The best tracks of the 2019 Ibiza Season
We spoke to 20 DJs to find out their favourite selections
As we reach the mid-way marker in this summer's annual Balearic rave marathon, it's time to consider the tunes that have been fuelling clublife on Ibiza's best dancefloors for the last two months.
We asked 20 of the White Isle’s finest DJs to provide their pick. Check them out below.
Sonny Fodera Saffron Stone 'Love Trap' (Solotoko)
"This
has almost got an old school vibe with a contemporary drop - think Inner City
meets Fisher! With the build up and the break down and the vocal, everyone just
goes off when this one drops. I've been playing it everywhere, at Ibiza Rocks Hotel for my
Solardo Secondcity 'Let The Music' (Sola)
“We've
been loving Secondcity's output of late and we're proud to have signed this to
our label Sola. This track has been a go to for us in our sets over the past
few months. It's safe to say that won't be changing as we head deeper into the
Luke Solomon Loods 'Walking Away' (Classic Music Company)
"The Disco Edit world is becoming increasingly over saturated with recycles of recycled loops and ideas. But every now and again something comes a long that grabs you in a different way. Classic has been championing different disco loop idea for a while. And it's usually something that has a vocal moment that pulls you in. Loods does just that with 'Walking Away'."
Smokin' Jo Joeski & Hector Lavoe 'Dia De Ayer' (Sondos)
"This
track has been going down a storm in
Melvo Baptiste The Vision feat. Andreya Triana 'Heaven' (Defected)
"I first learnt of this project around a year ago, which consists of Ben Westbeech and Kon teaming up, aka The Vision. This is contemporary disco at its finest and a single from a seriously dope album coming out later this year on Defected. It has an instant familiarity and brings the dancers to the floor. It’s so refreshing to see and hear songs like this working so well on dancefloors in Ibiza; for such a long time the island was starved of this!"
Heidi Lawden Roisin Murphy 'Incapable' (Skint Records)
"I've been a fan Roisin Murphy since Moloko. I was sent this track early in 2018 with a please don't share, don’t put in any mixes, I can’t tell you who the vocalist is, shrouded in secrecy, pact of silence, message attached to it. The Crooked Man remix jumped out at me right away and I loaded it up, gave it a new name and set off for the club. I’ve played it ever since - pitched a little down, pitched a little up, it always works!"
Kölsch Omar S 'Light Year Flight' (FXHE Records)
"Omar S caught my attention several years ago with his own unique take on
Offaiah Ferreck Dawn 'You Are The One' (Defected)
"My track of the summer has to be one of my favourite producers out there right now. You may have heard of his collaboration with Robosonic back in 2018 called ‘In Arms’ on Defected Records which blew up and took over the island. Likewise, this track has absolutely everything that a summer anthem should: a catchy vocal hook, a solid groovy bass and some cheeky piano stabs that add a musical element that I always look for in the tracks I play."
Andrea Oliva Laurent Garnier & Chambray 'Feelin Good' (Rekids)
"I've been playing this for a while now and in the beginning I pushed Chambray quite a lot to send me this tune directly!! The piano is uplifting, taking the listener back in time to a place when raves were raves in the '90s. The combination between the 808 and 909 drums and the piano hook makes you want to go straight to the next festival and rave! This is for sure my favourite summer tune so far and one that you'll hear me playing in a lot of my sets!"
Jonas Blue Leftwing & Kody 'I Feel It' (Toolroom)
"I’ve
always loved what Leftwing & Kody do and for me this track just has it all.
When the piano comes in it has that instantly recognisable uplifting classic
house vibe, but the beats and the groove keep a bit of a fresh underground feel
in there, especially when it switches into that darker moment. It's the
perfect tune for me, for my
Groove Armada Cuartero 'Rapuh' (Edible)
'This is a funky little banger. The production, as with all Cuartero productions, is totally on point with everything in the right spot. There’s a lovely little cut up vocal, a killer trademark Cuartero bass and loads of swing. It's the kind of track you can drop at ANTS or elrow - and it always gets rapturous reception. Enough said."
Lauren Lane Cassius 'Sound of Violence' (Virgin)
“In
memory of Philippe Zdar who was one half of the French disco and house duo
Cassius who passed away last month. When this song came out in 2002, it made
waves around the world. I had never been to
Erick Morillo DJ Vivona 'Worlds' (Sunclock)
"I
first heard 'Worldwide' back in March when it was played by DJ Vivona during
his opening set at ECS Dogana in
Jamie Roy Brokenears 'No Man' (Too Many Rules)
"As soon as I was asked this question, I knew straight away what track to pick. 'No Man' by Brokenears gives me a buzz every time I play it. It’s a proper tune. The sax and the bassline are just unbelievable and the vocal sample makes it take right off. It’s something I’ve been turning too in my sets to liven things up when the time is right. It'll make you want to dive straight to the bar, order six mojitos and dance until the early hours. Can’t ask for a better tune than that!"
Monki Tristan Grace 'Tell Me If It's Real' (ft. Connie Harvey) (&Friends)
"I''ve been sitting on this record for a while; it's the perfect summer record. Tristan Grace is the man behind Devon Analogue Studio where many of your favourite producers go to geek-out for a long weekend over endless racks of analogue gear. He sent this to me via a demo submission on email and the huge vocal from Connie Harvey and that authentic throwback NYC synth-line had me hooked straight away. The tune sits perfectly in the sun on a big soundsystem and I can't wait to share it with you!"
Yousef Mendo & Marco Lys ‘This One’ (Circus Recordings)
"This has been a secret weapon of mine since May. The reaction it gets is brilliant. It’s made by two of dance music’s best and to be perfectly honest largely unsung producers. 'This One' is a blend of slamming beats and creepy but at times furious and off kilter electronica. In short, it kicks and I'm certain it will be one of the underground cuts of the summer."
Andhim Tunnelvisions ‘Rain Dance’ (Atomnation)
"This is just the perfect summer track, even though it's called ‘Rain Dance’. It's very up to date and combines indie-dance elements with a catchy melody and a fresh breakbeat, leaving the listener with absolutely no other choice but to dance. Whether in the rain or in the sun, this track is pure dancefloor gold."
Tini Gessler Luigi Rocca 'The Quiet Explosion' (Andreas Henneberg Remix) (Heinz Music)
"I get excited every time I play this track; it’s the one everyone asks me about whenever they hear it. For me, it’s the perfect chemistry of all my music tastes: not only is it melodic and underground, but it also has a strong tech-house beat. Ultimately it’s a track that takes the listener on a journey. It starts off slow and builds into such powerful tune that you can’t help but dance to it."
Folamour Saraba 'Barlia' (Kulandjagnho) (Z Records)
"I've been playing this song quite a lot lately. I fell in love with it instantly; there is so much joy and energy shining out of it. It is written by a Gambian composer. It's a great mix between Afrobeat, disco and funk and for these reasons it is without doubt one of my tunes of the summer!"
Mambo Brothers Roberto Surace 'Joys' (Defected)
"This is the banger of the summer so far for us. We have been playing 'Joys' at all of our gigs. No matter what venue or country we happen to playing, it always goes off, which is something that rarely happens. Roberto has definitely nailed it with this release."
Read this next!
The best clubs and parties in Ibiza in 2019
The 10 best new parties in Ibiza in 2019
Cheap thrills: How to have an affordable Ibiza holiday in 2019
Get the best of Mixmag direct to your Facebook DMs