Tribal Sessions really has pulled out all the stops this season, its first ever one on the isle of Ibiza. The line-ups have proven to be consistently excellent and on point, with underground names from the worlds of house, techno and plenty in between. Residents like Greg Vickers and Darius Syrossian have always backed up the main acts excellently and Sankeys, the club, has been a fine host.
The ceilings are low; the sound system is surely one of the loudest on the island and the atmospheres have always been magnificent. After a season of highlights that have included sets from the likes of Jeff Mills and Derrick May, Move D and Recondite, you might think there was no way Tribal could get any better: but it has, because for the final party of the season, none other than Luciano was the secret guest headliner.
With him came label mates like Argy, who played a fine set of classically inclined house and techno, Mirko Loko who did his Latin infused tech thing so well and of course Cesar Merveille and Michel Cleis who held the crowd in the palm of their hands with their groovy, sun kissed and tribal tinged sounds respectively.
As soon as we get into the club, the place is rocking, with the dancefloor a full-on writhing mass of bodies, pumping fists and smiling faces. The club’s crisp system rains down beats with great clarity and lights and lasers chop their way through the crowds. Responsible for such a top vibe early on is Jozef K and his chunky, leggy house music gets everyone ever more warmed up and excited for the night ahead.
Those people include a diverse selection of nationalities and ages, with young and old, English and Italian, Spanish and even Americans all dancing together with smiles on their inebriated faces. Someone who deserves special mention is Greg Vickers, a stalwart of the Tribal brand throughout its illustrious history. His set tonight was totally on point, and he dropped old jams, new jams and plenty of Tribal classics that really got the crowd pumped up.
The biggest cheer of the night was saved for Luciano, the legendary selector who once again showed us why, with a fantastic set that really took us places, touched on techno, house and minimal and did so with a real sense of cohesion. That Sankeys owner David Vincent was rumoured to have done another stage dive tonight is no wonder, because it really was a special event and one he and his team should be proud of. Tribal will pop up other places around the world between now and next season when, hopefully, it will make a triumphant return.
