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Music

Nicole Moudaber on Ibiza's Secret Shaman Paradise and the Island's Wave of Consumerism

To get an inside look on what's it like right now in Ibiza, we've invited some of our favorite DJs to bring us along on a week in their life on the island, in a series we call White Isle Journals.
All photos courtesy of Paradise.

The Summer season in Ibiza is one of the most important nodes in the world of international dance music. As DJs and clubbers from all around the world descend on the White Isle, the year's musical identity is defined through all-day beach parties, all-night sessions at clubbing meccas, and secret jungle parties tucked into leafy enclaves.

To get an inside look on what's it like right now in Ibiza, we've invited some of our favorite DJs to bring us along on a week in their life on the island, in a series we call White Isle Journals. This week, we welcome Lebanese-Nigerian techno queen Nicole Moudaber, who shares a story of her first time on the island, its current changes, as well as her first party of the season.

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"The first time I came to Ibiza was for the Millennium, and then I spent New Year's Eve and New Year's Day there. I remember we went to what they used to call the 'Trance Party', but they didn't actually play trance, that was just the name. It was was like an original version of Burning Man. It took place in one of the forests, and you had to really know the locals to hear about these parties because they weren't commercial at all, so you'd never even know that they existed otherwise. The people that were there…you certainly don't see them in town. There were shamans, artists, and all these incredible creatures. It was very magical and spiritual, something I'd never seen before. I went to a few more after that, but that was my first time in Ibiza, and it was quite a revelation and eye opener.

It's changed a lot today, and I'm a little bit disappointed by how it has actually. I feel like I'm walking in an Eroski Supermarket, and there's so much consumerism going on. So the charm of what Ibiza gained its reputation from is gone to an extent. There is still some of that around, but you have to get away from those areas that have become a bit like Vegas, in that they're just this massive consumerism place. I know I'm a bit idealistic, economically speaking. I know it's very good for business owners and the club owners and they're making good money. However, in terms of the essence of what Ibiza was built on, you won't see it anymore unless you step away and go to the really remote places that are still untouched. Thank God for that!

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THIS WEEK** **

Well, I just played my first gig of the season; the opening of Paradise with Jamie Jones at DC10. It was incredible—I played the Terrace, which was awesome. I got to see all my friends and my crew was all there. I'll be coming in and out every week throughout August, so the mayhem hasn't started just yet. I'm back at DC10 next week for the Monday Circo Loco party, and for me that will be the kick start of the season. The antics begin from that point onwards!

After that night we took the boat the next day and went to Formentera to spend the whole day in the sea. I try to get away from the island as much as possible, and just meditate in the sea. That's my sanctuary basically.

Track of the week

It's actually one of the tracks that I did with Skin from Skunk Anansie, it's called "You Like This", and Paco Osuna did a remix of it. Every time I play it the whole place erupts, and I can't wait to play it out more once it's released after summer.