Music tastes come and go some of which have instantaneous sweet flavours that soon become overwhelming, while others begin as a subtle tease to the pallet growing finer with age. Every summer there are a handful of tracks that get hot under the limelight until the temperature drops along with the attention they receive. In contrast to this there are house and techno tracks that have never reached that pinnacle of popularity but remain as fresh now as they were the decade before. The latter is an accomplishment I'm sure all labels aim to achieve though very few have. At this point you may think I am going to reveal the a-z of secrets on how to build this longevity within your music but I am afraid you may need to speak to 'Zip' or 'Villalobos' about that one.
Throughout the styles beneath the house and techno umbrella there are major differences in the crowd they attract, the atmosphere they set and the content they contain. It is not my aim to convince you that one style is better than the other, the way people judge music should be personal opinion. Though this brings me to a point I would like to highlight which I will use Ibiza as an example. Many people travel to the white isle every summer some go for the weather, some for the music whereas others go purely and simply to party. The latter are more susceptible to the handful of tracks I mentioned previously that get overplayed to the point they become the soundtrack of the season. Promoters and DJs alike attract this crowd with loop-ridden big drops, intense energy and hooky melodic and vocal phrases perfect for the average partygoer. The kind of music that if it gave orders would scream "Dance for me puppets" and while everyone at the party may have a great time, house and techno veterans would perhaps question its content.
On the flip side Ibiza also offers the wisest wax wielding ‘senseis’ that educate all that are lucky enough to experience the art of the poly-rhythm. The most accomplished are usually those who interweave forgotten vintage with unreleased secrets in a journey of highs, lows and timeless moments. Intricate grooves with incidental delights, these are the compositions that ooze longevity. The phrase 'Hungry for the power' I'm sure is more familiar to most than 'The riverbed' is. Though each are perfect examples of the two opposing contents I aim to convey. Hungry for the power (Jamie Jones Ridge Street Remix) was so huge in the summer of 2011 that it was played in possibly every venue in Ibiza at some point if not regularly, whereas it is not a track you would expect to hear in a credible DJs set again anytime soon. The riverbed (Baby Ford & Zip) is a track released in 2007 and not one that may be instantly recognisable but certainly one that is as relevant today as it was when released.
I’ve often wondered if the Perlon roster had a 'delorean' or picked up on some sign or signal from a future race then realised that both of them thoughts were absurd to say the least. The conclusion I have reached is that they spent a long time experimenting with rhythmic progressions, timbral developments and precise arrangement techniques until they had the skill to hand sculpt sonic masterpieces. There is a certain artistic quality that the collective achieved both individually and as a united entity. Though no matter how timeless these compositions are there is still a large responsibility that lies with the DJ in order for them to create a truly timeless moment, after all owning and mixing Perlon vinyl does not make you Villalobos and replicating production techniques of other producers does not make you a good producer never mind a great one.
Creating timeless moments is a skill very few producers and DJs have. It is one thing beat-matching two tracks while harmonically and rhythmically mixing them but a whole different plateau captivating each and every soul in the audience to the point they hang on your every movement. I have experienced some unbelievable moments on dance-floors that hint at the moments I speak of though still believe the best is yet to happen. Production wise I think the past few years of Romanian exports is the closest I have ever heard to being as original as the Perlon back catalogue and witnessing 'a:rpia:r' mix recently gives me the feeling that the trio are only just getting started on their own global conquest. So the talent is certainly out there and of course there are others who possess this also that I have not mentioned.
So how do we experience these timeless moments if we are not sure when or where they are going to happen or who is going to create them? I unfortunately don't have these answers though I do have suggestions for each of them. They will happen when they are meant to happen, if you are meant to experience one of these jaw-dropping sets from a DJ that makes you hold your bladder until the point of realising your shoes are wet then you will. Though having a heads up on people to keep an eye on will help.
I can only speak form personal opinion but the closest I have come to one of these moments was listening to a guy called 'Isherwood' at Corsica Studios at a party called ‘Whitejail’, there’s no point of me explaining what he was playing or how it made me feel because sometimes there is just no words that do justice to explain moments and the chemical reactions they cause.
As for where these moments are most likely to happen I would suggest ‘Sunwaves’ 16 as the sun sets or ‘Panorama Bar’ as the blinds open and allow the rays of sun to repel the darkness. But who knows they could happen at ‘Sankeys’ Ibiza as I'm sure they already could have this summer, judging by some of the line ups they have gracing there booths.
I am personally going to keep searching for these moments while enjoying every experience along the way, whether I find what I am looking for or realise one day that I have been searching for fool’s gold this is not up to me, as like I previously mentioned "if you are meant to experience one you will".
Written by Michael Ainsworth
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