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Wonderland: Reviewed Reported by Agnes Klos / Submitted 10-11-09 14:35 Wonderland has been known to raise the roof, whether in London or Ibiza. No wonder, as it is the brainchild of a true tech-house master, Pete Tong. However, crossing musical channels of house and techno requires some skill and talent. Our correspondent, Agnes Klos, went to check if Pete Tong still deserves his world-wide famous reputation and what stands behind his new trademark ‘Wonderland’. My preparation for a promising night with Pete Tong in the legendary Ministry of Sound started with a big bang, literally. I tripped over the cable of my straightener and almost killed myself falling down. In the end, it turned out that I damaged the cable beyond any repair. I must say, it was not the best way to put a girl in the party mood. I never liked the commercial clubs, especially on Saturdays with all those wandering tourists and teenagers looking for casual sex. But I was convinced I should like Ministry of Sound earlier this year thanks to David Guetta. The atmosphere and crowd were truly epic and I was looking forward to repeating that experience. As Pete Tong was the last DJ to tick off on my list of must-hear DJs, next to such names as Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox, when I heard about Wonderland coming back to Ministry of Sound I knew that it would be a perfect chance to not only to hear the legendary man himself but also to attend his residency night, going from strength to strength in Ibiza. But first let’s find out a bit about Wonderland and how it came to life before we move to the 24th October 2009. The history of Wonderland goes back to 2006 when Pete Tong decided to create a new club night with his own legacy. Equal attention was given to both the musical and visual side of Wonderland, driven by the desire to introduce a ‘wondrous club environment’ to the scene. The first Wonderland party, held at London’s Ministry of Sound on 3rd February 2007, featuring David Guetta and Paul Harris, was an astounding success and from then on, the reputation of the party began to grow rapidly like an avalanche. After controversially ending his four-year Ibiza residency at Pacha in 2008, Tong took Wonderland to Eden, located in the San Antoni area of the White Isle. It was a brave move but it turned out to be the right one. The night with killer line-ups and top notch production quickly established a new landmark on the clubbing map of the island. “The first year of the new residency was triumphant,” commented Ibiza Voice, “Teasing old faces back to San Antonio and refreshing the east side of the island. Wonderland pulled together people from varied walks of life in true Ibiza spirit, engaging new enthusiasm and fortifying Pete Tong as a true man of the people. Wonderland has since been followed by the likes of Ibiza Rocks and Hed Kandi in retreat to Eden and injected a new lease of life into Ibiza.” Pete Tong said in his own blog: “The 2009 Summer season of Wonderland at Eden came to a storming close on Friday night. I am so proud of what we have achieved in just two summers of this bold and daring project. Whilst it’s still a challenge to get people (from the east side) to visit San Antonio after dark we have enjoyed a record breaking season in a tough economic climate. Time and time again, week in week out our DJs, artists and dancefloor witnessed the intense energy and atmosphere that we are creating together inside this venue.” Now, I think, you can fully understand why I was eager to go and experience Wonderland myself. From the perspective of the venue, Ministry of Sound is a perfect spot for this type of an event. With four different-style rooms, VIP lounge and a huge outside smoking area, featuring a van with burgers and hot dogs to please hungry clubbers, the club ticks all right boxes for a Saturday night out. The line-up in the main room – the Box - looked really promising with an opening set from the artist who brought us the legendary summer hit Changes. I am talking of course about Chris Lake. He did not disappoint those who came, warming up the crowd properly with his adventurous blend of house and techno. Then the one that we were all waiting for, the house music legend that is Pete Tong, took over the decks, injecting a bit of fairytale into London’s clubland and bringing us the fresh sounds of the island. His set started really heavy and strong with some proper banging tunes and then softening into almost a trance-like dreaminess. Dancers wore jewelled lingerie, others sported futuristic looking masks, all definitely enhanced the dark fantasy vibe. When Pete played The Underground by Celeda the crowd went crazy. The words came out from the speakers “Let me take you on a trip, just a simple journey, a journey full of sound and beats” and we let Pete take us on a trip, literally. Afterwards Linus aka Style of Eye made his debut performance at the club, with his very independent and quirky sound. The sound might be unique, merging different genres but to me it came out weird, chaotic and bumpy. The room suddenly cleared at 4am as the tracks were truly hard to dance to. A French girl next to me said: “A real shame to kill the party so early.” The second room of Wonderland - The Bar - located in the centre of the club, had to be traversed whether you need to get to toilet, cloakroom or any other room and the atmosphere there was always electric. That Saturday residents We’re Not Cool! and Rob Marmot, plus Tim Green who shot to fame with his new track Kitch In, kept the party going. I kept coming back and stopping there as the tunes were catchy and being surrounded by huge plasma screens was addictive. The Baby Box hidden at the end of the Bar room hosted Upper Playground and got hot quickly with electro offerings from Liquorice Pizza DJs at the beginning of the party. When Jim Raygun stood behind the decks the crowd was happily bouncing around with drinks in their hands. But when I went inside later on, there were some British songs being played with everyone just standing and chatting. My favourite room (after the main room) was the Loft, with tunes served by Nick Olivetti and Erol Arda among others thanks to FHD Records. The Loft, located on the first floor, is equipped with a heavy glass door and a comfortable sitting area, a cosy dancefloor and an efficient bar. It had the feel of a VIP area, with its captivating atmosphere and people up and dancing (and it was still only 11:30pm)! On the negative side, the club was full of guys looking for some ‘meat’ on a Saturday night. It was especially visible in the main room when it got empty at 4am with almost nobody dancing and guys just cruising looking for ‘prey’. Not really the most pleasant end of the evening if you still had energy to dance. Moreover, the drinks’ prices are sky-rocketing. For a Corona and Red Bull, I gave £10 and got only £2.20 back. Shocking to pay £4.50 for a bottle of beer! Of course for such an institution, Ministry of Sound is must-do-at-least-once-experience, especially for the calibre of artists they bring to the capital. If you go with friends, choose the event wisely and go for the artist that you really like then you won’t be disappointed. Share this article : : : Follow HarderFaster on Images courtesy of Agnes Klos. Not to be reproduced without permission. Share this :: : : : Follow HarderFaster :: Other Features By Agnes Klos: Back2Basics - 10 Years of Party Productions & Tomorrowland Stage Hosts Atmosphere Records - The opening of IBIZA 1936 Entering the world of Waldfrieden in Germany with DJoanna Piracy is not a crime – sail away with Feestgedruis! Progressive flavours with DJ R'Deem ahead of Neelix party The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable. Comments:

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