoria, Fur Coat and many others. Since this party is very popular in mainland Spain, there is no doubt there will be people flying over to Ibiza for a weekend just to check their favourite event in its new environment. As for Sankeys regulars, they will appreciate the fresh vibes and the diversity that Reverse bring to the already forward-thinking programme of the venue.