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WE JOURNEY TO THE DARKSIDE WITH MIKAELA

DJ Mag Ibiza meets ONYX founder, label boss and techno DJ Mikaela to talk all things Ibiza...

Techno line-ups don’t come much bigger than Mikaela’s brand-new night ONYX, taking over on Mondays at Space throughout the 2016 season. As the name would suggest, the focus of the new night is on pitch-black, industrial-tinged techno, with the Love The Underground Records boss drafting in a slew of reputable selectors to join her behind the decks each week. There’s also a focus on live acts at ONYX — in addition to straight-up DJ sets — with Answer Code Request, Karenn, Rebekah and Borderland all confirmed to perform. 

Scheduled to run for 12 whopping weeks every Monday from 27th June to 12th September, ONYX will takeover both Space’s Main Terrace and the legendary Sunset Terrace — DJ Mag Ibiza meets Mikaela to find out the story behind ONYX...
 
Why is Ibiza important to you? 
“There are many reasons why I find Ibiza so magical, so much so that I have since purchased an apartment here and will be spending at least half of the year as a resident on the island. The tranquility of Ibiza outside of peak season allures me more than anything, it’s such an unassuming place that gives so much more than the parties and fancy restaurants."

"Of course, I love it for that side too, and am very thankful that the island has embraced me and my musical vision, but I can honestly say that the best things in Ibiza are free, and the solace I enjoy from simply staring out my balcony at Dalt Vila and the sea is what matters most to me when the tourists leave and the clubs close.”
 
What’s the ethos behind the ONYX party?
“Quite simply, ONYX is a no-nonsense techno event for people who want to experience some of the genre’s pioneers, many of whom have never even graced the turntables in Ibiza before, despite their global status."

"We wanted to align an innovative, experiential programme, fusing both live artists and DJs, with some amazing visual production, transcending people to a place which they may never have experienced in Ibiza before. There is also a narrative behind everything we are doing, from our branding and digital content to our programme and production — we aspire to delivering much more than just a party...”
 
Talk us through the line-up?
“While I have the utmost respect and admiration for everyone who plays in Ibiza, most of whom have played here for many more years than I have, we really felt the need to adopt a renewed artistic direction for ONYX, rather than looking towards the same artists which you see playing year in, year out on the island."

"Luke Farrugia, our Operations Manager, actually masterminded the entire programme. His thought-process behind the curation of our programme was two-fold; first and foremost, to book artists who he genuinely believed could deliver the highest-grade of techno, whilst ensuring that the artists we booked were not so obscure that they wouldn’t fill the Space Terrace, and of course we wanted to programme artists who have rarely played in Ibiza, if at all."

"This was some mean feat given the complexities with programming in Ibiza, but Luke somehow managed to pull it out of the bag. Seeing the likes of Surgeon, Function, Answer Code Request, Karenn, Rebekah and Borderland, all making their Ibiza debuts on the Main Terrace at Space during its final year of existence, well that’s pretty special for any true techno aficionado.”
 
What’s on the cards musically for you for the rest of this year?
“We have some really nice releases forthcoming on my label, Love The Underground Records. The next EP is from Space resident Javi Bora, which he kindly invited me to remix and is out on 24th June, just a few days before the ONYX opening party on 27th June."

"Next up on the label we have our second VA, featuring several artists who will be joining me at ONYX this summer. I have also almost finished working on my debut album, which I am aiming to release in mid-Autumn. I spent most of the winter months locked in my studio back in London, carefully honing my productions, and I now have a solid backlog of unreleased tracks which I am very excited to play-out at Space this summer. So hopefully you can drop-by and hear me road!”