In Session: Sven Väth

Where do you start with Sven Väth?

We think that; Baba, Baba. Mmhm, Mmhm. Aha, Aha, is a good place to start.

In 1986, those little noises at the beginning of 'Electrica Salsa' marked the start of something very special. Not only special for the man who uttered them, but special for the world of electronic music, for it was the beginning of one of the most illustrious careers that dance music has ever seen. If there's one man that embodies everything good about dance music it's Sven Väth.

The German powerhouse has been active for over 30 years and in that time he's paved the way for countless musicians and selectors to come through and make a name for themselves. He's the man behind Cocoon, one of the best record labels, parties and club brands in the world. Now in it's 17th season in Ibiza, Cocoon is the jewell in Amnesia's crown. He's been the king of that terrace since he started playing there and although the times have changed, his dedication to the craft has remained the same. You'll always catch him playing on vinyl, often waving the records above his head with a cheeky smile on his face all the while.

But Cocoon itself has been operating for 20 years and in this month's issue we documented the brand's rise over the last two decades. Speaking about Sven and Cocoon, longtime friend and collaborator Luciano offered up a pretty accurate description of proceedings;

"It's about music. It's about Sven, it's about sharing, it's about love, it's about the experience, it's about a musical genre and a musical philosophy."

We'll never forget our experience at his 50th birthday at TimeWarp in Mannheim, quite easily one of the best events we've had the pleasure of attending and one that sums up what Luciano was saying.

With an all-star line-up that he was part of and one that included DJ Koze and Chaos partner Richie Hawtin, Väth turned in two, three hour sets, both of which spanned side-winding techno, intricate house and all-out classics. To describe the affair as life-changing would be about right, and everyone who attended would probably agree.