The island of Ibiza is a fertile breeding ground for some of the finest dance music there is. With such legendary status, dedicated crowds and beautiful white beaches, the Balearic Island is the hottest destination for underground music fans worldwide. Now, part of the island has been prepared and readied for all to take with them across the world.
How? Might you ask. You can start with Sossa, who has condensed the island into a fine digital powder. This comes to you in the form of the Dust EP, his brand new release on Chronovision Ibiza, which features his title track single, alongside four remixes. JP Chronic, the head of the label recently stated his desire to “represent our vision of what’s really happening on the music side of things in Ibiza”. It is releases such as Dust, that bring this vision to a reality.
The EP encapsulates the sound of the island through a wealth of rolling tech-house alongside the various energies that emanate from its best clubs. One example of such clubs is DC10, which has hosted ‘Circoloco’ since 1999. Hailed as ‘the main man’ of this techno mecca, Sossa has been a revered resident since 2001. Expect to find him there, every Monday this season. Sossa, real name Alejandro di Maria, is an Italian techno producer, whose career stretches right back to 1994. Now, as one of Ibiza’s pioneering ‘deep to techno underground artists’, he sets his sights on more fresh and engaging material.
Such material can be found in the sounds of Circoloco, which emanate through Sossa’s title track of the ‘Dust’ EP. With a driving tech drum and dark acidic synth that straddles the track, Dust portrays an Ibiza in the midst of action. The listener is acquainted with a female vocal that is at once trippy and beautiful as they are led through a spacious track that is guaranteed to make an appearance across the white island this summer.
Next up is a remix by Squire, the Spaniard who has represented labels such as Global Underground, Rebellion and My Favourite Robot. With his remix of Dust, the listener is pulled into a trance like state, as the vocals take centre stage of the track and rebellious, dreamy samples bubble to the surface. Present throughout the track is a faster tech drum that allows this remix to gradually build up momentum.
With the energy building, a remix from Claude Monnet begins. The listener is hit with an acid singed baseline, along with a tech-house structure and sun-drenched vibe. Soon there is the introduction of a euphoric, chopped female vocals as the track intensifies. The acid element of this track is a winner- allowing Dust to further paint a picture of the underground Ibiza music scene and its history.
Track 4 leads to Costa Rican duo ‘Mobius Strum’, owners of the infamous Half Sea Over imprint. The team brings a signature no-nonsense techno flair to Dust. This mix should be played only by those willing to put it through the right system, loud, in order to demonstrate the true weight of this track. Strum bring a tech-heavy mix that masters a minimal sound with massive effect.
The final track comes from head honcho JP Chronic, who has teamed up with Romanian artist Gruia. This mix brings a stripped back edition of Dust, complete with rolling, groovy baseline and hard tech-house drums. This remix makes full use of percussive elements, introducing catchy hats, rave-ready kicks and snares fit to jack to. This track has steered clear of overproduction, which can too often take away from a tracks underground style.
It is because of this, that an authentic depiction of the island can be found within Sossa’s Dust collection. In large rooms, with the morning sun spread across the backs of dancers, heavy and menacing baselines grace the ears of those in attendance. Yes, this is the feeling exactly, upon listening to this EP, which takes the listener through a journey of intrigue, surreality, through to the heat of the peak of the party.
