- It's Sunday night and I've just left Sonar By Night, and fancy carrying on some sort of dance. First, I try and go to the Nave After Party, which for me was the standout Off Sonar party last year. However, this time around, Ricardo is the main guest and surprise, surprise the venue is jammed. So, I go for my second choice: Giles Smith and James Priestly presenting a Secret Sundaze party with hot property Johnny D and 2000 & One.
After being duped by the assured Spanish taxi driver, we end up walking around the club to the tune of a constant rolling bass line. The small, untouched village that encases the club is quite a traditional setting for a nightclub with old cobblestone streets and cute shops. When we finally arrive, a huge crowd immediately proves Secret Sundaze's strong and loyal following, with many dedicated Brits out in force. I saw a lot of keen music geeks and a hell of a lot more attractive people, already dancing and prancing around to Johnny D.
Apparently Mountain People had already played, but it hardly mattered: D's housey sound—with deeper-style rolling basslines and nice chords—was accessible and welcome. His was a set that required less concentration and, as a result, caused more and more dancing. D used Ableton, which I found interesting, considering a lot of Techno DJs are known for using Live, but not many House DJs do the same. No feeling was lost, though. I was kept dancing throughout the night. Of course there were flat spots, but even Ricardo Villalobos can go flat for a bit.
As Johnny neared the end of his set, 2000 & One jumped on with a full house of heads dancing, including London trendy boys with tans and Ray Ban shades, shuffling next to Barcelona’s finest. Before he took to the decks, I had drab visions of dry German techno machine music and the party taking a dip, but after 45 minutes more than 900 were dancing to the house-based grooves and bassline drops coupled with some smart EQing. Finishing things up were Giles and James again, providing the party's swansong with an extra one-hour back-to-back approved by the club's owners.
As the music stopped and most of the club wished upon another Cassy track, I wandered out of the club slowly and heard the faint whisper of the Kompakt party. I quickly switched my disco light on and went on the search for a cab driver with some knowledge of the outer fringe of Barcelona.
Photo credit: Nick Ensing