It’s 20 years since Space first opened its doors. What were you doing 20 years ago?
Moving from Argentina to Barcelona with my parents when I was 12.
Were you a pint-sized DJ?
I used to love music. With the first money my pa gave me when I was eight years old, I bought a CD – wait, no, a cassette (laughs).
What was it?
I think it was Sting and The Police. Yeah, the greatest hits of Sting. Now I have more than 6,000 records in my house.
So when was your first gig?
I was 15 years old. I played an evening club for kids. I had fun. All my friends were there.
So what can we expect from a Space party?
We try to give everyone all the Balearic sounds. We show Ibiza to a different country and transport the spirit of a Space night out. It’s basically Space on tour.
When did you first play in Ibiza?
It is very difficult to get going there. You have to move. I started there at a different time too. It was eight years ago and it was very different from now. I was putting my notes everywhere and in the end I was lucky to get a gig at Space.
You said it’s different now. How have things changed?
Now the DJ world is massive. It was very different before. Then, there were just professional DJs – no amateurs, no internet. Now everybody has equipment in their house and you can buy music cheap on the internet. There are a lot of DJs everywhere and it’s harder than ever to get noticed and get into the mega-clubs like Space, Pacha and so on.
Is there anything you hate about being a DJ?
When I play, there are no bad moments, but tomorrow I have to go to Shanghai. I have a long, long trip – I like to fly, but when you fly for 20 hours it’s not too much fun.
So what does the future hold? You’re releasing a lot of remixes at the moment.
I’ve just finished a remix for Jerry Ropero and also for Retrograde.
How does the process work?
Normally the producer would send me the part, then I try to put my sound in the remix. I send for the producer and they remix the track and it’s all fantastic.
Space Ibiza, Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi Yas Island, November 20, 2pm-11pm. Entrance fee Dhs120, includes one complimentary drink and pool access. Ladies and airline crew free before 4pm. Call 050 701 4162 for more information.
The essentials
Five things an international globetrotting DJ can’t live without…
The laptop: ‘It means I can do music. All the music I’ve produced is on a laptop – my logic is that I can work in the hotels.’
Cellphone: ‘I don’t want to get lost.’
CDs: ‘Er… I can’t play without them.’
My wife: ‘Sometimes she comes with me. We’ve been married eight years and met in a club near Barcelona.
Sunscreen: ‘Yeah, well I am going to the desert.’
In Space, you can always scream!
Historically, the Ibiza club scene (aka the Gomorrah of the Med) was just a bunch of US hippies who escaped the Korea/Vietnam American draft. They brought with them a wealth of musical tastes, which Pepe Rosello (who went on to create Space) cashed in on in 1963 when he opened the first club, Playboy. Seventeen years later, Rosello crossed the island to Playa d’en Bossa, where he eventually opened Space. In 1994 the international DJs descended, with the likes of Erick Morillo and Carl Cox (now resident) cutting their teeth on the decks. The Ibiza season officially kicks off with Space’s opening party, as the world’s clubbers descend. Sadly, we don’t think we’ll ever see the famous 22-hour, 8am to 6am Sunday dance marathons in Abu Dhabi. After all, Sunday is a working day.
