Reviewed: Better Lost Than Stupid at Heart Ibiza

It was impossible to get lost looking for the first live show of Better Lost Than Stupid at Heart Ibiza because of all the posters in town and the rumours running nonstop! This curious new name was chosen by Martin Buttrich, Davide Squillace and Mathias Tanzmann. It represents the trio of DJs and Producers as they join forces to entertain their fans with a live show. The big day was 28th May, and the vibes were festive. A combination of locals and tourists fill up the place and by 1:30 am the club was at capacity.

The show was programmed to start at 2:00 am, until then we had Australian and Ibiza based Heath Holme on the decks. The warm-up was active and fresh and had everyone dancing.

At 2 am, the tempo of the music was lowered and synthesizers and electronic gear were installed. This would ensure our musical trip. As I was reading the public’s reactions, I could tell that about 80% of them had no idea what was going on or what was about to happen. The Better Lost Than Stupid band brought their vocalists to play some of the tracks from their debut album ‘Wild Slide’. These artists were the 21-year-old UK-born vocalist Chaney (AKA Theo Altieri) and JaW from the French music group DoP. A truly new session.

As the stage was being set and the artists were settling into their positions, people’s faces said ‘expect the unexpected’.  For the first time since I’ve been partying in Ibiza, I had the impression I was at a rock concert held by a local metal band.

They started with a heavy beat, a deep sub that definitely drew the attention of the crowd. The visuals, which were carefully designed by the Better Lost Than Stupid team, created the right impact. Everyone was staring at the walls and moving shyly to the beat, paying close attention to what was going on.

They didn’t think twice and dropped ‘Boys and Girls’ at the beginning. A track that creates expectation and welcomes to the album whoever is about to explore it. ‘Wild Slide’, is a clear nod to the ’90s. The energy of it convinced everyone that this was about to become a night to remember…

The next few tracks could easily be identified as indie electronic. You know how weirdly people react to the word indie! Well, Better Lost Than Stupid offered it to a very varied public. The reaction was terrific! The genre palette did not stop there. Around minute 2:45, an immersive bass combined with hypnotic synths killed every trap song on the market. They had everyone’s hands in the air and their arses on the dance floor.

At 3 am, there were sunflowers on the walls of Heart and people immediately pulled out their phones to immortalize the climax of the show. The entire event was to show the world their album which comes out in September. An eleven track LP, of which three tracks are already released, leaving the rest to be played to the public for the first time on this particular night. The last track of the live show was the one that carries the name of the album ‘Wild Slide’. The entire record is mastered by Bob Ludwig and coming on Skint/BMG this September 2019

After the show ended, it didn’t take much time to relocate the DJ booth in front of the crowd. The trio played around with the console…and everyone’s heads. A little before 4 am the purest American Tech House was blasting from the speakers with Claude Von Stroke and Eddy M’s ‘Getting Hot’. Squillace’s Boogie Man featuring Alex Nazar was a sexy touch to the night, and by 5 am Buttrich changed the vibe to the most elegant warehouse sound where the base was blending subtlety with very sharp synths.

Tazmann officially declared:

We wanted to bring broader styles to the record and Jaw and Jeff (Darko) ‘s vocals absolutely nailed it, and helped take the tune to where we wanted it to go. It reminds us of a past time when we were just opening our ears to the rawness of that vibe.

My conclusion is that they let the party and the music speak for itself. For the first time in a while, it was about the music and not the names.