Crashed cars, one pool, one summer in Ibiza: New Order's first No. 1

In April 1988 New Order flew to Ibiza to record.

They chose Mediterranean Studios over Peter Gabriel's brand new Real World Studios in Bath. The reason had nothing to do with sound quality.

Mediterranean had a swimming pool, a 24 hour bar served by a barman called Herman the German who was actually Spanish, and was located at the end of a dusty lane where a man sold things. Bernard Sumner described the studio itself as rubbish. Walls covered in green shag-pile carpet with flies nesting in it. Geared for heavy metal bands.

None of that mattered.

They were going out to Amnesia and Pacha every night, discovering Balearic beat and acid house from DJs like Alfredo until the not so early hours. One club they visited didn't open until 9AM. Peter Hook later said he was losing his bass lines by the bar. Stephen Morris hated the sun so he was the only one who actually worked, sitting in the studio building drum tracks while Sumner and Hook topped up their tans by the pool.

Legend has it eleven hire cars were crashed during the sessions. Tony Wilson called it the most expensive holiday New Order ever had.

They completed about 20% of the album in Ibiza. Finished it at Real World in Bath, which Sumner described as a much more sober atmosphere.

Fine Time was written by Sumner essentially alone after a night out. Hook woke up the next morning to find a largely electronic track and had to fight for his bass cameo.

Technique was released January 30th 1989. New Order's first number one album in the UK.