Balearic moments: Willie Graff
The pandemic hit and changed things quite considerably for Willie Graff, a man used to playing long – often all night – sets in nightclubs around the world. Trying times for him turned out to be a wonderful introduction for me, as now there were only seated venues open on the island and he entered my domain. Willie started getting booked at the same venue as myself and I finally got to meet this incredible ‘digger’ of the rarest of the rare records out there. Willie plays records, 12-inch round pieces of plastic. Not just digital files, he actually still plays those black round things. And it’s an absolute joy to watch.
Despite his relative junior years (among the league of Balearic Silverbacks at least) Willie Graff is a true Ibiza music icon. I first heard of this Balearic wunderkind in the and around the dive bars of Ibiza Port in the early 90s when we first arrived on the island. He was mentioned in hush tones by the pirates who frequented The Rock Bar, and the barman (David Phillips who we shall hear more of later) spoke of this child prodigy spinning incredible music in El Cielo at Pacha, dropping tunes well in advance of his years, while completing school assignments on the fridge at the back of the bar.
I was told that he’d cut his teeth at a beach bar in Santa Eulalia (The Marinas Bar) and that he was only 14 years old and “playing music to attract attention from the girls”, in his own words. By the time Willie turned 17, he held multiple residencies across the island including the legendary Saturday night sessions with DJ Pippi at Pacha, where they played together for close to 15 years. It’s an absolutely unmissable event when they get together and certainly a Balearic moment for everyone in attendance. Spending time together in the studio, crafting what can only be described as ‘Balearic Gold’, was what formed that special musical bond (found very rarely within our scene) between the two. Willie would often take the lead in production, yet never failed to let his mentor’s time-gathered knowledge shine through, making each and every outing a lesson in future retro.
It feels like you should have heard this before… Balearic as Fuck. These days, Willie can be found hanging out with the cool folk in The Meat Packing District at The Standard, High Line in NYC where he’s resident DJ during the winter months, while the summer finds him home on Ibiza, the island he loves in the places he likes best.
There are very few DJs in the world who have the Balearic pedigree of Willie Graff, a wunderkind who cut his teeth playing records from the age of 14 in the island’s biggest clubs.
You have awoken to another fabulous day in Ibiza, assuming you went to bed last night! Where do you take your first cup of coffee?
I live just outside Santa Eulalia so if I’ve woken up in time, I’ll take the scenic route into town – crossing the river and walking alongside the beach into town. My go-to place would be Can Cosmi. One of the oldest bars in town that still feels like the real Ibiza to me. Nothing fancy, just a nice place to sit in the sun with the locals and say hi to the people passing by, starting their day in town. My order is usually a cafe con leché and half a tostada with tomato and olive oil.
Friends have arrived – almost on time – and you’re heading for lunch. Where are we eating?
Usually, I try to show people from out of town another side of the island, the side less travelled. The quieter places where you can just disconnect and enjoy each other’s company. Maybe I’ll take them to the lovely Juntos House in San Mateo. They have lots of interesting seasonal vegetable options and I’m a huge fan, so the menu changes are always a lovely surprise when visiting regularly.
When he’s not on duty behind the decks, Willie likes to disconnect in tranquil corners of the island like Juntos House, in the tiny hamlet of San Mateo.
That’s a lot to eat for lunch, let’s sleep this off on a beach somewhere. There’s over 80 to choose from, which is your favourite?
After lunch, around 4pm is when I usually go to the beach. I’d stay on the north side of the island and find a little hidden cove or a rocky section where nobody else is. Maybe on the road heading to Portinatx, where I know that even in August, I’ll be able to find a special place for us that’s undisturbed. The water is cleaner in the rocky spots and it’s the perfect moment to just relax, have a swim and a little siesta.
Is that the time? We must have fallen asleep. Shall we go and watch sunset?
Depending on the time of year, you can see the sunset from the north of the island, but if it’s still early in the season we’ll head south-west. There are many places here, but my friends generally want to see some people so today we’re heading to Hostal La Torre. A great place – where I play music on a semi-regular basis – and the music curation there is pretty on point, so I’m always happy to take friends there. We’ll get a few drinks and walk down the hill to watch the sunset away from the bar and listen to the tunes travelling through the air soundtracking the beautiful feeling at that time of day.
We could head home to bed… but we’re in Ibiza! The night is still young, where we going?
After sunset is time for food again. I love to drive around the island, and everything is only 15 minutes away, more or less. Let’s head into Ibiza town and stop at The Standard, Ibiza for dinner. The new rooftop terrace, UP, has the most incredible views of the old town, great food, drinks and the music is perfect for the time of day, whatever time of day it is. Hopefully my friend Mark Broadbent will be playing…. Of course, I actually know he is as I booked him! One of the advantages of being the musical director there.
And finally, to bed… or?
There is always time for one last drink! So many options in Ibiza but feeling like something a little more intimate this evening means a stop at Ibiza Underground. An old finca that’s been turned into the perfect little club on the road to San Antonio opposite Privilege. It’s been around for years and is just the right size and a great hangout for people into electronic music. You can party inside or chill outside on their terrace. The perfect ending to a wonderful day round the island with friends.
With so many options for a last drink or a dance in Ibiza, Willie prefers to opt for locals’ favourite hangouts when showing friends around.
WHITE IBIZA SOUNDSCAPES 02
Balearic moments: Willie Graff
Meet Willie Graff: a Balearic wunderkind, true Ibiza musical icon and musical director at The Standard, Ibiza.
Mark-Almond
The City
“My dad turned me on to this song many years ago. Loved it ever since. Jon Mark and Johnny Almond, great musicians who use to play with John Mayall. A beautiful mellow song, it reminds me of why we live on this island and not in a concrete jungle somewhere. Thanks Pop! “
Paco De Lucia
Entre Dos Aguas
This should probably be Spain’s national anthem. The master of Spanish guitar, cheers everybody up when this is played.
Elkin & Nelson
Vamonos
“Elkin & Nelson Marin, two Colombian brothers that used to hang out Ibiza in the 80s… So much feeling in their music, I never tire of listening to their first two albums. They had the huge Balearic hit Jibaro that was later covered by Oakenfold and crew.“
Electribe 101
Heading For The Night (Night Over Europe Mix)
“I could have chosen various other songs from this great group, but let’s go with this one that was just recently released from their vaults. It’s an old Frankie Knuckles mix that didn’t come out until a few years ago. The combination of Frankie’s signature groove with Billie Ray Martin’s voice is just perfect for me. An excellent feeling when played just after sunset.“
Sade
Siempre Hay Esperanza
“What can you say… Sade.“
Mike Francis
Features Of Love
“One of my faves from the great Mike Francis. I love his nostalgic, gentle style…“
Overlords Of The UFO
Imagine (Deeply Hypnotic Mix)
“This style was played a lot on the island and still suits it very well. A mystical, psychedelic experience, best enjoyed while looking out to sea when the post-sunset colours start kicking in.“
Joanna Law
First Time Ever
“One of the many versions of this beautiful song written by Ewan McColl and made famous by Roberta Flack. In this version, we get a bit more of a street soul rendition that was very popular in 90s and played all over the island. Pippi and myself both love this song so much we decided to do a version of it ourselves, that was released a few years ago.“
Its Immaterial
Driving Away From Home (Wicked Weather For Walking)
“Such an eerie song, played in Ibiza all over at the time. Peak time! Oh, how I wish I could travel back in time to be on the dancefloor when this sound was new.“
Rey De Copas
Frontera Del Ensueño (The Grid Remix)
“A relatively unknown Spanish band that somehow got into the hands of The Grid, who then turned this into a timeless dancefloor classic. At least in Ibiza…“
Funkapolitan
As The Time Goes By
“A band from London that played at Amnesia back in the day. This whole album was produced by August Darnell aka Kid Creole! Killer, funky dance number.“
Rey De Copas
State Of Independence
“To close out this list that could go on forever, I chose another song my dad turned me onto. Fits so well towards the end of the day. From the Friends Of Mr Cairo album, Vangelis and Jon Anderson… Just magical.“
