Dexter Jones

Ian Van Dahl on the pressure, politics, and reality of making timeless dance music Few tracks define an entire generation of club culture quite like Castles in the Sky. For many, it was a soundtrack to first nights out, Ibiza summers, and the emotional peak of late-90s and early-2000s trance. In this episode of The Dexter Jones Podcast, I’m joined by Ian Van Dahl to revisit the story, sound, and legacy behind one of the most influential dance music projects of its era. We explore the rise of euphoric trance at a time when clubs were built on emotion, release, and collective energy. From early aliases and studio pressure to record label politics and creative control, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what it really took to create records that still resonate decades later. This is not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s about understanding why this music mattered, why it connected so deeply, and why it continues to hit differently today. If you lived through the golden era of trance, this will resonate. If you are discovering this music for the first time, this episode offers vital context into a moment when dance music felt truly timeless. 🎧 Take your time with this one. We talk about: 🎶 The story behind Castles in the Sky 🌍 How Ian Van Dahl broke through globally 🧠 Making music before laptops and DAWs ⚖️ Record labels, pressure, and creative control 🪩 Eurodance, trance, and why the UK scene was different 🔮 Why modern DJs struggle with identity Chapters: 00:00 Intro and meeting Ian Van Dahl 01:31 How the name Ian Van Dahl was created 03:16 Early music career and multiple aliases 10:50 Making music in the 90s before laptops and DAWs 22:02 Eurodance vs trance and why the UK was different 30:04 The Ian Van Dahl project and Castles in the Sky 39:24 Record labels, pressure, and creative control 54:35 European club culture and the rise of Eurodance 1:19:22 Why modern DJs struggle with identity 1:29:00 What’s next for Ian Van Dahl as an artist For guest invitations, sponsorship proposals, and collaboration enquiries, please contact Dexter: [email protected]

What happens after Ibiza? For many, Ibiza is a moment in time. For others, it becomes a turning point that quietly shapes everything that follows. In this episode of The Dexter Jones Podcast, I’m joined by Lisa Good, a former Manumission performer, to explore what life really looks like after the lights come up and the music fades. We begin where it all started. The Manumission years. The madness, the freedom, and the surreal experience of living in Ibiza during one of its most iconic cultural eras. But this conversation goes deeper than nostalgia. Lisa shares the journey that came after Ibiza, how travel, the ocean, and a series of life-changing experiences led her away from the party world and towards a new purpose rooted in environmental action, community, and long-term legacy. This is not a charity pitch. It’s an Ibiza story that didn’t end when the island chapter closed. At its core, this episode is about evolution. How a place like Ibiza can change you, challenge you, and quietly influence the rest of your life in ways you don’t always recognise at the time. If you lived through Ibiza in the late 90s and early 2000s, this will resonate. If you’ve ever wondered what happens after a life built around music, freedom, and excess, this conversation is for you. 🎧 Sit back, take your time, and enjoy this next chapter. To find out more about Pure Sea, visit: www.puresea.co.uk We talk about: 🪩 Life during the Manumission era in Ibiza 🗺️ What happens when that world ends and reality returns ✈️ Leaving Ibiza and searching for identity afterwards 🌊 How the ocean became a turning point 🎗️ The connection between music culture and community action 🎧 Ibiza DJs and creatives giving back Chapters: 00:00 Ibiza, Manumission & Losing Identity 02:03 Welcome Back: Life After Manumission 05:43 When Ibiza Comes to an End 08:18 Travelling Thailand Changed Everything 10:04 Swimming With Sharks in Thailand 12:09 Australia, Diving & Marine Conservation 16:20 Cage Diving With Great White Sharks 19:29 From Ibiza to Ocean Activism 23:09 The Birth of Pure Sea 27:23 Why Registering a Charity Is So Hard 32:47 Beach Cleans With DJs & Fatboy Slim 34:00 Cleaning Up Camden Lock 40:38 Teaching Ocean Awareness in Schools 45:15 Why Helium Balloons Kill Wildlife 51:22 Why the Education System Must Change 57:04 Animal Testing, Activism & Awareness 1:01:43 Food Waste & Overconsumption 1:03:53 Why Everyone Should Watch My Octopus Teacher 1:07:21 One Last Tune From Manumission 1:09:45 A Labour of Love For guest invitations, sponsorship proposals, and collaboration enquiries, please contact Dexter: [email protected]

Who documented Ibiza before everyone had a camera? Before podcasts, before social media, and long before everyone had a camera in their pocket, Ibiza’s club culture was documented by a small group of presenters, hosts, and storytellers working quietly behind the scenes. In this episode of The Dexter Jones Podcast, I sit down with Katie Knight, one of the most influential yet often overlooked voices in dance music media, to explore how Ibiza’s club history was captured during its most important years. From her early days at Amnesia Ibiza to hosting interviews for Amnesia TV, Boiler Room, Ibiza Global Radio, the International Music Summit, and live broadcasts for Amazon Music, Katie has spent over a decade documenting the artists, venues, and moments that shaped Ibiza and the global electronic music scene. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the media side of dance music. We talk candidly about working inside Ibiza’s clubs during the 2010s, being thrown into high-pressure interviews with artists like Carl Cox, Marco Carola, and Steve Aoki with little or no preparation, and why presenters and hosts play a critical role in preserving dance music history. We also explore career advice for aspiring presenters and podcasters, the importance of communication and public speaking, the realities of live broadcasting, radio versus filmed interviews, cultural and language fluency in Ibiza, online abuse in the modern era, and why nostalgia-driven storytelling resonates more than hype. This is not an episode about trends or algorithms. It’s about legacy, documentation, and the responsibility to tell the story properly. If you care about Ibiza, club culture, dance music history, or the people who built the scene behind the scenes, this episode is essential listening. 🎧 Take your time with this one. We talk about: 🇪🇸 Life inside Ibiza clubs before social media 📺 How Amnesia TV documented a generation of artists 🎤 Being thrown into interviews with no training or prep 🪩 The unseen role of presenters in dance music culture 📻 Radio vs filmed interviews and the power of storytelling ❌ Misogyny, online abuse, and resilience in the industry 🎬 Why nostalgia content connects more deeply than hype ❤️ Preserving Ibiza’s cultural history properly Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Katie Knight 02:00 Wanting to be a presenter from the age of five 06:00 Growing up in Spain and becoming bilingual 10:00 Discovering Ibiza and early connections 14:30 First steps into Ibiza club culture 19:00 Life inside Amnesia: press, social media, and long days 24:00 Amnesia TV begins: thrown in the deep end 30:00 Interviewing artists every night, seven days a week 35:30 Ibiza mornings, terraces, and club culture nostalgia 40:30 Why Amnesia still feels like family 46:00 Boiler Room, press rooms, and the smell of Ibiza 51:00 From Amnesia to radio and global platforms 56:30 Radio vs filmed interviews: storytelling with the senses 1:01:30 Interviewing global stars and handling entourages 1:06:30 Misogyny, online abuse, and resilience 1:11:30 Podcasting, editing, and the unseen workload 1:16:00 Why nostalgia interviews outperform hype 1:20:00 Presenting around the world: Middle East and beyond 1:24:00 Legacy, pride, and documenting Ibiza properly 1:27:30 One More Tune For guest invitations, sponsorship proposals, and collaboration enquiries, please contact Dexter: [email protected]

The world’s highest DJ set and the story behind it In 2018, a team from Last Night A DJ Saved My Life made dance music history. Alongside Nightmares on Wax, the LNADJ crew climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and performed what was, at the time, the highest-altitude DJ set ever recorded, all to raise money for children in need. The challenge raised thousands of pounds, funded a new housing unit for a special-needs children’s home in Tanzania, and has since been turned into a full two-hour documentary titled Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. In this episode of The Dexter Jones Podcast, I sit down with Neil Kemp, the LNADJ filmmaker who climbed alongside the team, carried the cameras up the mountain, battled 10 per cent oxygen, freezing temperatures, and exhaustion, and ultimately brought this record-breaking moment to life on screen. This conversation goes far beyond the headline. We talk about the realities of filming at extreme altitude, the technical and physical challenges of DJing on a mountain, the emotional moments that unfolded during the climb, and how a charity-led idea turned into a powerful piece of dance music history. The record itself has since been surpassed, but the purpose, impact, and legacy of this climb remain unmatched. This is not a hype story. It’s a story about commitment, creativity, and using dance music culture to create real-world change. 🎧 Take your time with this one. We talk about: 🎚️ How the 2018 world-record DJ set happened 🏔️ The technical nightmare of DJing at extreme altitude 🧠 Mental and physical challenges on the climb ❤️ Raising money and creating lasting change in Tanzania 🎬 Turning a near-lost project into a feature-length documentary 🌕 The next challenge: the world’s highest full-moon party in Nepal Chapters: 00:00 DJing on Mount Kilimanjaro – World’s Highest DJ Set Intro 02:18 Last Night a DJ Saved My Life – The Moment That Sparked Everything 05:41 How a Broken Microphone Changed the Direction of the Journey 09:12 Clubaholic TV and Filming Dance Music Culture 13:04 Falling in Love With House Music and DJ Culture 16:38 Why This Kilimanjaro DJ Set Had to Be Documented 20:11 Preparing to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro – Training and Planning 24:07 Life on the Mountain – The Reality of High Altitude 28:19 Summit Night on Kilimanjaro – Mind Over Instinct 32:02 Sunrise at 5,895m – Above the Clouds 35:08 The DJ Set on Mount Kilimanjaro – The World’s Highest Performance 39:14 Descending Kilimanjaro – The Hardest Part of the Climb 42:03 Raising Money for Charity in Tanzania 46:08 Turning the Kilimanjaro Climb Into a Documentary Film 49:32 What Happened After the 2018 Kilimanjaro DJ Set 52:14 What’s Next for the Charity and Future Projects 54:40 Final Thoughts on the Kilimanjaro Experience For guest invitations, sponsorship proposals, and collaboration enquiries, please contact Dexter: [email protected]

If you lived, worked, or partied in Ibiza during the 90s or early 2000s, you already know her name. If you didn’t, this episode offers one of the most honest insider accounts of Ibiza’s most outrageous era. In this episode of The Dexter Jones Podcast, I sit down with Lisa Good, one of the most creative and unforgettable characters to ever work in Ibiza nightlife. Lisa takes us deep inside the world of Manumission, a party still regarded by many as the greatest clubbing experience of all time. From the raw creativity of the entertainers to the madness inside Privilege, Space, and the old San Antonio West End, this conversation captures Ibiza’s golden years exactly as they were lived. We trace Lisa’s journey from being bullied as a teenager to finding escape in rave culture, Spiral Tribe festivals, Club UK, and eventually booking a Teletext ticket to Ibiza in 1994. Arriving alone, she found a family in the West End and was accidentally pulled into Manumission after walking in with painted costumes, vegetables, and no plan. Only in Ibiza. Lisa shares vivid, never-before-heard stories about backstage chaos, the entertainers, the dressing rooms, the rubber chicken, the Coca Loco tree, Dennis Rodman, Space Tuesday carry on, Ibiza Uncovered, the end of the West End era, and friendships that lasted a lifetime. This episode also reflects on the cultural shift from pre-social-media Ibiza to the modern VIP era, and why the freedom, creativity, and sense of belonging of that time can never truly be recreated. If you lived through San Antonio in the mid-90s, worked a season, partied at Privilege when Manumission ruled the island, or simply want to understand why Ibiza changed so many lives, this conversation will resonate deeply. This is not revisionist nostalgia. It is one of the most detailed interviews ever recorded about the creativity, escapism, and human energy that defined Manumission and a generation of club culture. 🎧 Take your time with this one. We talk about: 🪩 Manumission backstage stories and entertainer secrets 🍸 Life in San Antonio’s West End in the 90s 🌈 Why Ibiza gave so many people a second childhood 🎶 Space, Carry On, DC10, and the rise of morning culture 📺 How Ibiza Uncovered changed the island forever 🧠 What really made Manumission the greatest party in history 🔚 Why today’s club scene will never feel the same Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Meeting Lisa Good 01:05 Arriving in Ibiza for the first time (1994) 03:02 Getting lost in the West End 05:14 Finding the people who changed her life 07:32 Bullying, escapism, and rave culture 09:58 Spiral Tribe, Club UK, and Teletext holidays 12:10 Returning to Ibiza alone 14:36 Life in the West End: jobs and friendships 17:04 Why Ibiza felt like home 19:28 Ibiza before social media 21:40 Ibiza Uncovered and the island’s transformation 24:15 Discovering Manumission 26:22 The legendary random audition 28:40 Becoming a Manumission entertainer 31:33 Costumes, characters, and chaos 33:56 The rubber chicken and crowd reactions 36:14 Madness at Privilege 38:58 Space Tuesday carry on 41:42 Ibiza as a second childhood 44:10 The Ibiza blues 46:18 The end of the West End era 48:40 The rise of the VIP generation 51:05 Why Manumission will never be repeated 53:33 Creativity, escapism, and identity 55:18 The lost art of fun and freedom 57:12 What Ibiza meant to a generation 59:01 Final thoughts from Lisa Good For guest invitations, sponsorship proposals, and collaboration enquiries, please contact Dexter: [email protected]