DJ, writer and Balearic regular Rosie Riot chats to Ibiza Global Radio director and DJ Igor Marijuan about IMS, Ibiza’s evolving musical landscape, and balancing multiple projects.
Think of Ibiza and you may conjure up images of hyper-club hysteria and sunsets in San Antonio. But for those who have placed themselves behind another facet of the island’s glittering prism, there is a key figure whose name you might well see on posters peppered amongst doorways and walls.
A regular of the Balearics, particularly the Northeastern utopia of Las Dalias and its nightclub Akasha, is its musical director Igor Marijuan.
Usually seen generating grins across dancefloors, he seems to effortlessly balance director duties for Ibiza Global Radio—where he plays regularly—along with event organisation and club nights. Having led the heavy-hitter of Ibizan radio for two years now, he previously founded and led the artist roster at fellow Ibiza station Sonica. Add to this his enduring DJ presence internationally, in clubs and festivals around the world, and he is en route to becoming one of electronic music’s most dynamic and influential figures.
In addition, he is also music curator for Playground Foundation—a non-profit community of artists and creatives. Playground have (literally) been setting up camp at Burning Man Festival annually, with support and appearances from the likes of tech-house titan Carl Cox.
Despite his seemingly colossal work schedule, Igor is often seen with a beaming smile, emanating an infectious love of music and DJing. It is clear he loves what he does. So, I felt blessed to be able to interview Igor after 2025’s IMS carousel of panel discussions and events, many of the latter being held at Las Dalias and Akasha.
I caught up with him to discuss IMS, the changing music landscape of Ibiza, and balancing work and play.
You recently attended the International Music Summit in Ibiza. What were some of your highlights?
You know, for me, I’ve really enjoyed meeting people in person—people I’ve been exchanging emails with—putting a face to a name. That’s been really good. I think networking is the most important part of IMS for me, for sure, and some of the panels were inspirational. I think it’s great that it’s been influencing what’s next—like, for example, drum’n’bass. It’s creating a hype not just in Ibiza but worldwide.
I love drum’n’bass, from liquid to the harder stuff. I’ve been following Lens and Sherelle too, so to have them on at home is great. All of these summits and gatherings are super important for the industry. I also thought Damian Lazarus’s official IMS opening set at Las Dalias was amazing. It was undefinable—with a house music base but a little bit of everything in there; not one particular style.
On the subject of new sounds infiltrating the island, are you seeing any new trends happening over here in electronic music?
I would say organic house is going a little bit down, whilst progressive house is on the way up. Minimal is also on the up. Afro house is getting really big everywhere. Melodic techno is still massive worldwide, with nights like Afterlife over here… it’s like the new EDM. But we are seeing lots of genres—not always one particular style—and lots of influences. It’s not always easy to define.
I think this is a trend with the new generation. People scroll content—we have to keep people’s attention. If a DJ set is one genre the entire time, it can be a little bit flat. I think it’s good to keep it dynamic. But the whole nature of ‘Balearic’ music is that it’s lots of different styles… a bit of everything.
People like DJ Pippi and Alfredo… they would play right through the whole night until the following morning, so they would have to play a bit of everything. That’s still the case—mixing progressive with melodic, with funky or jazz or indie, to tech house. It’s a bit of everything. It’s very eclectic.
You balance a lot – running Ibiza Global Radio, which includes a video platform, too, events at Akasha and Las Dalias, organising festivals and stages, and international appearances and events in places such as Tulum, Shanghai, Amsterdam, as well as Ibiza. How do you manage it all?
Well, I have a fantastic team around me—otherwise, it’s impossible to wear so many hats. I think this is the key: I have some really professional people I work with.
Intergenerational exchange was the main theme for IMS this year. What do you think is being done to support the next generation of artists here in Ibiza?
Well, you know, it can be difficult to change things, because the crowd dictates what’s on the lineups in terms of the DJs. We all want new headliners; we all want to open the door for the next generation to get onto the billings and on the posters. The main event depends on a name people are familiar with. But I think there is a common feeling among the agents, the bookers, and the programmers to look for the new generation.
But we’re not sure how to make it possible when a person buying a ticket wants to see one particular DJ. However, if we only depend on one name, it is not very sustainable. So, if we are looking at attending a night as an experience, that’s different…
There are some events that are not based on the big names. In our case, for example, at Las Dalias, we have Nido. It’s about the vibe; the crowd makes the show. We like to invite local talent, newcomers, and unknown artists who deserve to have a space alongside the headliners.
But sometimes for the mid-profile acts, it can be hard, as the main act can take up a lot of the budget. I would love to open up a space for people to discover new music—I’m dying to book new talent and have a crowd that wants to discover new music. But sometimes people just want to sing along to a track they know or take a photo. My role at Akasha includes looking at all of this.
I ponder this very real feedback from Igor. Ibiza is a multi-million-euro jackpot of the electronic music industry, with its clubbing scene generating €150 million in ticket sales alone in 2024. Behind the shiny, happy people on the dancefloor is a serious business juggernaut. Arguably, every club night that deviates from what people are used to or expect is a financial gamble. But the tide is turning, and new trends and sounds are infiltrating the island.
However, not every dance experience is so expensive. With outdoor events like Ibiza Global Festival and Nido happening either for free or at an affordable price, there is a refreshing accessibility and contrast to the potentially eye-watering prices of incoming clubs like UNVRS, which is set to eclipse many current nightclubs in size and expense alone.
All that aside, I end the interview by asking about upcoming projects, and Igor laughs.
“I think my ‘no’ is broken haha… I have learned to say no more now. I used to find it really hard to say no to new projects, but I have to now—otherwise I wear too many hats…”
Interview by Rosie Riot. You can catch Igor on Ibiza Global Radio throughout the year.
Check out the top tracks that the 909originals team has recently discovered through Musosoup here. To feature your music on 909originals, click here. 🙂
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