The essence of Time Warp according to the DJs that play there

Time Warp is finally back in the US!

Back in 1994, Time Warp established an annual meeting place for the international techno scene, beautifully colliding electronic music and oscillating visual technology. A well-done festival, run by dance music lovers like ourselves, it has continued to bloom, bringing the underground from Mannheim, Germany to the main stage in Brazil, the Czech Republic and the United States.

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For Time Warp’s 25th anniversary, they have decided to return to NYC after a four year hiatus. This New York iteration is sure to be a massive and immersive party, set in the industrial palace of the New York Expo center. Ahead of the event, we’ve asked a collections of artists on the line-up, including Amelie Lens, Pan-Pot, Enzo Siragusa, Mind Against, Renier Zonneveld and Cosmopop Co-Founder, Robin Ebinger, to enlighten us on their personal connection with the legacy of Time Warp and the scene in the United States.

Read their takes below, but as Robin Ebinger tells us, “you have to be there to feel it.”

Read this next: The Tracks That Defined Time Warp

I’ve heard you research your destination and venue before you come to play. Did you do that for Time Warp in NYC? How does that impact the vibe you’re curating?

I used to do this a lot the first two years I started touring, I always want to play the best set possible and felt a bit insecure and inexperienced every time I had to play in a new place. This is my fourth gig in NYC so I am more confident to play this time, I’ve also played Time Warp several times so I think I know what to expect.

You are an integral part of most major techno festivals around the world, but is there an aspect of Time Warp that stands out to you as making it more unique?

You can only grow so big by being one of the best and work really hard. I always feel that everything about their events stands out. I remember when I first started playing for them me and my tour manager said to each other that we wished all gigs were like this. Everything is so well organized from start to finish. As touring artists, the most stressful moments are when things go wrong… When drivers are late, the early or late check in/out are not booked, the DJ set up is not correct or the sound in the DJ booth is not how it should be. Thus shows at Time Warp, during which you know everything will go smoothly, are something I’m always grateful for. On top of that the sound and production are always outstanding!

You rapidly rose to popularity in the past couple years, growing a passionate fan base around the world. That said, can you describe the special connection you have with your US audience?

I had never been to the US and I remember I once got a comment on Instagram saying, 'we don’t have this kind of techno here.' And I honestly had no idea what he meant. Wasn’t techno everywhere? Every weekend in clubs all over the world? Growing up in Belgium I’ve been going to big techno festivals since I was 15, we had festivals like I Love Techno with insane lineups for ten thousands of people, most clubs always booked house and techno DJs. I’ve never realized how lucky and spoiled I was until I started traveling and understood it’s not as popular worldwide as I thought it was… But because house and techno music is so popular in Europe, that also means you often have a mixed crowd, people go out not knowing who is playing or they follow their friends. But whenever I play in the US I can feel every single person knows what to expect, many even traveled to come to the gig. My last US show was in Miami and I think I ended up playing 6hours. I would have played longer but I had a flight to catch!

What’s one memory that stands out from your time with Time Warp?

When I played Time Warp in Mannheim the first time. It was always a dream to play there so this was an emotional day for me. Just arriving to the hotel, seeing all the artists together and realizing I was a part of it... I barely ate that day because I felt so nervous playing in Room 1 after Carl Cox. My anxiety disappeared as soon as I put my headphones on. It’s always the anticipation that hits me the hardest in all of this, during the actual show I’m always in my comfort zone!

You’ve played at Time Warp every year since 2012, how has the event evolved in that time and how has your approach changed over the last eight years performing there?

Tassilo: TW has always been one of the most important events of the year for us. Over the years we’ve become friends with the TW crew and we enjoy every single event more and more. The production is improving every year and they probably have the highest level of professional production background in the scene already…They are always on top of their game and that’s what makes the whole TW experience so unique.

You are an integral part of most major techno festivals around the world, but is there an aspect of Time Warp that stands out to you as making it more unique?

Tassilo: Their love for the perfect indoor stage setting is unbeatable. The experience for the crowd is insane. Great sound and the installations are just on another level.

How does the crowd, atmosphere and experience differ when you bring your Berlin techno to the states?

Tassilo: It doesn’t differ so much anymore these days. In the past years the scene in the US has gotten very much into the Pan-Pot style of Techno and this makes us very happy and proud :)

Back in the days we were trying to slowly feed some stronger Techno and lighten it up with some more Tech-House tracks.

What’s one memory that stands out from your time with Time Warp?

Thomas: The first closing slot that we got on Floor 3 at TW Mannheim. The Vibe and the crowd was insane. I think it was one of the best closings we've ever played.

How do you approach a set at Time Warp compared to a usual headline set at a normal club night?

Timewarp is a big event, and the scale of an event like this will ultimately dictate the style of music you might play. It’s an honour to be asked to play, so you’re going to aspire to deliver something special. Especially on those sound systems!

Why are traveling festival brands like Time Warp important to the global dance music industry? What do they add to the global scene?

Timewarp set the bar, they are a cut above. Other scenes, cultures, countries might not get to experience such an event, on such a scale, with such a high standard of production, sound, and attention to detail as what they would deliver. I know how passionate they are about the rave, and how hard working the team are. Myself and the team behind FUSE have learned a lot from them over the years, as I’m sure many other DJs and brands that have worked with them have too. Globally, they’ve not only inspired the ravers, but also DJs and other brands, and that can only be a positive thing for the scene and it’s growth.

Why is it important for Time Warp to bring it's festival to NYC and the US?

New York has a lot of history and culture in dance music, and Timewarp is a pillar of the European scene. Its hugely important to give people in the US who might not be able to make it to the flagship Mannheim event a flavour of that.

What is unique about Time Warp and what sets it apart from any other festival in the world?

Cosmopop’s high standard of attention to detail is unparalleled in any production team I’ve ever worked with, and I’m sure most will agree. They have so much history, culture, and trust, and that comes from putting on so many events over a long period of time. Whether it’s a small club, or a festival as big as Sonus, it’s just quality, and that’s what they stand for. As someone that’s involved in putting on events, and wants to put on the perfect rave, they’ve inspired me.

How do you approach a set at an event the size of Time Warp compared to a usual headline set at a normal club night?

Totally differently; big scale events are more straight-to-the-point, as we have less time to create our own universe. We keep our usual vibe, but more energy-focused. Both types are complementary.

Why are traveling festival brands like Time Warp important to the global dance music industry? What do they add to the global scene?

They give our music more strength on a global scale, and guarantee the crowd high-end production and care for details. The offer of events grows wider and wider, so we know in advance that playing Time Warp will ensure everyone has the best possible experience. We value that a lot

What is unique about Time Warp that you've seen so far, and what sets it apart from any other festival in the world?

As said above, the curation and production are very high standard. Time Warp creates a unique vibe that’s been around for 25 years now. Every event they throw immediately becomes an industry meeting point

What’s one thing that excites you the most about playing Time Warp your first time?

We’re so happy that our first time is happening in NY, a city that’s always been very important and responsive to our music

How do you approach a set at Time Warp compared to a usual headline set at a normal club night?

The same as all my sets; I’m going to give everything. Because I always play live, I have the chance to play my own music every weekend. This way I constantly practice and keep improving. The workflow in my live set is very streamlined and accessible, so although there is a very big amount of different elements in the set, I know where to find everything, so I’m able to do whatever I feel like on the spot during the set.

Why are traveling festival brands like Time Warp important to the global dance music industry? What do they add to the global scene?

It’s a great way to share experiences in music and production and bring it to the people to experience new things themselves! It’s important to share and spread music around the world between different cultures.

Why is it important for Time Warp to bring it's festival to NYC and the US?

Not everybody is lucky enough to be able to travel around the globe for a festival like Time Warp. By bringing this festival to NYC it’s possible for many people to experience Time Warp in real life instead of via an online stream.

What is unique about Time Warp and what sets it apart from any other festival in the world?

Dream line-ups and production - one of the few international “benchmarks" for techno festivals that has been around since the start of big techno events.

What’s one memory that stands out from your time with Time Warp?

My first time coming to Time Warp as a visitor long time ago, my phone died early in the night, ended up losing everybody, only to find them at 1pm at Richie Hawtin…Great night though!

Why is it important for Time Warp to bring its festival to NYC and the US?

We believe that the NYC scene is an important place to showcase our brand, and we are honored to share our idea of a perfect techno festival with the American audience. Thanks to our local partner Teksupport, we have the chance to come back after a four-year break and produce the final show of our 25 years anniversary tour.

Can you speak to Time Warp’s presence in the USA and how it speaks to the growing strength of house and techno here as a whole?

When we had our first edition in 2014 there was obviously a huge dominance of EDM in the scene and media. However, underground Techno has always been here in the USA. I myself grew up with Detroit Techno sounds, we featured these guys already in the early 90s on our shows. Techno and house have definitely long roots and heritage here and brands like Time Warp help to catalyze the passion and unfold the development for this scene.

In your words, what sets Time Warp apart from other festivals in the world?

I believe what sets Time Warp apart from other festivals is our DNA: We come from the dancefloor. We do everything from the heart, and we have a close connection to the scene and to the artists—especially Steffen—one of my partners. I think this passion and the fact that we love what we do really makes a big difference. The fans and the artists can feel that we have not lost our authenticity; we are still very nervous before each show!

We try to offer our guests the perfect marriage between music and technology to create an unforgettable experience.

The edition in Mannheim Germany, which is our home base, is large-scale, but nevertheless it feels intimate with a clubbing atmosphere. With its 19-hour duration and seven dancefloors, it's quite an intense party. It's also the first big international festival to take place after winter ends, and although it's indoors, people perceive it as the "kick-off" for festival season. As a result, lots of people from around the globe come to celebrate in Mannheim. You get the feeling of a big family gathering. The artist come early before their set, stay longer, visit their artist colleagues whilst they play. Some artists who aren't even playing the festival that year end up coming to Mannheim because they don’t want to miss meeting with so many friends and family.

I’ll repeat what everybody says: you have to be there to feel it.

What’s one memory that stands out from Time Warp’s legacy?

Well there are a lot of memories and stories. I would like to pick the “Guude Laune” phenomena of Sven Väth in 2006. He went to the mic during his set in 2006 and presented his motto of the evening, which was “Guude Laune”—this translates to being in a cheerful mood and having a good time. (I believe that having a good time and enjoying moments on the dancefloor is a key to happiness in general.)

Sven enriched this motto with various other sentences and exclamations. Some were a mixture of German and English such as “The message is Feierei” which means, "the message is to party."

What he probably didn’t realize was that the set was streamed on public radio. I believe that was the first real "viral" thing that went up on the internet around Time Warp. A few days after the set there were interactive websites set up, where people could pick different buttons that each played a different sentence from that infamous night. Then the weekend after Time Warp, Sven played somewhere abroad and lots of fans on the dancefloor brought flags with “Guude Laune." Over the following summer, the phrase was eventually picked up as a mantra by festival goers of all types, including Rock festivals. “Guude Laune" was all over the news and in feature articles in the culture section of huge German daily papers.

Time Warp is really a place where weird and special unique things can unfold. Magic is always bound to happen.

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