The magical hedonistic party island of Ibiza has seen numerous change over the years and 2018 see’s Sven Vath‘s Cocoon in their new home at Pacha after a longstanding residency at Amnesia after 19 years. So, how did Sven’s prolific techno brand merge with the glam and cleanliness of Pacha? It’s Wednesday night on 20th May and the hype of the grand opening has climaxed and as expected on arrival all three queues to the venue reflected this. Two forked off either side of the entrance similar in length, then a tiny side queue. Assuming and hoping the smaller queue was press pass we walked on up to it only to be ushered into the longer PR queue. Shortly after which, my partner in crime decided the previous nights on the island had taken their toll so decided to go back to the hotel. Rather than let this dampen my mood I kept my ears open for English voices, and sure enough within minutes I was adopted by two couples, one of which was their first time in Pacha.
Approaching the front of the queue it was apparent this was a well organised event, security was a strong presence but not threatening as clubbers were greeted with lots of smiles from the many staff at the doors. Once I was through security my impression was that this was a different kind of club to any that I have been to before. It had the feel of a taverna somehow with brilliant white walls, blue mosaic tiles and terracotta tiles underfoot which at this point I could hear the subtle undertones of Âme warming up for Sven.
As we all made it in we headed straight to the terrace which on first impression was a really nice place to be. Plenty of places to sit, lots to look at and well laid out with plants dotted about between the three bars. The atmosphere was hard to judge because the music was quiet and people were chatting amongst themselves. With drinks in hand we decided enough was enough and it was time to get amongst it heading though what seemed to be a maze of tunnels and came out on a glass fronted balcony. There was people dotted around on little kind of stage block dance floors bopping away while the rest were simply watching the proceedings from the two balconies.
We headed down stairs through the crowd into a prime position in front of the DJ box. The sound was good but you could hear yourself and hold a conversation quite easily. Personally, I would have preferred it louder. At this point Kristian Beyer who was flying solo as Âme tonight was drawing to a close with appreciation from the crowd down on the dance floor but from what I picked up not much from anywhere else although, Pacha is quite a big venue so couldn’t judge the far corners of the club, to which there are many.
As Sven came out and greeted Âme there was a big cheer and they both embraced each other like old friends. Sven was in high spirits and opened proceedings acknowledging the crowd. His opening track went down a treat. His set built really well and played some absolute bangers, couple that together with the dancers and the ice cannons the atmosphere down the front was electric. One thing that did strike me was the club itself seemed almost too clean and too untouched. An environment I wouldn’t normally associate a Cocoon event with. The branding on the night was very similar to Cocoon in the Park with the Cocoon rings suspended from above and the large Cocoon lettering above the DJ booth with dancers all in a line.
Dana Ruh and Dorian Paic two names synonymous with Cocoon and regulars at Amnesia throughout previous seasons were on duty in a very intimate room two which you would previously know as Pachacha. Unfortunately not much time was spent away from the main room as the show was all about Sven. My Impression of the opening night of cocoon at Pacha in a nutshell is.. I think it is going to evolve into something special but will take time. The people in there weren’t sure what to make of it albeit the ones who knew exactly what they were in for may have been slightly let down by the club as the atmosphere which had built so well down at the front from my perspective didn’t filter through to the far and wider areas. Dare I say it… maybe a little too VIP in places.
From the numerous times I’ve recently seen Sven play including Cocoon in the Park and Arcadia London only a few weeks back and now here at Pacha Ibiza, Cocoon in the park wins hands down but it was really nice to be able to have the up close and personal experience with how the DJ booth is now located, this is a big plus point and a great decision to be able to see the enjoyment Sven gets out of his sets and the passion he has for the music. Hopefully as the season progresses it will continue to grow and find a balance between the rawer music style of Cocoon and the lavish environment of its new home.
Review Credits: Stephen Potter
Photo Credits: Fernando Valencia
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