Oh well, I was about to find out…

Heading on a train journey to Gatwick Airport to meet Ray to take the next flight to Ibiza was a great journey – its so happened that the day I left, the worldwide edition of DJ MAG hit the shelves – I have religiously followed DJ mag my whole life, and this one was VERY special, it had my remix of Goldfish – Soundtracks & Comebacks on the mix, I didn’t believe it until I had it in my hands! OH MY FUCK! What a feeling! This was DEFINITELY the start of one good trip!

Getting on the plane, Ray and I headed off into the Sunset, we met an Indian/ Australian vegetarian lady who was also flying to Ibiza and was an old Hippy and tried to keep feeding us Carrots, Humus & chick pea falafel Balls… 

anyway..

Touchdown (you have landed in Ibiza) The plane goes wild! Everyone literally stood up and started clapping – what a feeling! I forgot to mention i Chris Lake (who i brought out to tour South Africa before) and Sander Klienenberg were on the same flight! So we chatted and I gave them some new productions… AWESOME!

Right, border control (luckily i have an EU passport so everything was cool) Get in the car, go to the flat, Get showered, dressed and ready for Pacha With The Swedish House Mafia With Axwell, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Special Guest… Chris Lake & Sarah Main… I got schooled quickly in terms of club promotions… The theme this year for the SHM is The Dark Forest so the whole club is dressed up like a dark forest with Transvestites, midgets, decor and madness all around you! There is also a WOLF Mirror ball that was especially created that rotates on the dance floor! Too amazing, Plus loads of merchandise – T-Shirts, vests, caps & more! We were there until 2am and then it was off to THE greatest nights & club nights in the WORLD… Cocoon @ Amnesia, the night has been running for 10 seasons now and this night was especially special as it featured the one & only (drum roll please) RICHIE HAWTIN! Plus JOSH WINK< FRANK LOBER and the almighty Cocoon legend himself SVEN VATH! HOLY FUCK! WHAT A NIGHT! the club was filled to capacity (8 000 people) with a 10 000 people que outside.. ON A MONDAY NIGHT! Yup! Entering the club you are hit with the most amazing feeling of energy, good music & international style, rhythm it is impossible to beat! We quickly make our way to the VIP terrace where i buy a round of drinks… 50 Euros for 2 Vodka Dry Lemon (YUP, that’s R700 for 2 drinks) but so worth it, you dont really need to drink that much as the music and vibe is so hot it keeps you SO occupied from start to finish! We moved around the main room to the terrace and listened to all the DJs… Although, there can only be one of the night… RICHIE HAWTIN>>> YOU ARE THE FUCKING KING OF KINGS! The most incredible set of techno music on the terrace i have ever heard! Last year i saw Ricardo Villalobos killing it but this year Hawtin absolutely SMASHED it! Wink was also amazing and played a great new rendition of higher state of consciousness (Wink was the first DJ i saw at a rave @ Sperminator in JHB 15 years ago) 7 AM… Time to go home! I hit the sack like a tom of bricks and wake up around noon.

We had a couple of meetings lined up that day, 1 @ Pacha and the second at a remote & private beach where we did a recee for Goldfish’s next gig, the beach is incredible & the last party that was there featured Groove Armada, we were met by a very cool Australian women and her 3 year old kid named Mila who have been living on the island for 4 years and runs a concierge type website offering Europeans options to do things on the island. So that was what the party was for… 

A good meeting all round… then time to get some groceries for the house, head back & meet Dom & Dave @ The Flat, Dom got his beautiful new stand up bass… Very Nice! 

That night we took things pretty easy… Dom & i went to hit IBIZA ROCKS to go and see the Enemy perform Live – what a great English band! They rocking the Europe Circuit & about to about to blow up world wide… LOOK OUT! Ibiza Rocks is a hotel in the middle of Ibiza that hosts live shows every night of the wee with the world biggest bands! The crowd is very young but fun (it was like being at a matric Rage) Loads of beer & madness,.. good fun! Dom and i had a good long chat and then headed off to Roger Sanches’s pre party @ Cafe Mambo – my favorite beach bar… It’s also Pacha’s pre-party chosen destination venue for all the DJs, so each night of the week they will have the DJs playing gat the clubs, doing a warm up @ Mambo… Cafe Del Mar, is really a well marketed CD release, the bar is nothing special really, Mambo Kicks it’s ass! What a cool evening! Then we headed off to see Fedde Le Grand’s Night New Life @ Pacha… Not impressed, Fedde is a good DJ but the night is lame, technically he is very good but tune selection is outdated and the response not great, im quiet intrigued how he got the night actually and will be interested to see if he gets it next year again… Personally i think there should be a Goldfish Submerged Tuesday’s night instead…

Early night and off to bed…

Wake up around noon again (body clock is set that way by now) and off to the fish shack… THE best place on Talamanca to get lunch! We shared 3 meals between Dom, Ray & Myself, Tuna, SeaBass & SeaBream. All Amazing! we swam in the ocean directly outside the restaurant, had an amazing lunch and ended it off with a HierBoss each (a local Ibizan shot … very nice) then we had to to get back to the flat to get ready for the Blue Marlin Gig! The Blue Marlin is voted the number 1 beach bar in the world and i understand why now, the most beautiful people i have ever seen , the most beautiful settin g, the music & sunset just right (wished the lady was with me) anyway a couple of mojitos & Hierbos and we good to go! Goldfish KILLED the show! We even had some Durbanites front row with Saffa flags flying high and screaming with cheers & love! After that was the night Jezzebel, which is Jade Jagger’s night (Mick Jaggers night)  because it was a full moon, she throws these exclusive parties… WOW WHAT A FUCKING NIGHT!

Then, back to the flat… Get Showered & get ready for my last night on the island @ Pacha with… ERICK MORILLO, FRANKIE KNUCKLES, GOLDFISH & SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM… Watch out, its gonna be a large one!

We arrive around 2 am, Goldfish is on @ 2:30 in the Global room, then Sneaky Sound System, Frankie Knuckles is playing in the main room and then Erick Morillo on @ 3:30 in the main room.  The Global room was quiet before Goldfish came on but within 2 songs the place was full and everyone was going bananas, like the they were playing in Kirstenbocsh or Sun Coast casino. Frankie Knuckles was playing an awesome Defected/ Subliminal style big room House set, we went onto the terrace with Mark Netto & Andy BAxter, Met Daisy (James Blunt sister) & had a couple of pots, the weather warm and the music was great! 

It was now about 3:45, Morillo had just started so we went to visit him, the place was going off, he is an incredible party DJ and knows exactly how to play to the masses, the tunes were big and a obvious but smack on the money and the way Morillo delivers each mix reminds me of Stevie Wonder on the piano, a truly awesome showman!  

A Lot of the time I was hanging out with Pacha resident DJ & touring DJ Andy Baxter, Mark Netto, The Fishes & a couple of Saffa mates

We danced around for a while, hooked up with some more Saffa’s, had a couple of pots and by that point it was about 6:45… club closing @ 7. 1 last tune and Morillo cleans up proper! I have a good chat to him after the show and we chatted about the CT gigs we did, nice to have a common ground, I spoke to him about our productions and he’s keen to listen which is always a step in the right direction! Mental Not ‘ Email Erick ASAP’

Right,

Time to head on home.. What a great night! Where is Goldfish & Ray? Oh Shit, they left 20 minutes ago because they couldn’t find me, luckily we live a 10 minute walk from the club, now the tricky part is… Left or right?! Shit, left lets go! It took me a 20 minute walk in the wrong direction to eventually realize I was very wrong, changed direction and headed in the right direction 30 minutes later It was like a lazer beam had struck! Dum Dum Dum… our flat! I remember Ray mentioning he had left the keys somewhere, but where?! Anyway let me knock and knock and ring the bell bell 1,2, 3 ,4 !! OPEN THE DOOR! Shit… the wrong person opened her door, our neighbor, this grumpy old Spanish women opened up from next door and started screaming at me in Spanish, I have no idea what she was saying, but she was pissed! Really pissed! Eventually Ray opened the door, thank the lord! I thought that mad Spanish women was going to beat me with a broom stick!

Time to sleep!

Last day in Ibiza, woke up around 3am, checking some mails, doing some blogging, twitter and all the other social shit and getting ready to hit The Old Town for a spot of Lunch & shopping before i have to hit the airport @ 8PM to catch my 11PM flight.

Old Town was great, caught the classic ferry from outside Café Sidney, which is around the corner from the flat. The Ferry ride is a beautiful little trip on the ocean from Talamanca to the old town, whilst on the boat you get to see all these multi million euro boats & lifestyle, it truly is something and then in the distance you see the old town, the first time you see it, it is like something out of Raiders of the lost ark from the distance but once you get to this sleepy, yet very sexy little town you are welcomed to the town loads of choices, from mad club stores selling tickets, CDs, clothing, other paraphernalia and more. Or you an enjoy a lunch (after the siesta of course, which is around 2 – 5PM).. That means between those hours no one is around, all the shops close, everybody takes a nap and gets ready for the next shift which starts at 5 or 6 and ends @ 5 or 6 am. The island life truly is amazing and just after 3 days you already get to feel it is perfectly normal to live like this.

I bought loads of good touristy stuff: A hat, dress, shorts, fans & clothes for the wife, a gift for my sister & music, DVD’s and a shirt for myself… all of course club related goodies.

The Ibiza trip for me is now the second year, I feel it’s important to come here and see what is happening in the world of international dance music in the heart of it all. The clubs, DJs, lifestyle, culture & everything attached to it is something that I feel I have been studying for my whole life but nothing in the world can prepare you for Ibiza the first time you hit that island, luckily, it was the second time, so the carnage was definitely reined in a bit and It gave me the chance to meet some incredible DJs, promoters, club owners & now new friends. I understand the business side of the island a whole lot more now and WOW there is PROPER money if you get it right. I have no plans on retiring to Ibiza anytime soon, although a good break for inspiration, good music, sun, sea, amazing food and world class clubbing I think I can handle once a year

Big up to the fishes & Ray for hosting me! Muchos Gracius Amigos! As I said and you can quote me from here on out… 1 year from now Goldfish WILL be headlining major UK festivals, as long as the boys keep their ear to the ground, their warmth, humbleness, hard work and stick to their guns, I don’t see anything stand in their way.  Good luck Fishies! You deserve it all! Look out for a sneaky new remix by the way out soon…

Just got back to London, got a cab ride with a very cool Jewish guy named Mike, told me his one kid is a genius studying in Cambridge & the other just got nicked for selling ecstasy in a club… We spoke about travels and bits and bobs, turned out to be a good guy and decent cab ride home, right…  lets see where my road will go next!

dj

Gonna be INSANE!

As soon as this e flyer made it to the web my phone and inbox went crazy! i never realised what incredible support there was in london until now! WOW! The gig was off the hook! packed to capacity! ROCKING crowd! beautiful people! felt like i was back home!

I went down to the gig with family which is always nice… my little sister and her boyfriend and their house mates came to support we had a table there where we met other friends – there was about 20 of us, so it was nice to have our own posse big up to all the support DJs and Michael @ Maya for making the gig so special! BIG up guys! what a party!!!!

Looking forward to round 2…

I host a party @ Ministry Of Sound every 2 – 3 months or so, in the past i have hosted nights with Bob Sinclar, Roger Sanchez & loads more! This time round we kicking it with another ALL STAR Line up with The Defected Records, ShapeShifters, Terry Farley, Junior Boys Own & more! 

Get ready for one Looooong night!!

Josh, Clem & Myself then headed off to MOS… we got a bit rowdy on the way there  As we arrived there was a que to the end of the block! it was great to stroll down the artists entrance pass and stroll straight up to the front! The club was RAMMMED!!! We shot off to have a cople of drinks in the VIP room , hooked up with our SA posse of Ryan Dent, Tamara Dey, Lady Lea, Craig Massiv & an entourage of people to go rock our floor! Which we did until the wee hours!! 

As the club was closing we almost landed up at fabric but made a smart move to smoke a cigar and head on home   

Wow what a night! I must be honest after the ibiza trip i was slightly fragile and the last thing i felt like was doing a 5 hour club set but the second i got on i was @ home! Amika won best club of 2008 in the London Club Awards 2008! ITs super sexy! like something straight out of a GQ shoot! The crowd is very exclusive and this night was no different!

I ripped it, without trying to sound too arrogant -i properly tore that place apart! 5 hours of killer house music did the job just right! in fact after the night the manager, owner and GM came up to me and said that i was the best DJ to ever play the club!!! jesus, what an honor!

not bad for a kid from Louis Botha, Orange Grove…

Then off to Zombies ate my brain at The LightBox – What a great underground venue to play good techno music! WOW! The lighting in the club is incredible, it has an LED Roof and Walls on the dance floor which is controlled to literally create another world on the dance floor! WANT ONE FOR HOME! My set only got a full floor about half way as it was an early one and i had to shoot off to play Ministry Of Sound! Feel very privelaged to have played the night & having shared the decks with MATTHEW DEAR AKA AUDION! Big up Shane Watcha! Keep rocking it!

Josh, Clem & Myself then headed off to MOS we got a bit rowdy on the way there As we arrived there was a que to the end of the block! it was great to stroll down the artists entrance pass and stroll straight up to the front! The club was RAMMMED!!! We shot off to have a cople of drinks in the VIP room , hooked up with our SA posse of Ryan Dent, Tamara Dey, Lady Lea, Craig Massiv & an entourage of people to go rock our floor! Which we did until the wee hours!!

As the club was closing we almost landed up at fabric but made a smart move to smoke a cigar and head on home  

Today had a proper SA Braai with my sister, her boyfriend and a whole bunch of mates plus a mate of mine, Shuan Karpelowsky who i havent seen in 11 years came to visit! Caught up on some good times!

Last couple of days in London after Ibiza and feeling slightly tender to say the least but you gotta keep on keeping on, London can be a very big and very small place at the same time! Plus getting everything done in 3 days before i head on back home means i got a lot of shopping, clubbing to do & loads of people to see! 

Sunday night… Let’s hit the East! 93 Feet East to be exact – what a killer club to go to on a Sunday Afternoon, the place was rammed and we were there from 4pm, the club was filled with clubbers from the night before, fresh ravers, fashionatas, industry people & general cool heads – the sound track was deep house & techno – Heaven i tell you! The scene was sweaty, cool, trendy & underground all at the same time, i met my mate Mowgli there who has his studio accross the road and shares the studio space with Slo & The Zombie Disco Squad, the guys are ripping it proper! The east is definitely the cooler part of london, all the hottest parties & DJs come from here & generally the promoters pick up on the parties here to get them to promote in bigger clubs, bigger rooms and festivals.  The east is super cool! Banksy does a lot of his art there – in fact there is one of his works there that is car with a massive concrete ball on it! awesome! There is even a club called public life that holds 150 people & is a converted public toilet in the east – too fucking cool

Loved that session – havent danced like that in a whole, the music so spot on and inspiring its scary! After a good couple of tequilas & beers, we decided to hit a local indian joint for dinner – verrrry nice!

My set reads some thing like this so far…

1. House Of Rhumba – Jam Mix 6:05 Vega House Of Rhumba House

2. Din daa daa (acapella) 3:06

3. Michel cleis – La mezcla (original mix) 12:16

4. You Have To Dance (Mathias Kaden’s Beatpolka rMx)

5. Flauta Magica (Original Mix)

6. Spanglish (Original Mix) 8:04 Minimorph Other

7. La Palma (Original Mix) 7:49 Alex Celler

8. Saxtrack (Reboot Twisted Fist Remix) 8:00 Sebo K & Metro Saxtrack House

9. La Conga – Original Mix 6:56 Riva Starr La Conga Other 1 31/07/2009 20:56

10. How Do I Know?! – Original Mix 7:04 Loco Dice 7 Dunham Place Other

11.Indian Spice (Markus Wesen Remix) 8:13 Ben Anders Indian Spice EP Techno

12. The Zulu Zombie Master 6:39 6 22/06/2009 11:46

13. Stimming – Una Pena 8:07 1 27/03/2009 18:06

14. TrentMoller – Yes Ma’am 7:26

15. Shades Of Jae 6:56 Moodymann Shades Of Jae House 2 10/06/2009 21:34

16. Rose Rouge – Vocal Edit 8:35 Analog People In A Digital World Rose Rouge 35 1 24/07/2009 11:44

17. Cry All Night – Original Mix 6:29 Daniel Steinberg Cry All Night Tech House

18. Border Line 6:09 Yann Solo borderline House

19. Dog Days (DJ Sneak 420 Dog Mix) 6:27 Matthew Dear Dog Days  Incl Chris Carrier Remixes House 1 20/07/2009 16:38

20. Volviendo Loco (Original Mix) 6:19 Alex Kenji Volviendo Loco House 2 03/07/2009 17:31

21. Up (Original Mix) 6:11 Alex Kenji House 1 02/03/2009 10:54

22. Swahili Song – Original Mix 8:15 Libex, Marshall Black Conga Tech House

23. Amazzonia (David Tort Remix) 8:33 Giorgio Giordano House 1 02/03/2009 12:44

Saturday 22 August

The Bank, Rosebank, Johannesburg!

Shaun Duvet & Euphonik in the house!

with special guests:

Milkshake

SPHEctacula

Franky

Doors open: 21h00

Dress smart!