Space forever: Remembering one of Ibiza's most iconic clubs
The club became known for progressive and on-point line-ups as well as the most open-minded dancefloor on the island
Mixmag's Ralph Moore reflects on 17-years worth of partying at the legendary Space Ibiza
When I first came to Ibiza in 1999, it was already well known that Space was the place. Home on a Sunday with Darren Hughes featured the most progressive and on-point line-ups on the island, with Sasha and Digweed playing alongside the likes of David Morales, Cassius and Erick Morillo. They’d play to the most cosmopolitan, open-minded dancefloor on the island, whereas most of the other parties catered to a mainly British crowd. It was the era of the open terrace, a time when tracks could still be dubbed terrace anthems.
I could probably write a whole chapter on those anthems but here's a short list of tracks that are synonymous with Space: Alan Braxe and Fred Falke’s ‘Running’. Silicone Soul’s ‘Right On’. Bob Sinclar’s ‘Gym Tonic’. Pete Heller’s ‘Big Love’. Into the early 2000s, classics like ‘Body Language’, ‘Mandarine Girl’ and ‘Man With Guitar’ would join the roll call. And with the inside of the venue offering a darker soundtrack, songs like 'Dark And Long' by Underworld slotted into place like hand and glove. I also remember hearing ‘King Of My Castle’ for the first time at Space. It sounded bonkers and the lyrics made no sense but the record was partially broken on the terrace and a few weeks later the track was a UK number one. Space strikes again.
Aside from Home, Manumission Carry-On was the best party at eight in the morning. Daft Punk actually played the terrace in '99, dropping Madonna's ‘Holiday’ to total elation. It was also elrow years before elrow, with parasols and fancy dress fairly de rigueur and with more fun per corner than anywhere else. And because Space at that point was open air, it was impossible to get bored of the sound of aeroplanes roaring overhead. It was actually an expected part of the Space experience.
Home, meanwhile, then morphed into We Love Sundays, a more UK-centric party where growing stars like David Guetta and Erick Morillo would play alongside Paul Woolford, Carl Craig and a young James Zabiela. "I will miss that club," wrote James this week. "It was an integral part of my education." It was also home to Hawtin for his first proper Ibiza residency, Defected's new disco party Glitterbox and Tale Of Us in 2016. It's safe to say that people are emotional that it's closing its doors.
Of course, it was Carl Cox's residency that really put Space on the map for a new generation season after season. Carl and his team forged a strong relationship with Pepe, the amiable owner of the club, and while it took the party a couple of seasons to take off, it was then a roadblock that never stopped. His closing set, live streamed to millions, will be on repeat for months and months, a testament to his musical direction, his connection with the club (he first played there on two – or maybe three – Technics in the late 80s) and his sheer charisma behind the decks.
So it's no surprise to see a roll call for the final closing on October 2 that features almost all the DJs we've touched on. Carl Cox will close proceedings of course, but the line-up also features Zabiela, Morillo, Sasha, Carl Craig and countless others whose careers were forged there. Thankfully, the new owners of Space (Ushuaia) are saying that the club won't be knocked down, but it's telling that Carl Cox decided to step down this year. It's the end of an era and right now no one knows where it will go next.
If you want a track to listen to while you prepare for closing, put on 'Summer In Space' by Cosmos, aka Tom Middleton. It's a fitting house tribute to one of the most iconic venues in the history of the island, if not the world.
Ralph Moore is Mixmag's Editor At Large. Follow him on Twitter
