Mar-T is Amnesia Ibiza‘s longest serving resident DJ. The Ibiza icon is behind curating Amnesia’s new Monday night event series, Pyramid, which boasts the promises of seeing the return of ‘old Ibiza vibes’ and to ‘bring back the best’ of Ibiza from the island’s illustrious history.
The producer/DJ and event curator has forthcoming Ibiza dates at Pyramid on 13th August and 3rd Sept, as well as Together at Amnesia on the 31st July.
His Barcelona/Ibiza-based record label WOW! Recordings recently hit its landmark 100th release with an EP from Mar-T himself featuring remixes from Detlef and Stacey Pullen. Mar-T’s It’s 100 EP is available exclusively via Beatport as of July 20th and everywhere else two weeks later. But that’s not all, with other releases planned on famed Spanish labels elrow and Roush.
2018 has been an exciting year for Mar-T and his home of Ibiza, so we decided to hear from the man himself about all that and more
Hello Martin, thanks for taking the time to chat with us from Ibiza! How is the summer season going for you so far?
Good! I’ve really enjoyed playing sets at Pyramid, elrow and Ants and the summer season is going well, although it’s less busy than other years.
Do you live on the island all year long?
No! I live in Barcelona during the winter because it’s hard to be a DJ and live in Ibiza due to the flights. I also like Barcelona, in the winter I’m more in city mode.
You’re Amnesia’s longest-standing resident DJ. How long has it been since you got your start and what events have you most enjoyed playing at over the years?
I’ve been DJing at Amnesia since 1999. I’ve enjoyed many moments at many events but probably my sets at “People from Ibiza” have been the best for me as sometimes even had 8 hour sets which I enjoyed so much.
People talk a lot about how “Ibiza has changed” in mostly negative terms. Has it changed for you and if so how?
Since I arrived in Ibiza, every year everybody says the same thing, but it’s not so much about Ibiza changing it’s just that society is. Now with smart phones everywhere is different. Also, the respect for electronic music has changed. When people get older they tend to feel like the past was better than the present but honestly I think this is because they don’t enjoy it so much because the new experience has stopped been new.
Ibiza is still Ibiza and Ibiza is what you want it to be… if you want to feel the real Ibiza you need to work for it and find it. Currently you can find many “not real Ibiza” experiences on the island, just avoid them if you know which ones they are.
Amnesia’s new Pyramid night is perhaps a sign of that, right? How did that concept come about?
Pyramid is just trying to be a party which is not so much about DJs but more about the people who come every Monday to party and listen to good music. We need to stop brand listening… people should remember that music is not about who’s DJing and focus more on what is/how it’s is being played.
I hate when I see people outside the club smoking waiting for the headliner DJ and not even taking the time to listen to the other DJs of the night… it’s not cool, it’s not how it all started! With Pyramid there’re many DJs which are amazing and not famous and they should all have the opportunity to be heard and this is what Pyramid wants to try…let’s go back in time….when people were going to parties because they trusted the promotors taste for music.
News hit the internet over here that the island isn’t as full and hotels are somewhat struggling this year. Is that true?
YES!!!! hotels, apartment rentals and flights are so expensive that the clubbers can’t afford to go and now the island is struggling. Hopefully this is a lesson for this industry and for 2019 prices will go back to normality. Ibiza can’t be so expensive, there is too much to offer and it needs demand, but this normally is cyclical, Ibiza has had too many strong years which has made these companies think that they can make prices go higher and higher.
With all this said, where do you see Ibiza heading as a party destination in the coming 3-5 years?
I think it’s going to go back to normality next year when all the companies see that they need to go down with prices to make demand return.
You’ve also been very productive in the studio, and your label has recently hit an important milestone! Did you ever think you’d get 100 releases out?
Not really!!! You never think about this when you start a label. I’m very happy that we are still working on the label and I think we will continue for some time (laughs).
What’s the direction and goal with the imprint today and how has it morphed since its launch?
Its main goal still is to release music that I play in my sets, this is how I decide to release the tracks on the label, I test them and if I play them I release them. This means that the label morphs with me.
Do you have any other music in the pipeline to close out 2018?
I have a track on a VA on Söla coming out next week and I have an EP on Elrow Music also coming out next week. In September, I have an EP on Roush and a lot more new music still to come out so keep an ear and eye out.
What do you do in your spare time in Ibiza?
I try to feel Ibiza as much as possible.
What’s the best beach?
For me the best beach is Illetes in Formentera and in Ibiza I go to Salinas which is next to my house.
And the best restaurant?
There are so many good restaurants in Ibiza, for raw fish I would choose Cova Santa and for Mediterranean food I would go to Bikini in Talamanca beach but there are many more….
You live in “paradise” for most of the year. Where do YOU vacation?
I change all the time, I love snowboarding so probably to Switzerland or Japan.
Mar-T’s It’s 100 EP is available exclusively on Beatport and everywhere else 2 weeks later
