DJ Mag

Top 100 DJs / 48. Sven Väth

2009

48. Sven Väth

Style: Techno, house, electronica.
Best known for: Wild parties.
Gig of 2009: All Cocoon Ibiza shows at Amnesia.
Tune of 2009: Michel Cleis 'La Mezcla' (Cadenza Records)
Breakthrough DJ/Producer of 2009: Cassy
The track that changed your life: Kraftwerk 'Computer World'

What makes a good DJ great: His passion and his love to select and entertain.
Most underrated DJ: Dorian Paic
Biggest challenge this year: Celebrating ten years of Cocoon Ibiza!
Top tech toy: MacBook Air

It's hard to believe that it's been a decade since Sven Väth started his Cocoon residency in Ibiza's Amnesia. The veteran Frankfurt DJ's Monday night party has been one of the most seminal clubs over the past ten years, shifting the musical focus on the White Island from commercial house and trance to underground techno. Väth and Cocoon paved the way for other techno nights in Ibiza and fostered the minimal techno explosion from Germany. Unsurprisingly then, Sven is quick to cite Amnesia as one of the best clubs he played at this year, as well as his Cocoon club in Frankfurt.

However, he also rates the Green & Blue and Astropolis festivals and Watergate in Berlin, London's Matter, the Goa Club in Rome and Tokyo's Womb, as they have a combination of "wild sexy music and wild sexy people in amazing places".

A vinyl purist, Väth believes that the house and techno scenes are healthy - "The sound is always changing but the spirit is still the same" - but he retains a modicum of sceptisim about the next generation of DJs.

"In the future, DJs won't be able to mix records anymore," he jokes.

Over the coming months, Väth is going to release his annual state of the nation mix CD - 'The Sound of the Tenth Season' - as well as "a DVD to celebrate our tenth anniversary on the island", before embarking on one of his renowned, gruelling tours to promote Cocoon all over the globe.

Words: Richard Brophy