Sven Väth
Biography
Sven Väth is a rare breed. You could count on one hand the names whose influence has been so sublimely powerful that dance music would - very literally, and without hyperbole - look different without them. Then again, the Cocoon founder and Ibiza staple’s career has been a rare one.
After a summer in Ibiza subsidised by jobseeker’s allowance at the age of 17, Väth fell in love with the White Isle, determined one day to return. Musical success wasn’t long behind; at 22, he released ‘Electronic Salsa’ as part of the trio Off alongside Michael Münzing and Luca Anziloti. The track was such a success across Europe that it sold over one million copies, and Väth had become a pop star.
Always with one eye on the future, Väth co-founded the Frankfurt club Omen in 1988, which is now considered a primary birthplace of German techno. In 1996, Väth’s now iconic Cocoon brand began as a series of parties. Financially strained at first, Cocoon relaunched in 1999 as a party, booking agency and record label, showcasing famous names including Riccardo Villalobos, Dubfire and Väth himself.
In the summer of ‘99, Mar T of Ibiza superclub Amnesia offered Väth the opportunity to have Amnesia house his Cocoon parties every Monday. It stuck, and there, Cocoon has housed a spectacular array of the best DJs in the world. Väth was home. In 2018, Cocoon relocated to Pacha, and its spirit is stronger than ever.
