Tracklist: (1) Sven Väth – L'Esperanza (Original Album Version) (DE-Q20-24-00009)
(2) Sven Väth – L'Esperanza (Hardspace Mix) (DE-Q20-24-00010)


L'Esperanza (Hope) is undoubtedly one of Sven Väth's greatest hits. After more than 30 years, we are very proud to revive this timeless masterpiece for you on Cocoon Recordings. The artwork of the A-side is from the original 12" cover, which was released on Eye Q Records back then. Anyone who knows Sven recognizes that he has always felt free and evolved in terms of appearance and style. That's why we instantly loved the idea of Sven re-staging himself in the same pose but in a new guise. This picture disc documents a 30-year-long transformation, both sonically and visually. It is a beautiful journey through time and a true collector’s item.

A1: L'Esperanza (Original Album Version) 1993 Produced in 1993, this track has certainly not lost any of its charm over the years. Lovely string sounds envelop you in a cloud of comfort, while the filtered downbeat emphasizes this feeling of lightness. The catchy tune of the playful synthesizer melody invites you to close your eyes and start dreaming. Let yourself fall into a deep state of meditation and trance. The airy electric bassline comes with a charismatic power and opens a door to the subconscious, calling on you to dive deep. The atmosphere of this composition sits somewhere between drifting through the sea and hovering through space.

B1: L'Esperanza (Hardspace Mix) 2023 A revised version of the "Hope Will Move Mountains Mix" by "Visions Of Shiva" occurs on the B-Side in the form of Len Faki’s hardspace mix. Len is renowned for his elegant edits and refined modifications as part of his side project, this time delivering a stripped-down 135 BPM version that fits perfectly into the current zeitgeist. A club version of "L'Esperanza" that radiates a high level of euphoric energy, constantly pushing the rhythm patterns forward. All hands go up in the air at the latest when the piano part starts in the middle section. Let’s go back to the good old days of the original 90s trance sound since the cheerful arpeggio synth melody takes us along.

What is certain, you can't tell that either version has been around for 30 years.


More

- 3x12“ gatefold vinyl – with turquoise foil embossing

Tracklisting:

LP
1. (A1) Sven Väth – Silvi‘s Dream (Damiano Von Erckert Remix)
2. (A2) Sven Väth – What I Used To Play (Roman Flügel Remix)
3. (B1) Sven Väth – The Worm (Robag Wruhme Remix)
4. (B2) Sven Väth – We Are (Jonathan Kaspar Remix)
5. (C1) Sven Väth – Feiern (Krystal Klear Remix)
6. (C2) Sven Väth – Mystic Voices (Benjamin Damage Remix)
7. (D1) Sven Väth – Nyx (PAS Deep Heet Remix)
8. (D2) Sven Väth – Butoh (Robert Hood Remix)
9. (E1) Sven Väth – Nyx (Planetary Assault Systems Remix)
10. (E2) Sven Väth – Being In Love (Harald Björk Remix)
11. (F1) Sven Väth – Catharsis (Mano Le Tough Remix)
12. (F2) Sven Väth – Silvi‘s Dream (Florian Hollerith Remix)

The life-affirming energy at the heart of Sven Väth‘s recent album Catharsis is revisited, reanimated,
and remixed by some of the most exciting names around, closing the circle on a superlative burst of
recent work that has not only given us the epic original LP, but also the extraordinary compilation What
I Used To Play.

Roman Flügel, Benjamin Damage, Robert Hood, Planetary Assault Systems, Mano Le Tough… do we
need to go on? This hand-picked list of luminaries have answered the call and certainly don’t
disappoint, each fusing their signature sound with Sven‘s DNA to create a wild, uncompromising
companion piece to the original album.

True to form, the running order is very much rooted on the dance floor, Silvi‘s Dream, revisited by
Damiano von Erckert, explodes like a Balearic sunrise. Dreamy strings with a touch of Detroit create a
lovely atmosphere while the beautiful piano sound goes right into your heart and appears as if you
could feel the warm sun on your skin. Roman Flügel’s acidic rework of What I Used To Play is a
homage to the 80s and the early sound of electronic music which creates nostalgic feelings and offers
a greatly produced retro soundscape à la Kraftwerk. Staying close to the original, but with the perfect
amount of spin, it’s a symbiotic interplay of synthetic bass pads, and a tiny bell melody. Robag
Wruhme’s cranking minimal funk takes us down The Worm-hole. A concise interference sound builds
up sustained tension, tangled but structured, deep and yet driving. Robag took over the deep and dirty
rhythms of the original perfectly and delivers a versatile piece. This opening salvo oozes quality and
sets things up perfectly for the electrified celebration of hi-octane technology come.

Jonathan Kaspar‘s growling interpretation of We Are provides a melancholic atmosphere with
fascinating percussion parts. Zaps shoot through the air like small laser pistols while we let ourselves
be carried away by the bass, the frisky vocal stutter effect is the icing on the cake. Speeding things up,
the euphoric trance that engulfs Krystal Klear’s epic version of Feiern. Expansive strings increase up
to ecstasy and guide us to a love-filled unity. This remix is sure to be an excellent peak-time smasher
for the open-air season. On to a wild ride of pure techno with Benjamin Damage, who delivers a dry
and uncompromising Berlin Techno version of Mystic Voices. Harder pace but the string synthesizer
harmony brings light to an otherwise gloomy environment. Next up is Luke Slater’s PAS Deep Heet
Mix to add a retro nineties vibe to proceedings on Nyx. Entering a rough space with gigantic clap
impacts, we are blessed with straightforward Techno. Shimmering and spooling, this groove hits the
mark. Then, as if it was ever in doubt, Sven‘s lofty place in the techno firmament is underlined by a
peak-time contribution by non-less than Detroit legend Robert Hood. Unmistakable, you must
recognize the signature Robert Hood drive on Butoh. Chord stabs fulfill the Detroit feeling with offtaking string elements and high-energy vocal transformations. It’s a warm embrace that triggers
emotions. Planetary Assault Systems then blasts things ever deeper into the cosmos on a second
outing of Nyx. Reduced and to the point but of course, true to form, with powerful tribal percussion
parts and intensive cutting hi-hats.

From there on in, the collection gradually re-enters the atmosphere, burning with a phosphorescent,
melancholy glow. Harald Björk extrapolates Being In Love into a hypnotic groove for the early hours. A
playful and atmospheric electronica interpretation to soothe our souls due to disharmonious synth
pads and a dreamy deformation of the original melody. Mano Le Tough harnesses the ethno-rhythms
and brooding energy of Catharsis into a low-slung, tribal stomper. Anomalous organ parts ring out and
link up with a trance-like sequence, summer feelings arouse as you feel like you can almost smell
Ibizan air. The collection comes full circle with a second equally seductive interpretation of Silvi‘s
Dream by Florian Hollerith. Stripped-down and hypnotic, the homage to Sven's girlfriend Silvi is
extended as a reverence to Sven himself. Sven's profound vocals clearly infuse time and space and
leave a forever-lasting memory of love.

By accident or design, it somehow leaves us with the reassuring sense that, although this specific part
of the journey may be drawing to a close, the mission of the man behind it all most definitely isn't.

written & produced by: Sven Väth & Gregor Tresher More

- exclusive 12x12" vinyl box set with silver hot foil embossing
- twelve individual colored disco sleeves with distinct full-size portraits of Sven from the 80s

Tracklisting:

LP
1. (A1) Logic System - Unit
2. (A2) Kraftwerk - Computerwelt (2009 Remastered)
3. (B1) Whodini - Magic's Wand
4. (B2) Rocker's Revenger - Walking on Sunshine (feat. Donnie Calvin)
5. (C1) Klein & MBO - Dirty Talk (European Connection)
6. (D1) Liaisons Dangereuses - Los Niños Del Parque
7. (D2) Yello - Bostich
8. (E1) The The - Giant
9. (F1) The Residents - Kaw-Liga
10. (G1) Clan Of Xymox - Stranger
11. (G2) A Split - Second - Flesh
12. (H1) Severed Heads - Dead Eyes Opened
13. (H2) The Weathermen - Poison!
14. (I1) New Order - Blue Monday
15. (J1) Anne Clark - Our Darkness
16. (J2) 16 Bit - Where Are You?
17. (K1) Phuture - We Are Phuture
18. (K2) Model 500 - No UFO's (Vocal)
19. (L1) Frankie Knuckles feat. Jamie Principle - Your Love
20. (L2) Quest - Mind Games (Street Mix)
21. (M1) Jasper van't Hof - Pili Pili
22. (N1) Guem Et Zaka Percussion - Le Serpent
23. (N2) Hugh Masekela - Don't Go Lose It Baby
24. (O1) Sly & Robbie - Make 'Em Move
25. (O2) Brian Eno - David Byrne - Help Me Somebody
26. (P1) Primal Scream - Loaded (Andy Weatherall Mix)
27. (Q1) The Ecstasy Club - Jesus Loves The Acid
28. (R1) Foremost Poets - Reason To Be Dismal?
29. (S1) Lhasa - The Attic
30. (S2) A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray
31. (T1) M/A/R/R/S - Pump up the Volume - USA 12" Mix
32. (T2) Bobby Konders - Nervous Acid
33. (U1) Meat Beat Manifesto - Helter Skelter
34. (V1) Raze - Break 4 Love
35 (W1) Sueño Latino with Manuel Goettsching performing E2-E4
- Sueño Latino (Paradise Version)
36. (X1) OFF - Electrica Salsa


Sven Väth - What I Used To Play

For this uniquely personal retrospective spread over twelve vinyl discs, Sven Väth takes us back to the early days of his DJ career. On What I Used To Play we meet great pioneers of electronic music, gifted percussionists, obscure wave bands, and innovative producers of a bygone 'new electronic' era. Rough beats and irresistible grooves from the identification stage of house, techno, and acid remind us not just how far electronic music has evolved over the past four decades, but how great it was to dance to EBM, techno, and house for the very first time.

If there is one protagonist of the electronic music scene who has remained curious, innovative and at the very cutting edge of music for over four decades, it's Sven Väth. His multi-layered artist albums and Sound of the Season mix compilations have been defining the genre for over two decades, and even today, he is constantly on the lookout for the next top tune to add to the highlights of his next set. At least, that's the case when he's not producing them himself as an artist or remixer. "Actually, it's always been part of my DNA to think ahead," and nothing had been further from his mind than looking back at his past, but when in spring of 2020 the international DJ circuit had to be scaled down to virtually zero, the 'restless traveler' suddenly had time. Time to stop and reflect on "how it actually was back then, at the very beginning of my career..."

"It was a great trip and with every track, beautiful memories came flooding back".
In the London apartment, he had just moved into, Sven has set up a "little music room", where he cocooned himself for several days, "to look way back for the first time and review my musical journey through the eighties, so to speak."

The interim result was six thematically oriented playlists with a grand total of 120 tracks from 'early 80s' to 'Balearic late 80s', together with excursions into afrobeat, European new wave, and EBM sounds and a few epochal techno/house tracks from the USA in between. From these 'Best of Sven Väth's favorites', the project What I Used To Play crystallized. Sven remembers how the Cocoon team reacted to his proposal: "They found the idea of making a compilation out of it MEGA from the beginning and everyone said 'Sven, go for it', but then, of course, the work really started, namely, to clear the rights and to get clean sounding masters of the up to 40-year-old tracks. There was also disappointment, of course. We couldn't clear certain titles because the rights holders in the USA had fallen out with each other or simply disappeared from the scene. In short, it wasn't easy, but now I can safely say we got the most important tracks."

Finally, after two years of research, curation, design, and administrative fine-tuning, the "little retrospective" from 1981 to 1990 is available. The exquisitely packaged, and three-kilo heavy box set is not only physically impressive, WIUTP is also the definitive record of Sven Väth's musical development. On each of the twenty-four sides of vinyl, you can trace track by track, what influenced him during which phase, and how he took off as a DJ from his parents' Queen's Pub straight into the spotlight at Dorian Gray. There and at Vogue (later OMEN), Sven became the style-defining player in the DJ booth that he still is today.




1981 - 1990: Future Sounds of Now

In the early eighties, the crowd in clubs like Vogue and Dorian Gray danced to what nowadays we call 'dance classics' - mainly disco, funk, soul, and chart pop. It was up to a new generation of DJs, including Sven Väth, the youngest protagonist in the Rhine-Main area at the time, to create their own club-ready music mix. Good new tracks and potential floor-fillers were rarities that had to be sought out and found, in order to prove oneself worthy.
Without MP3s, internet streaming, or other digital download possibilities, music didn't just gravitate to the DJ, instead, it had to be tracked down. In well-stocked record stores in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden or even in Amsterdam, London, or New York, Sven and friends sourced the material for countless magical nights. On WIUTP we can follow Sven's very personal journey through this wild, innovative era in which synth-pop, funk, hip-hop, and disco were successively replaced as 'club music' by house, techno, acid, and breakbeat. By the end of the decade, it was clear to see that these once exotic 'fringe' phenomena would soon become 'mass' phenomena.



Early 80s

Dirty Talk by the Italian-American duo Klein & M.B.O. represents the most innovative phase of the Italo-disco genre in the early eighties like no other track. Mario Boncaldo (I) and Tony Carrasco relied entirely on the original synthetic drum and percussion sounds of the Roland TR-808, coupled with the raunchy vocals of Rossana Casale and guitar accents of Davide Piatto. Of course, other tracks from this period were also influential in style, most notably Unit by Logic System, which worked as the perfect soundtrack to the laser lighting system at the legendary Dorian Gray club. With stomping beats and robotic rap interludes, Bostich by Yello also belongs on Sven's eternal playlist - after all, it caught the attention of Afrikaa Bambaataa, who invited the Swiss duo to perform at the Roxy in New York in 1983.



EBM Wave - Mid 80s

From today's point of view, the almost ten-minute-long, downtempo track Giant by Matt Johnson's band project The The, would probably not be considered an obvious club classic. However, a closer (re)listen reveals the rhythmic intricacies of the percussion overdubs by JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus) on Johnson's composition, and it becomes clear why this exceptional piece of music is one of Sven's absolute favorites. Other classics from this phase include Kaw-Liga by the mysterious The Residents, the hypnotic-synthetic Our Darkness by Anne Clark (and David Harrow), and last but not least, the somber, monotonous anthem Where Are You? by 16Bit, one of Sven Väth's projects together with Michael Münzing, Luca Anzilotti from 1986.



US House - Late 80s

You certainly can't talk about Chicago house without mentioning Frankie Knuckles. The resident DJ at the Warehouse not only gave the name to an entire genre, but also produced epochal floor fillers on the Trax label like the timeless Your Love, sung (and moaned) by Jamie Principle. Acid house protagonists Phuture also hail from Chicago, and on We Are Phuture (also released on Trax) we hear the chirping acid sounds of the legendary Roland TB-303 in full effect. Another featured classic is No UFO's by Detroit's Model 500 aka Juan Atkins, who is rightly considered the 'Godfather of Techno' even if the genre-defining track from 1985 still breathes with the spirit of hip-hop and electro from the first breakdance era.





Afrobeat

Le Serpent, by Algerian-born Abdelmadjid Guemguem, is a track that sounds completely different from everything else on WIUTP. Made in 1978, it's a monumental, rousing groove created without bass or synths, just with five congas! Even though Guem sadly passed away in 2021, his immortal, acoustic beats are understood all over the world and will continue to enrich many thousands of DJ sets for years to come. Another classic that not only Sven appreciates beyond measure is Hugh Masekela's Don't Go Lose it, Baby. In addition to being one of the most important jazz pioneers, the trumpeter and freedom fighter from Johannesburg was very experimental, integrating electronic sounds into his music in later years, in a similar vein to Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Dutch jazz pianist Jasper van't Hof's afrobeat project Pili Pili has also aged well. The trance-like, almost sixteen-minute-long track of the same name, manages to fill a whole side on the seventh of twelve vinyl discs in the WIUTP box.



UK-US-Euro - Late 80s

Time for a change of scene, in the truest sense of the word, and from a musical perspective, this section is like landing on another planet. First up is Andrew Weatherall's classic remix of Primal Scream's Loaded, featuring the iconic Peter Fonda sample (lifted from the 1966 biker film Wild Angels) that came to personify the mood triggered by the British Second Summer of Love in the late eighties: "We wanna be free to do what we wanna do, and we wanna get loaded...". This period also saw the emergence of M/A/R/R/S whose only single, 1987's Pump Up The Volume, became a club classic with support from DJ legend CJ Mackintosh. In this most eclectic of sections, we also encounter New York house and reggae producer Bobby Konders and his seminal Nervous Acid.



Balearic - Late 80s

Those who know him, know that Sven had already lost his heart to the 'magic island' of Ibiza as a teenager, so with that in mind, the WIUTP project couldn't end without a Balearic chapter. Inspired by Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4, the immortal, eponymously titled Sueño Latino belongs in there without question. Equally popular on the island was, and still is Break 4 Love by Raze, which thinking about it, would also fit perfectly into the house chapter. Last, but not least, there's an overdue reunion with Sven Väth himself, in his role as frontman of the successful Frankfurt trio OFF. Together with Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti (later of Snap!) this 'Organization For Fun' created the off-the-wall club hit Electric Salsa in 1986 which incidentally turned into an international chart smash, putting Sven in the enviable position of having to decide between pop stardom and a DJ career. Well, we all know how that decision turned out and the rest, as they say, is history. A not insignificant part of his story is What I Used To Play. Enjoy!



More

- exclusive deluxe digipak slipcase with silver hot foil embossing



Tracklisting:

CD
1. (CD1) Logic System - Unit
2. (CD1) Kraftwerk - Computerwelt (2009 Remastered)
3. (CD1) Whodini - Magic's Wand
4. (CD1) Rocker's Revenger - Walking on Sunshine (feat. Donnie Calvin)
5. (CD1) Klein & MBO - Dirty Talk (European Connection)
6. (CD1) Liaisons Dangereuses - Los Niños Del Parque
7. (CD1) Yello - Bostich
8. (CD1) The The - Giant
9. (CD1) The Residents - Kaw-Liga
10. (CD1) Clan Of Xymox - Stranger
11. (CD1) A Split - Second - Flesh
12. (CD1) Severed Heads - Dead Eyes Opened
13. (CD1) 16 Bit - Where Are You?

1. (CD2) The Weathermen - Poison!
2. (CD2) New Order - Blue Monday
3. (CD2) Anne Clark - Our Darkness
4. (CD2) Phuture - We Are Phuture
5. (CD2) Model 500 - No UFO's (Vocal)
6. (CD2) Frankie Knuckles feat. Jamie Principle - Your Love
7. (CD2) Quest - Mind Games (Street Mix)
8. (CD2) Jasper van't Hof - Pili Pili
9. (CD2) Guem Et Zaka Percussion - Le Serpent
10. (CD2) Hugh Masekela - Don't Go Lose It Baby
11. (CD2) Sly & Robbie - Make 'Em Move

1. (CD3) Brian Eno - David Byrne - Help Me Somebody
2. (CD3) Primal Scream - Loaded (Andy Weatherall Mix)
3. (CD3) The Ecstasy Club - Jesus Loves The Acid
4. (CD3) Foremost Poets - Reason To Be Dismal?
5. (CD3) Lhasa - The Attic
6. (CD3) A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray
7. (CD3) M/A/R/R/S - Pump up the Volume - USA 12" Mix
8. (CD3) Bobby Konders - Nervous Acid
9. (CD3) Meat Beat Manifesto - Helter Skelter
10. (CD3) Raze - Break 4 Love
11. (CD3) Sueño Latino with Manuel Goettsching performing E2-E4
- Sueño Latino (Paradise Version)
12. (CD3) OFF - Electrica Salsa



Sven Väth - What I Used To Play

For this uniquely personal retrospective spread over twelve vinyl discs, Sven Väth takes us back to the early days of his DJ career. On What I Used To Play we meet great pioneers of electronic music, gifted percussionists, obscure wave bands, and innovative producers of a bygone 'new electronic' era. Rough beats and irresistible grooves from the identification stage of house, techno, and acid remind us not just how far electronic music has evolved over the past four decades, but how great it was to dance to EBM, techno, and house for the very first time.

If there is one protagonist of the electronic music scene who has remained curious, innovative and at the very cutting edge of music for over four decades, it's Sven Väth. His multi-layered artist albums and Sound of the Season mix compilations have been defining the genre for over two decades, and even today, he is constantly on the lookout for the next top tune to add to the highlights of his next set. At least, that's the case when he's not producing them himself as an artist or remixer. "Actually, it's always been part of my DNA to think ahead," and nothing had been further from his mind than looking back at his past, but when in spring of 2020 the international DJ circuit had to be scaled down to virtually zero, the 'restless traveler' suddenly had time. Time to stop and reflect on "how it actually was back then, at the very beginning of my career..."

"It was a great trip and with every track, beautiful memories came flooding back".
In the London apartment, he had just moved into, Sven has set up a "little music room", where he cocooned himself for several days, "to look way back for the first time and review my musical journey through the eighties, so to speak."

The interim result was six thematically oriented playlists with a grand total of 120 tracks from 'early 80s' to 'Balearic late 80s', together with excursions into afrobeat, European new wave, and EBM sounds and a few epochal techno/house tracks from the USA in between. From these 'Best of Sven Väth's favorites', the project What I Used To Play crystallized. Sven remembers how the Cocoon team reacted to his proposal: "They found the idea of making a compilation out of it MEGA from the beginning and everyone said 'Sven, go for it', but then, of course, the work really started, namely, to clear the rights and to get clean sounding masters of the up to 40-year-old tracks. There was also disappointment, of course. We couldn't clear certain titles because the rights holders in the USA had fallen out with each other or simply disappeared from the scene. In short, it wasn't easy, but now I can safely say we got the most important tracks."

Finally, after two years of research, curation, design, and administrative fine-tuning, the "little retrospective" from 1981 to 1990 is available. The exquisitely packaged, and three-kilo heavy box set is not only physically impressive, WIUTP is also the definitive record of Sven Väth's musical development. On each of the twenty-four sides of vinyl, you can trace track by track, what influenced him during which phase, and how he took off as a DJ from his parents' Queen's Pub straight into the spotlight at Dorian Gray. There and at Vogue (later OMEN), Sven became the style-defining player in the DJ booth that he still is today.




1981 - 1990: Future Sounds of Now

In the early eighties, the crowd in clubs like Vogue and Dorian Gray danced to what nowadays we call 'dance classics' - mainly disco, funk, soul, and chart pop. It was up to a new generation of DJs, including Sven Väth, the youngest protagonist in the Rhine-Main area at the time, to create their own club-ready music mix. Good new tracks and potential floor-fillers were rarities that had to be sought out and found, in order to prove oneself worthy.
Without MP3s, internet streaming, or other digital download possibilities, music didn't just gravitate to the DJ, instead, it had to be tracked down. In well-stocked record stores in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden or even in Amsterdam, London, or New York, Sven and friends sourced the material for countless magical nights. On WIUTP we can follow Sven's very personal journey through this wild, innovative era in which synth-pop, funk, hip-hop, and disco were successively replaced as 'club music' by house, techno, acid, and breakbeat. By the end of the decade, it was clear to see that these once exotic 'fringe' phenomena would soon become 'mass' phenomena.



Early 80s

Dirty Talk by the Italian-American duo Klein & M.B.O. represents the most innovative phase of the Italo-disco genre in the early eighties like no other track. Mario Boncaldo (I) and Tony Carrasco relied entirely on the original synthetic drum and percussion sounds of the Roland TR-808, coupled with the raunchy vocals of Rossana Casale and guitar accents of Davide Piatto. Of course, other tracks from this period were also influential in style, most notably Unit by Logic System, which worked as the perfect soundtrack to the laser lighting system at the legendary Dorian Gray club. With stomping beats and robotic rap interludes, Bostich by Yello also belongs on Sven's eternal playlist - after all, it caught the attention of Afrikaa Bambaataa, who invited the Swiss duo to perform at the Roxy in New York in 1983.



EBM Wave - Mid 80s

From today's point of view, the almost ten-minute-long, downtempo track Giant by Matt Johnson's band project The The, would probably not be considered an obvious club classic. However, a closer (re)listen reveals the rhythmic intricacies of the percussion overdubs by JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus) on Johnson's composition, and it becomes clear why this exceptional piece of music is one of Sven's absolute favorites. Other classics from this phase include Kaw-Liga by the mysterious The Residents, the hypnotic-synthetic Our Darkness by Anne Clark (and David Harrow), and last but not least, the somber, monotonous anthem Where Are You? by 16Bit, one of Sven Väth's projects together with Michael Münzing, Luca Anzilotti from 1986.



US House - Late 80s

You certainly can't talk about Chicago house without mentioning Frankie Knuckles. The resident DJ at the Warehouse not only gave the name to an entire genre, but also produced epochal floor fillers on the Trax label like the timeless Your Love, sung (and moaned) by Jamie Principle. Acid house protagonists Phuture also hail from Chicago, and on We Are Phuture (also released on Trax) we hear the chirping acid sounds of the legendary Roland TB-303 in full effect. Another featured classic is No UFO's by Detroit's Model 500 aka Juan Atkins, who is rightly considered the 'Godfather of Techno' even if the genre-defining track from 1985 still breathes with the spirit of hip-hop and electro from the first breakdance era.





Afrobeat

Le Serpent, by Algerian-born Abdelmadjid Guemguem, is a track that sounds completely different from everything else on WIUTP. Made in 1978, it's a monumental, rousing groove created without bass or synths, just with five congas! Even though Guem sadly passed away in 2021, his immortal, acoustic beats are understood all over the world and will continue to enrich many thousands of DJ sets for years to come. Another classic that not only Sven appreciates beyond measure is Hugh Masekela's Don't Go Lose it, Baby. In addition to being one of the most important jazz pioneers, the trumpeter and freedom fighter from Johannesburg was very experimental, integrating electronic sounds into his music in later years, in a similar vein to Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Dutch jazz pianist Jasper van't Hof's afrobeat project Pili Pili has also aged well. The trance-like, almost sixteen-minute-long track of the same name, manages to fill a whole side on the seventh of twelve vinyl discs in the WIUTP box.



UK-US-Euro - Late 80s

Time for a change of scene, in the truest sense of the word, and from a musical perspective, this section is like landing on another planet. First up is Andrew Weatherall's classic remix of Primal Scream's Loaded, featuring the iconic Peter Fonda sample (lifted from the 1966 biker film Wild Angels) that came to personify the mood triggered by the British Second Summer of Love in the late eighties: "We wanna be free to do what we wanna do, and we wanna get loaded...". This period also saw the emergence of M/A/R/R/S whose only single, 1987's Pump Up The Volume, became a club classic with support from DJ legend CJ Mackintosh. In this most eclectic of sections, we also encounter New York house and reggae producer Bobby Konders and his seminal Nervous Acid.



Balearic - Late 80s

Those who know him, know that Sven had already lost his heart to the 'magic island' of Ibiza as a teenager, so with that in mind, the WIUTP project couldn't end without a Balearic chapter. Inspired by Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4, the immortal, eponymously titled Sueño Latino belongs in there without question. Equally popular on the island was, and still is Break 4 Love by Raze, which thinking about it, would also fit perfectly into the house chapter. Last, but not least, there's an overdue reunion with Sven Väth himself, in his role as frontman of the successful Frankfurt trio OFF. Together with Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti (later of Snap!) this 'Organization For Fun' created the off-the-wall club hit Electric Salsa in 1986 which incidentally turned into an international chart smash, putting Sven in the enviable position of having to decide between pop stardom and a DJ career. Well, we all know how that decision turned out and the rest, as they say, is history. A not insignificant part of his story is What I Used To Play. Enjoy!



More

3LP, Gatefold, Deluxe Printed with Matt Plastificaton & Hot Foil Embossing

Tracklisting:
LP
1. (A1) Sven Väth - What I Used To Play
2. (A2) Sven Väth - The Worm
3. (B1) Sven Väth - Catharsis
4. (B2) Sven Väth - The Inner Voice
5. (C1) Sven Väth - Mystic Voices
6. (C2) Sven Väth - Nyx
7. (D1) Sven Väth - Butoh
8. (D2) Sven Väth - Feiern
9. (E1) Sven Väth - We Are
10. (E2) Sven Väth - Being In Love
11. (F1) Sven Väth - The Cranes Of Gangtey Valley
12. (F2) Sven Väth - Silvi's Dream
13. (F3) Sven Väth - Panta Rhei

Catharsis is Sven Väth's first solo album in almost 20 years, and the 50th album to be released on his incomparable label, Cocoon Recordings. Produced alongside Gregor Tresher, it arrives on 25 February 2022 and is a musical autobiography that charts Svens most extraordinary life in techno.

Without the West German-born Väth, techno would look, sound and feel very different. Since falling in love with electronic music and DJing in 1981, his dedication to the art has never faltered. He plays every party as if it were his last. His broad smile has connected with millions of people around the world. His colourful and curious character has imbued techno with a personality it was often lacking. His selections remain hugely unpredictable, despite the fact that he has been playing around the world for more than 40 years. To remain not only relevant but innovative after so long is a testament to Sven's ability to connect through music on a deeper level.

Technically, of course, he is a DJ who can play for thirty hours and not miss a beat. His track selections seem almost divine, and his aura is certainly otherworldly. But more than that, he is a ringleader who is able to mix the artful side of techno with the playful side of partying. Most famously he has done this for more than 20 years at his iconic Cocoon parties in Ibiza. They single-handedly introduced techno to the White Isle and have been its beating heart ever since. Under his charge, strict style guidelines and exaggerated pigeonholing no longer apply. Instead, he has perfected the art of playing far and wide while always remaining true to his own musical identity.

In the studio, Sven has always been just as unique. He has worked under several aliases but always brought a fresh perspective. Whether securing chart hits as part of OFF in the eighties, serving up brutalist techno and trance-tinged sounds in the nineties or crafting major label albums in the 2000s, his music has remained utterly forward-looking. That legacy continues with Catharsis as Sven teams up with highly respected producer Gregor Tresher for his latest long-form offering. Tresher has long been part of the Cocoon family and is a revered artist in his own right, when the two got together in the studio it was clear they had an instant connection and there would only be one person fit to co-author this LP.

It is a record inspired by Sven's interest in the physical and spiritual processes that take place when we dance. "They are realms into which we immerse ourselves to experience our own mysticism and ecstasy," he muses. "Dancing is a conversation between body and soul and it spiritually connects us with each other." Because of the pandemic, that is of course a feeling that we all missed out on for so long. "No dancing, no paradise!" says Sven. "My imagination for this record was fueled by the many cultural experiences and encounters I have had in my life. They gave me the strength to find a way, the way to myself." And that way to himself is through music, through purifying dancing rituals and the exchange of spiritual energies that are generated in the club.

The thirteen-track album explores all facets of Sven's sound. It opens with the stomping drums but sleek synths of 'What I Used To Play' and unfolds through deep and dirty rhythms like 'The Worm', subtly euphoric highs on 'The Inner Voice' and the bubbly tribalism of the title track. There is the impassioned call-to-arms that is 'Feiern', peak-time melodic workout 'Mystic Voices' and soothing electronic lullabies like 'Being In Love'. The second half of the album takes in many more twists and turns such as the exotic strings and driving drums of 'Butoh', the paranoid techno minimalism of 'NYX' and expansive synthscapes of ambient gem 'The Cranes Of Gangtey Valley' before things play out though rugged beats and emotive chords on 'We Are', which is named after the idea that we are what we think. "With our thoughts, we make the world.? says Sven.

Then comes the moody reflection of 'Silvi's Dream', which was written in French for Sven's girlfriend. Last but not least we have the immersive dream that is 'Panta Rhei', which completes a trio of electronica tunes on the album. Ambient music has been an integral part on almost every album Sven has written because it can bring a certain emotional deepness, a quality that Sven always has been looking for.

'Catharsis' is an adventurous album that captures the good times, the sad times and, most importantly, the times of hope. More

CD, Deluxe Printed with Matt Plastificaton, Embossing

Tracklisting:
CD
1. Sven Väth - What I Used To Play
2. Sven Väth - The Worm
3. Sven Väth - The Inner Voice
4. Sven Väth - Catharsis
5. Sven Väth - Feiern
6. Sven Väth - Mystic Voices
7. Sven Väth - Being In Love
8. Sven Väth - Butoh
9. Sven Väth - The Cranes Of Gangtey Valley
10. Sven Väth - We Are
11. Sven Väth - Silvi's Dream
12. Sven Väth - Panta Rhei


Catharsis is Sven Väth's first solo album in almost 20 years, and the 50th album to be released on his incomparable label, Cocoon Recordings. Produced alongside Gregor Tresher, it arrives on 25 February 2022 and is a musical autobiography that charts Svens most extraordinary life in techno.

Without the West German-born Väth, techno would look, sound and feel very different. Since falling in love with electronic music and DJing in 1981, his dedication to the art has never faltered. He plays every party as if it were his last. His broad smile has connected with millions of people around the world. His colourful and curious character has imbued techno with a personality it was often lacking. His selections remain hugely unpredictable, despite the fact that he has been playing around the world for more than 40 years. To remain not only relevant but innovative after so long is a testament to Sven's ability to connect through music on a deeper level.

Technically, of course, he is a DJ who can play for thirty hours and not miss a beat. His track selections seem almost divine, and his aura is certainly otherworldly. But more than that, he is a ringleader who is able to mix the artful side of techno with the playful side of partying. Most famously he has done this for more than 20 years at his iconic Cocoon parties in Ibiza. They single-handedly introduced techno to the White Isle and have been its beating heart ever since. Under his charge, strict style guidelines and exaggerated pigeonholing no longer apply. Instead, he has perfected the art of playing far and wide while always remaining true to his own musical identity.

In the studio, Sven has always been just as unique. He has worked under several aliases but always brought a fresh perspective. Whether securing chart hits as part of OFF in the eighties, serving up brutalist techno and trance-tinged sounds in the nineties or crafting major label albums in the 2000s, his music has remained utterly forward-looking. That legacy continues with Catharsis as Sven teams up with highly respected producer Gregor Tresher for his latest long-form offering. Tresher has long been part of the Cocoon family and is a revered artist in his own right, when the two got together in the studio it was clear they had an instant connection and there would only be one person fit to co-author this LP.

It is a record inspired by Sven's interest in the physical and spiritual processes that take place when we dance. "They are realms into which we immerse ourselves to experience our own mysticism and ecstasy," he muses. "Dancing is a conversation between body and soul and it spiritually connects us with each other." Because of the pandemic, that is of course a feeling that we all missed out on for so long. "No dancing, no paradise!" says Sven. "My imagination for this record was fueled by the many cultural experiences and encounters I have had in my life. They gave me the strength to find a way, the way to myself." And that way to himself is through music, through purifying dancing rituals and the exchange of spiritual energies that are generated in the club.

The thirteen-track album explores all facets of Sven's sound. It opens with the stomping drums but sleek synths of 'What I Used To Play' and unfolds through deep and dirty rhythms like 'The Worm', subtly euphoric highs on 'The Inner Voice' and the bubbly tribalism of the title track. There is the impassioned call-to-arms that is 'Feiern', peak-time melodic workout 'Mystic Voices' and soothing electronic lullabies like 'Being In Love'. The second half of the album takes in many more twists and turns such as the exotic strings and driving drums of 'Butoh', the paranoid techno minimalism of 'NYX' and expansive synthscapes of ambient gem 'The Cranes Of Gangtey Valley' before things play out though rugged beats and emotive chords on 'We Are', which is named after the idea that we are what we think. "With our thoughts, we make the world.? says Sven.

Then comes the moody reflection of 'Silvi's Dream', which was written in French for Sven's girlfriend. Last but not least we have the immersive dream that is 'Panta Rhei', which completes a trio of electronica tunes on the album. Ambient music has been an integral part on almost every album Sven has written because it can bring a certain emotional deepness, a quality that Sven always has been looking for.

'Catharsis' is an adventurous album that captures the good times, the sad times and, most importantly, the times of hope. More

Tracklist:
(1) Sven Väth – Mystic Voices (DE-Q20-22-00006)
(2) Sven Väth – Butoh (DE-Q20-22-00008)

Release Info:
Single release from the forthcoming album “Catharsis”, produced by Sven Va¨th & Gregor Tresher


The second release before the upcoming mighty new Sven Va¨th album “Catharsis” gives you another hint at what´s coming at you! Let us tell you, we couldn´t be more excited for everyone to finally experience Sven´s new masterpiece!

But before we unleash the beast, we decided to release a second single. This time containing two absolute highlight tracks. If you have heard Sven playing in the past months, you will recognize both, as they were pivotal moments in almost every set!

First up we have “Mystic Voices“, a track that was created during the early stages of the album production with Sven gathering ideas and words to finally record the unmistakable vocals during a hectic tour through India, and Gregor spending days and nights on the other side of the planet in his studio to process the stream of inspiration. When the two finally sat down together in the studio, the track emerged quickly. Some would call the instant vibe that magic that every creative mind is longing to find.

“Butoh” is a raw and dark force, influenced by Japanese dance, an art form that deeply touched Sven during his travels on Nippon Island. It´s an otherworldly sounding track, still based in the Techno Realm but heavily twisted by a long break that introduces Japanese percussions that eventually get topped by the haunting vocals of Cana Hatsushiba.




More

Tracklist:
(1) Sven Väth – Feiern (Original Mix) (DE-Q20-21-00006)
(2) Sven Väth – Feiern (Dub) (DE-Q20-21-00007)

Release Info:
Single Release from the forthcoming album “Catharsis”, produced by Sven Väth & Gregor Tresher
The feeling that we have all been missing for so long
Ab jetzt, ab jetzt.
Die Quelle, die wir brauchen, der Beat, der Beat, der Beat.
Was die Sehnsucht so verstärkt.
Es ist die Quelle, die wir brauchen, der Beat, der Beat, der Beat.
Der uns zusammenhält. Was die Sehnsucht so verstärkt.
Ich will feiern!
…will wieder spüren, schwitzen und dich berühren.
Mich tief fallen lassen in diese Welten, die mir fehlten.
Ich will feiern!
Ab jetzt heißt‘s feiern, mit euch feiern. Ab jetzt heißt‘s feiern, mit euch feiern.
…will wieder spüren, schwitzen und dich berühren.
Mich tief fallen lassen in diese Welten, die mir fehlten.
Ich will feiern!




More

Tracklist: (A1) Ritual Of Life (Adam Port 108 Mix)
Info:
After touring the world like no other techno artist on this planet and focusing on his ibiza-parties and mix-cd-projects our most wanted techno shamen Sven Väth returns with a new 12" finally! Well, it's not really a new solo production to be honest as it is a remix-treat Sven received from Adam Port who fell in love with the 1993 classic "Ritual Of Life". The "Keine Musik" co-founder Adam Port was more than right to get deeper into this classic gem. The man who is moving in hyper-speed since his 2013 überhit "Our Fate" delivered a new approach that is close to perfection. Port took the original elements and turned them into a 2015 tech-house-bombshell that will definitely one of the anthems of the upcoming summer season. Hailing from Berlin Adam Port lives and produces straight-edge which seems to be an ideal match here in terms of re-creating the original vibe. He used similar tribal flavored beats like he did in his club monster "The American Dream" and merges them with the cool original asian-dub-atmosfear that refers perfectly to the sound and lifestyle of Sven Väth. This is not just a remix - it is an ovation to a great techno shamen. Port uses hypnotic beats mixed with mystic sounds and creates a very special spiritual vibe - a genuine musical journey that delivers one clear message: Dance until the morning sun!
Although over 10 minutes long this remix is not a single second too long. If you ask us it could be even longer. Music like this could run all night long, especially if Sven Väth is behind the decks.


More

Tracklist: (A1) Ritual Of Life (Adam Port 108 Mix)
Info:
After touring the world like no other techno artist on this planet and focusing on his ibiza-parties and mix-cd-projects our most wanted techno shamen Sven Väth returns with a new 12" finally! Well, it's not really a new solo production to be honest as it is a remix-treat Sven received from Adam Port who fell in love with the 1993 classic "Ritual Of Life". The "Keine Musik" co-founder Adam Port was more than right to get deeper into this classic gem. The man who is moving in hyper-speed since his 2013 überhit "Our Fate" delivered a new approach that is close to perfection. Port took the original elements and turned them into a 2015 tech-house-bombshell that will definitely one of the anthems of the upcoming summer season. Hailing from Berlin Adam Port lives and produces straight-edge which seems to be an ideal match here in terms of re-creating the original vibe. He used similar tribal flavored beats like he did in his club monster "The American Dream" and merges them with the cool original asian-dub-atmosfear that refers perfectly to the sound and lifestyle of Sven Väth. This is not just a remix - it is an ovation to a great techno shamen. Port uses hypnotic beats mixed with mystic sounds and creates a very special spiritual vibe - a genuine musical journey that delivers one clear message: Dance until the morning sun!
Although over 10 minutes long this remix is not a single second too long. If you ask us it could be even longer. Music like this could run all night long, especially if Sven Väth is behind the decks.
This one makes us creep! Make sure to grab one of the few copies of this strictly limited release which comes as a single-sided green vinyl edition!

More

2022 REPRESS EDITION

Tracklist: (A1) L'Esperanza (Âme Reinterpretation) (B1) Beauty & The Beast (Tuff City Kids Remix)
Info:
Sven is back at the track, in high form and in full effect! The master of all things techno and the international techno-shamen number one presents a pristine remix package just in time to celebrate his 50th birthday! When you look at the dancefloor at one of Sven's gigs these days you'd probably realize that a vast majority of his crowd wasn't even born when the originals of "L'Esperanza" and "Beauty & The Beast" were releleased. This man layed down some of the biggest stones to the foundation of techno and tech-house and he has choosen the right names to spice up these classic hits! "L'Esperanza" received remix-treatment by Berlin based duo Âme of Innervision. Sven supported these folks right from the start and helped to spread the power of their megahit "Rej" even with some mad stagediving performances. And the two did a proper job by transforming the original chill-out tune into a vital up-to-date tech-house gem. Âme merge trance, house and minimal-techno elements with the right parts of the original in a fine and elegant way. The result makes almost three generations of ravers feel home again while getting mad on the dancefloor. Thanx guys! Gerd Janson and Philipp Lauer aka the Tuff City Kids chip in their rework of Sven Väths "Beauty & The Beast". The two are not even trying to create an up-to-date flavour here at all - which is just perfect! The Tuff City Kids remix focus' in a cool and impressive way on a strong and classic techno foundation. Banging 909 beats, dark bass and synth sounds and the classic epic break in the middle... Janson's and Lauer's remix seems be a lost R&S single from back in the days or even some lost and found Detroit techno-hit! We see names and labels like Octave One, 430 West and Transmat when their remix starts to kick in and we just love it. PLAY IT LOUD EVERYBODY!
More

Tracklisting:
1. (A1) JOSS – Assessing (DE-Q20-24-00001)
2. (A2) Emanuel Satie – When I First Met You (I Knew You Were The One) (DE-Q20-24-00002)
3. (B1) Denis Horvat & Skarn – Triii (DE-Q20-24-00003)
4. (B2) Aöcram x Ramsey Neville – Brooklyn Structure (DE-Q20-24-00004)
5. (C1) Alex Bau – Antidot (DE-Q20-24-00005)
6. (C2) Redshape – Ghost Story (DE-Q20-24-00006)
7. (D1) Raxon – Year Zero (DE-Q20-24-00007)
8. (D2) Harald Björk – Aluco (DE-Q20-24-00008)

Cocoon Recordings presents: Dots And Pearls 8
This year's Dots And Pearls once again impresses with its broad spectrum. From minimalistic grooves and melodic house to dark techno and even EBM influences back to playful tunes for the heart. The musicality of this long-player is a beautiful showcase of the depths and expanses to be discovered in the Cocoon Recordings universe.
Kyivian producer JOSS breaks the first ground with "Assessing". A sweet opener that immediately reveals its emotional but happy core. As the song progresses, it gradually immerses you in its world of smooth and phasing string pads. The rhythm groove, while fluffy, also manages to create a sense of intensity that keeps the listener engaged throughout. Emanuel Satie joins with a groovy tom rhythm complemented by a heavenly and angelic choir that adds a touch of ethereal beauty to the composition. This combination creates a sense of enchantment as if being transported to a place where love reigns supreme. "When I First Met You (I Knew You Were The One)" is undeniably a love
song, capturing the essence of affection and infatuation. A musical message delivered with sincerity and genuine emotion that paints a heartfelt picture of a love that is destined and undeniable. Denis Horvat and Skarn have joined forces to create an electrifying track titled "Triii" that ventures into a realm of edginess and artistry. Metallic bells add a haunting and mysterious layer to the sound, while
the stripped-down beats keep the rhythmic foundation strong, perfectly complementing the edgy vibes. One of the most distinctive features is the inclusion of Slavic vocals, which bring an ethereal and otherworldly dimension to the track. When combined with the dwelling effect sounds, these vocals create an enchanting and almost hypnotic effect, further enhancing the song's allure. Each sound is
meticulously placed, creating a well-defined sonic landscape that showcases the artists' attention to detail and creative vision.
The following collaboration between AÖCRAM and Ramsey Neville in their track "Brooklyn Structure" takes us through the depths of NYC's compressed techno. Sequences morph throughout the track's progression, seamlessly transitioning between layers of sound and adding a sense of intrigue to the overall arrangement. Driving claps that pepper the track play a crucial role in propelling the momentum forward, further intensifying the infectious energy that permeates. "Antidot" is an electrifying peak-time thriller by Alex Bau, a monstrous techno track that commands attention and ignites the dance floor with its wicked bassline and explosive energy. This relentless and formidable low-end presence sets
the tone for the entire track. The use of FM synth percussions adds a unique touch to the rhythm, creating layers of complexity, and contributing to the acceleration. Banging snare drums hit with force and precision, driving the rhythm forward without any mercy, although the 909 rimshot pattern adds a classic touch.
As we float on to the third part of the compilation, Redshape’s "Ghost Story" cuts the surface. Let’s delve into a realm of tales and mysteries through mesmerizing and enthralling soundscapes. The synth melody tells a captivating story, creating a narrative that unravels like a spheric saga while an EBM-like bassline serves as a pulsating and energetic guide, injecting a dose of liveliness. Despite its haunting undertones, "Ghost Story" manages to maintain an untroubled vibe, striking a balance between a mysterious ambiance and a lively spirit. "Year Zero" blends elements of the characteristic Raxon sound with a fresh and futuristic twist, resulting in an unusual and excellent addition to his discography. One of the notable aspects is the raw bassline that undulates up and down throughout the track, gently combined with some soft percussion with lots of delay, making it a perfect track for kick-off. His contribution undoubtedly explores new sonic territories for Raxon. It stands out as an unusual and excellent addition to his repertoire. Harald Björk rings down the curtain on Dots And Pearls 8. From the very beginning, "Aluco" reveals an atmosphere shrouded in darkness, inviting
listeners to embark on a hero's journey. Intricate beats pulsate with a magnetic allure, drawing us into the heart of the music. The track's somber aura creates a tantalizing sense of anticipation, hinting at something grand waiting just beyond the shadows. But as the piece unfolds, Björk's expert composition takes us through a series of transitions that elevate the mood from mysterious darkness to soaring heroism. The track gradually shifts gears, as if the protagonist of the story has discovered a newfound strength and determination. A theatrical synthesizer melody manifests as the guiding force amidst the shifting. It swells and transforms, it becomes a beacon of hope and inspiration. The beat evolves and the melodic motif gracefully intertwines, building up an empowering energy that beckons the listener into a triumphant ascent, enveloping us in a world that feels simultaneously familiar and otherworldly.
As we reach the final moment, we are rewarded with the perfect closing. The track finds resolution, leaving a lasting impact, and ensuring that we culminate in a satisfying and memorable conclusion.
More

- Limited Vinyl Box Set including 6x purple 12” vinyl & download code

Tracklist LP
1. (A1) New Jackson – Acid Jackson (DE-Q20-23-00017)
2. (B1) Ian Pooley – DDG Talk (DE-Q20-23-00018)
3. (C1) Jakob Reiter – Il Rotori (DE-Q20-23-00019)
4. (D1) DJ Tennis – Take It, Take It (DE-Q20-23-00020)
5. (E1) Drumcomplex & Frank Sonic – Lacalute (DE-Q20-23-00021)
6. (F1) Michael Klein – Time Warp (DE-Q20-23-00022)
7. (G1) Benjamin Damage – Light (DE-Q20-23-00023)
8. (H1) Levon Vincent – Waiting (DE-Q20-23-00024)
9. (I1) Space Dimension Controller – Cold Tunings (DE-Q20-23-00025)
10. (J1) Orlando Voorn – Samurai (DE-Q20-23-00026)
11. (K1) Marco Faraone & The Florentian Cabaret – Uni-Verse (DE-Q20-23-00027)
12. (L1) Fango – Betta (DE-Q20-23-00028)

Cocoon Recordings presents: Cocoon Compilation U

Long-awaited, finally Cocoon Recordings is back with its renowned Cocoon Compilation.
The iconic series continues with the 21st edition “Compilation U” and brings top-notch artists together as usual, providing zeitgeist and versatile sound. From deep and hypnotic techno beats to uplifting and euphoric melodies, there is something for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned clubber or a casual listener, this album is guaranteed to get your heart racing and your feet moving.

New Jackson conjures a beautiful beginning into existing with a spheric acidic micro house opener. Melancholic harmonies combine with spacy "Acid Jackson" vocoder parts while the bouncing sequence gives this track an exceptional unique mood. A musical journey that could go on forever. Next up is German house legend Ian Pooley. “DDG Talk” offers distinctive funk with a deep grooving rhythm. Synth parts ring out like tightly stretched rubber bands and you can literally hear Ian’s love for special analog curiosities. Complex modulations add to the charm of this piece and lead to a nifty production with a certain vintage charm. Sweet vibes that fit almost any moment. The impulsive deep tech track “Il Rotori” then welcomes us to the circus ring and shows us the attraction of the virtuoso. Grinding hi-hats shake up and down alongside progressive sequences to form a cloud of happy frequencies. A sweet memory that lifts the energy of the moment and is reminiscent of a sunset on a beloved island.

DJ Tennis smoothly takes us to the next phase with a warm musical embrace. The bassline with Italian flavor grooves true to form, recalling the early 2000s. The perfect accompaniment for a sundowner. Shimmering zap sounds, hitting stabs, and energetic vocals that command us to “Take It, Take It” as we will for sure! Drumcomplex & Frank Sonic get things rolling with “Lacalute” serving hypnotic shaker patterns and a charismatic synthesizer sequence. Sven has already been playing this tune on heavy rotation since the beginning of the year. So, let’s head off on a thrilling trip with lightspeed. Get on the high-tension lift, next stop: peak time! The wild ride continues with a remarkable techno track from Michael Klein, primed to fill the main floor with a significant sound pressure level. “Time Warp” is a warehouse monster that offers a powerful bassline groove, a booming bass drum, and pulse-width synth madness, so time appears to move unpredictably.

Motoring on, a UK Rave 90s breakbeat rhythm – brought into the future with the perfect zeitgeist. Benjamin Damage is a hardware lover without a doubt, his machines seem to be an extension of his soul, which can be clearly heard in his sound. “Light” appears in wonderful harmony, and the blissful string sounds beam us out of the galaxy. Magical female vocal parts add the final touch, Benjamin did it again right down to the last detail. Balm for the soul from Levon Vincent, this tune is made for open air. The melancholic energy fluctuates between hope and summertime sadness but leaves us with a warm and fuzzy feeling. We reach a high energy level due to the radiant synth hook line and the pure 909 techno beat gains the underground feeling of the track in contrast to its comprehensiveness. Coming up next is “Cold Tuning” by Space Dimension Controller. It’s a timeless sci-fi saga, nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. Dreamy synth pads take us into another world and dimensions quickly rush by. A beautiful and touching atmosphere evolves, and the slightly off-key sensual string harmonies are predestined to generate emotions. A fast floating 808 kick expedites the spaceship beyond infinity. Mission accomplished!

Entering the final stage, no one less than Orlando Voorn spreads happiness all over.
Orlando’s particular shuffle rhythm paired with alien reverbed synthesizer stabs form the basis of “Samurai”. But the outstanding feature is especially the noisy gritty bit-crushed synth hook line in connection with energetic and graceful vocal samples. As the penultimate, Marco Faraone & The Florentian Cabaret serve a playful and harmonious composition with 80s charm, which clearly stands out from their independent releases. Lovely organ sounds are layered with shimmering Roland-Jupiter-like synth pads, bringing everybody back together on the dance floor in the morning hours. To close things out, of course, we need an after-hour vibe provided by a stripped-down minimalistic groove from Fango. “Betta” invites you to close your eyes and let yourself go due to its hopeful carpet of sound and love designed to stimulate your soul. It’s a deep immersion in emotions and the perfect ending for this year's compilation.

Experience the magic for yourself, each track takes you on a journey through different emotions and moods, leaving you breathless and wanting more. From the moment you press play, you will be transported into a world filled with pulsating beats, hypnotic rhythms, and mind-bending soundscapes. But what makes this release truly special is its ability to surprise you at every turn. Just when you think you have heard it all, a new track comes along and blows your mind. Compilation U is a seamless blend of cutting-edge production and timeless musicality. “U” like ultimate music collection that will transport you into a world of pure sonic bliss.
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a pair of 2 cocoon slipmats black with neon orange print print (pair!) More

2x12"

Tracklist:
(A1) DeFeKT x Extrawelt – Halluzinelle (DE-Q20-22-00039)
(A2) SUDO – Daytona (DE-Q20-22-00040)
(B1) JA:CK – Solaris (DE-Q20-22-00041)
(B2) Avision – Groove Theory (DE-Q20-22-00042)
(C1) Zzino & Insider – Mindcrush (DE-Q20-22-00043)
(C2) Monaco, Povoa – Makeup Artist (DE-Q20-22-00044)
(D1) Defex, Tsodor – Sieg Der Liebe (DE-Q20-22-00045)
(D2) Christopher Ledger – X24 (DE-Q20-22-00046)

As ever, Cocoon Recordings celebrate the turn of the year with another mouth-watering collection of
electronic music. Dots And Pearls Volume 7 includes eight choice techno cuts of varying shapes and
sizes, that somehow manage to acknowledge both past and future, while staying forever rooted in the
‘here and now’.
The lush, beach bar vibes of ‘Halluzinelle’ get things rolling courtesy of DeFeKT x Extrawelt, and it’s
not long before we’re lost in the subsonic undertow as the warm acidic vibes ebb and flow. Sudo’s
‘Daytona’ then compliments a dark, low-slung groove with a soaring, nostalgic melody that reaches
skywards, melting hearts and minds in the process. ‘Solaris’ takes a more urgent turn as JA:CK
utilizes growling synths, stuttering arpeggios and an elongated breakdown, slowly raising the stakes
as the dance floor starts folding in on itself. Avision offers no respite on ‘Groove Theory’, maintaining
the intensity while surfing the frequencies through a dense forest of loops with a pounding 909 for
company. Zzino & Insider continue the 90s leaning retrospective with ‘Mind Crush’ and they’re
certainly true to their word, juxtaposing razor-sharp acid arpeggios with seductive chords and analog
washes in a cavernous, serotonin-soaked epiphany of sound. Monaco, Povoa then gets downright
dirty on ‘Makeup Artist’, raising the tempo with freaking metallic riffs, twisted vocals and a plethora of
disorientating filter action that’ll push even the most headstrong dancefloor to the brink of implosion.
Defex, Tsodor reels it in just in time on the epic ‘Sieg der Liebe’, unleashing thick swathes of
melancholy chords over a fat, rolling groove and the beats remain broken to the end, as Christopher
Ledger closes things out with a classic slice of sci-fi electro. ‘X24’ is all stuttering edits, intricate
sequences, squelching fx and metallic bleeps, adding yet another unexpected dimension to this
dynamic compilation series. More

- Limited Vinyl Box Set including 6x blue vinyl & download code

Tracklisting:
1. (A1) Stephen Brown – Level Steps (DE-Q20-22-00026)
2. (B1) Claude VonStroke – Moody Fuse (DE-Q20-22-00027)
3. (C1) Denis Horvat – Monomono (DE-Q20-22-00028)
4. (D1) Daniel Avery – Your Future Looks Different In The Light (DE-Q20-22-00029)
5. (E1) Jeroen Search – Subversive Elements (DE-Q20-22-00030)
6. (F1) Marco Bailey – Kanai (DE-Q20-22-00031)
7. (G1) Damiano Von Erckert – 500 People, 500 Hearts, 1 Love (DE-Q20-22-00032)
8. (H1) YOKTO – Vision99 (DE-Q20-22-00033)
9. (I1) Jonathan Kaspar – CCC (DE-Q20-22-00034)
10. (J1) The Emperor Machine – The Art Of Electronics (DE-Q20-22-00035)
11. (K1) Carl Finlow – Surface Control (DE-Q20-22-00036)
12. (L1) DeFeKT – Terraform (DE-Q20-22-00037)

Release Info:
Cocoon Recordings presents: Cocoon Compilation T
Another year, another expertly curated compilation touches down courtesy of Cocoon
Recordings. Somehow, the world keeps turning and with it the Cocoon universe keeps
expanding, causing subtle yet persuasive shifts in the sonic soundscape that continue to
capture and captivate the imagination. In time-honored tradition the old guard and the new
combine with devastating effect, to define the current state of play…
Veteran Techno producer Stephen Brown makes it clear the compilation series is back with a bang,
opening things up in epic fashion with the lucid dreamscape ‘Level Steps’ - a true work of art. Another
heavy-weight hitter steps straight up in the form of Claude von Stroke, who adds his own unique
swagger to proceedings with those trademark shuffling beats and freaky, hypnotic bleeps scuffling for
dominance on ‘Moody Fuse’. Denis Horvat then slows things down on ‘Monomono’, with post-raveNew Release Information
abstractions and disobedient synth-patches causing mayhem before the track finally unfolds in all its
terrifying beauty.
Motoring on, the collection wastes no time reaching that familiar tipping point as we enter the techno
phase of the journey. A very special appearance from Daniel Avery makes it all the more worthwhile
amid a dense forest of chiming melodies and blistering electrical surges on ‘Your Future Looks
Different In The Light’, before Jeroen Search’s aptly titled ‘Subversive Elements’ lead us deeper and
deeper, into the matrix.
Marco Bailey then kicks off a triptych of trance with some massive filtered piano action
on ‘Kanai’ that’s destined to trigger a serotonin smile with everyone it touches. Revisiting the huge,
ever-growing pulsating brain of planet Orb, Damiano van Erckert continues the loved-up vibe on the
gorgeously titled ‘500 People 500 Hearts 1 Love’, expertly complimenting the classic ambience with
some slick 909 snare and cymbal interplay. The melodic pull of ‘Vision99’ then signifies that the party
is peaking at just the right moment as YOKTO concocts a glistening, psychedelic groove. The
emotional resonance climbs ever higher with brittle melodies endlessly circling a lush, throbbing bass
drone to create the sense of something stirring out of reach.
Just when you think the acid sound is done and dusted, up pops a track like Jonathan Kaspar’s ‘CCC’
that somehow manages to offer an entirely new perspective. Riding in on a wave of expectant
arpeggios, the squelching bass and noise filter go toe to toe before Kaspar gets busy with a freaky
tempo excursion that’ll be destroying dance floors all year long. ‘The Art of Electronics’ is, as the title
suggests, another superlative example of pure analogue fire, served up by UK legend, Andrew
Meecham aka The Emperor Machine. The funk starts to flow as the bass drops, the machines cut
loose and a swarm of cascading bleeps ride the trans-europa express to oblivion.
Electro overlord Carl Finlow, has come to define the UK take on the genre over the last couple of
decades. Here, he makes his long overdue label debut, taking us into the closing straight with a
nervous sliver of dystopian futurism, complete with molten basslines and a fuzzy logic that underpins
the tight, laser-guided groove on ‘Surface Control’. DeFeKT then draws this great adventure to a close
with the deliciously dark robo-disco overtones of ‘Terraform’ creating a dusky landscape that skillfully
seduces the listener before the tension finally breaks in a wash of ecstatic chords.
All in all, it’s a supremely ambitious collection of tracks, generously featuring some of the most
inspirational and durable artists of their respective generations. In fact, is this perhaps the best Cocoon
Compilation to date More

3x12" Gatefold White Vinyl (Download Code Inside)


1. Extrawelt - Dark Side Of My Room (DE-Q20-08-00161)
2. Extrawelt - Wippsteert (DE-Q20-08-00162)
3. Extrawelt - Trümmerfeld (DE-Q20-08-00165)
4. Extrawelt - Must Attack (DE-Q20-08-00164)
5. Extrawelt - Wolkenbruch (DE-Q20-08-00166)
6. Extrawelt - Added Planet (DE-Q20-08-00167)
7. Extrawelt - Daten Raten (DE-Q20-08-00169)
8. Extrawelt - Lost In Willaura (DE-Q20-08-00170)
9. Extrawelt - Kurt Curtain (Skit) (DE-Q20-08-00168)
10. Extrawelt - One Tree Hill (DE-Q20-08-00160)
11. Extrawelt - Messy Machinery (Rough Mix) (DE-Q20-00-01376)
12. Extrawelt - Homing (DE-Q20-08-00171)
13. Extrawelt - Bright Side Of My Room (DE-Q20-22-00014)



Including all the tracks from the original release. But adding "Bright Side Of My Room" to the list as a counterpart of "Dark Side Of My Room" makes this release even more attractive. And to top it all off, as another treat, there's the "Messy Machinery" Rough Mix instead of the Original Mix.

It's all about hooking up our music to the emotional world of electronic music at the beginning of the Nineties, however, without falling for nostalgic references. We don't want to do cowardly Zeitgeist Techno, we want to have the heart to dare big sounds and more melodies. Sunrise scenarios, energy, revolution, and kaput-ness, all these are parts of the Extrawelt." (Extrawelt, 2008)

However, don't panic even if the aesthetics of the debut album of the two Hamburg-born artists Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe is affected by the attentive observation of electronic dance music over the last fifteen years, the "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" is above all this: Premium Techno 2008! The Hamburg-based producer team has been unmistakably imprinting the last three years' club sound with widely noticed releases on Border Community ("Sooper Track"), Traum Schallplatten ("Doch Doch") and Cocoon Recordings ("Titelheld") as well as with remixes for Gregor Tresher, Minilogue or Alexander Kowalski - last but not least due to an excellent live presence, that resulted in the second rank in the Groove Live Act Charts, even still without the accompanying long-player.

The work on "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" started more than two years ago for Schaffhausen and Raabe. "The initial idea was to present an album covering all styles of electronic music between Ambient, Breakbeats, and Techno. When we had 25 tracks for the album ready, we had to realize that this approach did not work for us. Insofar, we finally decided to use the 4/4 bass drum in all tracks except in the little intermezzo "Kurt Curtain". We have tested all tracks live over the last three months and constantly re-interpreted them. So, the 'danceability' is clearly in our focus, but the sound spectrum and the dramaturgy of the titles should not be solely functioning in the club. Our intention was definitely not to deliver an album full of superficial peak time hits."

Those twelve tracks on "Schöne Neue Extrawelt", all unreleased, are therefore primarily representing a pleasurable 'in-between', the organic development of hypnotically compressed dance music that is more than "just" Minimal Techno, reduced Trance or electronic listening sounds of the Warp era - even all those elements have left their marks. From the richly decorated musical-clock-intro "One Tree Hill" via the stereo singing bowl of "Trümmerfeld" to the Asian-sounding creaking of "Daten Raten", Extrawelt celebrate a vision of futuristic melancholy with organic detail richness, which is permanently in motion but is nevertheless seeming to be well-balanced. However, in the Extrawelt universe, one gets along quite well with antagonisms. "We have always been polarizing, not only in the Techno scene but also in the Trance scene. Because in the end, "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" - freely adapted from Aldous Huxley - is now not only a big neon-colored future but is likewise positioned in the often-disillusioning grey of the here and now."



More

2021 Repress, Black Doublehole Sleeve


Tracklisting:
A. Titelheld 8:09
B1. Titelheld (FSK 18) 5:26
B2. Stammgast 5:48

English:
With respect, my name is Minimal Rock! Extrawelt give us a good going over and bravely break new grounds with their "Titelheld" EP. Here, insane minimal sounds merge with Rock flair, Electro and Trance harmonies. The title track with the telling name "Titelheld" brings us an electro hymnus with hints to Anthony Rother or Codec&Flexor, paired with a juicy deal of pain in the heart. A guaranteed hit for next summer!
"Stammgast" is a perfect DJ tool, which has a strong recognition effect, still, and makes the crowd go wild in seconds. Minimal rock par excellence!
For all of you who don't know much about Extrawelt (yet): the human beings behind this project name are Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe, who have worked primarily under the akas Midimiliz and Spiralallianz. Until now, they have released more than thirty maxi singles and several albums (on Border Community among others!), and will record a new 12" for Traum Schallplatten this summer.


More

- Limited edition 6x12“ vinyl deluxe boxset, with individual fluorescent color sleeves and paper insert
(700 copies only)

Tracklisting:
1. (A1) Rampa – 2000 (DE-Q20-20-00042)
2. (A2) Emanuel Satie – Departure (DE-Q20-20-00043)
3. (B1) Solomun – We’ll Never Have Today Again (DE-Q20-20-00044)
4. (C1) Gregor Tresher – Nostalgia (Is The Enemy) (DE-Q20-20-00045)
5. (D1) Joseph Ashworth – Eavesdrop (DE-Q20-20-00046)
6. (D2) Pig & Dan – Trauma (DE-Q20-20-00047)
7. (E1) Josh Wink – Nuclei (DE-Q20-20-00048)
8. (F1) Ricardo Tobar – El Eterna (DE-Q20-20-00049)
9. (G1) Tiga & Roman Flügel – Look To The Sky (DE-Q20-20-00050)
10. (G2) Planetary Assault Systems – Raww (DE-Q20-20-00051)
11. (H1) Jacek Sienkiewicz – Digitavi (DE-Q20-20-00052)
12. (I1) André Galluzzi & Daniel Stefanik – The Regulator (DE-Q20-20-00053)
13. (J1) Extrawelt – Murder Ballet (DE-Q20-20-00054)
14. (K1) Petar Dundov – Overtone (DE-Q20-20-00055)
15. (L1) Sebastian Mullaert – Kikaqu (DE-Q20-20-00056)

Release Info:
To celebrate 20 since inception, Sven Väth’s Cocoon Recordings is serving up a special 15 track collection that brings together new and exclusive tracks from artists that have been a huge part of the journey. Presented as a deluxe 6 x 12" box set with a silver foil cover and paper insert with individual sleeves and luminescent paint, this is a suitably spectacular collection that pays homage to one of techno's finest operations.
20 years is a long time in any facet of life, but in techno it is eons. The genre evolves so quickly that staying relevant for even half that time is some achievement, so to still be recognised as one of the genre's most iconic and influential labels after such an extended period is testament to the vision of its founder Sven Väth. The popular character, much loved DJ and always innovative creative force started out with an early rave techno sound back in the late eighties that he has steered into much broader realms ever since. Thanks to carefully A&Ring a mix of red hot new talents and plenty of his
original pioneering peers, Väth has ensured Cocoon has always covered all points of the spectrum:
there have been hundreds of thrilling dance floor 12"s, a treasure trove of full length albums that have brought plenty of detail and depth to techno and multiple mix series including the annual Sound of the Season which distills Ibiza's latest trends into two vital CDs, and the annual alphabet compilations
which showcase the label's finest moments.
Then, of course, there have been the parties, which have taken many forms over the years, from selfrun festivals like Green and Blue & Cocoon in the Park to carefully curated label nights at the world's foremost clubs via, most famously, their flagship and globally recognised Monday night parties in Ibiza at super clubs such as Amnesia. These very much introduced the White Isle to techno and in the 20 years since the first party have become family gatherings that have solidified the sound's presence on the island for ever more, thanks to the world class line ups, out of this world production, colourful characters and fantastical themes that have made each session so legendary.
Cocoon's unique brand of techno has always been at the heart for the operation and now, these brand new and exclusive tracks confirm that once again. Rampa kicks off with the jittery broken beat techno of '2000' and Emanuel Satie keeps the melodic vibes alive with his wistful 'Departure' and then
Diynamic label boss Solomun serves up a rare new production 'We Will Never Have Today Again' which is a dramatic and epic groove with majestic synth work lighting up the bold drums. Gregor Tresher slips into a more slick and funky drum work out with 'Nostalgia (is The Enemy) and Joseph
Ashworth's 'Eavesdrop' reaches for deep space with its distant synth swirls and astral atmospheres. Pig & Dan very much came of age through their releases on Cocoon and here offer an intense cosmic workout with ‘Trauma', while US legend Josh Wink keeps it deep and heads down with his gritty roller
'Nuclei.' After lush techno trance from Ricardo Tobar comes a heavyweight collaboration between Tiga & Roman Flügel that is designed for those freaky late night hours and then exceptional minimalist Planetary Assault Systems gets you in a spin with his Mind melting cosmic melodies and pounding
drum rhythms.
There is paranoia and urgency in the excellent work of Jacek Sienkiewicz, dark industry when Andre Galluzzi & Daniel Stefanik link on 'The Regulator' and high grade machine soul from Extrawelt. Croatian mainstay Petar Dundov brings his trademark melodic magic to 'Overtone' and things come to
a perfect close with the techno warmth and mellifluous synth work of Sebastian Mullaert's ‘Kikaqu'.
Despite its rich history, this fantastic collection of new and exclusive music continues to look to the future and take techno in bold new directions, just as Cocoon always has. More

Includes: 4x12" LP + Download Code in Collectors Cardboard Box , Print with Hotfoiled Typo on Rough Carton.

To coincide with their 15-year anniversary, Extrawelt are quietly proud to release Extra Welt
Hits. A collectors box, which covers every album and period from their dominant yet enigmatic
history as one of Germany’s most highly regarded electronic acts. Etched into the 4-piece
vinyl box-set is a 15-track playlist which takes us back to the dawn of their beautiful “Extra
World”.

Tracklist:

1. (A1) Extrawelt – Fernweh
2. (A2) Extrawelt – Die Zitrone Der Schöpfung
3. (B1) Extrawelt – Titelheld
4. (B2) Extrawelt – Die Welt Ist Nicht Genug
5. (C1) Minilogue – The Leopard (Extrawelt Remix)
6. (C2) Extrawelt – Pink Panzer
7. (D1) Extrawelt – Soopertrack
8. (D2) Extrawelt – Herzstück (Live Version)
9. (E1) Extrawelt – Dark Side Of My Room (Live Version)
10. (E2) Extrawelt – 8000
11. (F1) Extrawelt – Doch Doch
12. (F2) Extrawelt – Gott Ist Schrott
13. (G1) Extrawelt – Drehfehler
14. (G2) Extrawelt – Neuland
15. (H1) Extrawelt – Zu Fuss (Live Version)


Extra Welt Hits is a time capsule drenched in the essence of the act’s DNA. Accentuated by newlyremastered tracks that serve their ever-evolving, clever and out-of-the-box sound, each recording
spills into the next with sonic precision. From the monumental masterpiece of the album’s opening
track ‘Ferneh’, through to the “One- way ticket to oblivion, please” hits of ‘Soopertrack’ and ‘Titelheld’,
the listener is left captivated. And, because it’s what they do best, the destruction and artful
reconstruction echoed through their shows are also present. These are beamed out in the exclusive
live versions of ‘Zu Fuss’, ‘Dark Side Of My Room’ and ‘Herzstück’. Recorded in Tokyo, Paris and at
the Fusion Festival, these bent, broken and rebuilt icons prove once again why they are one of the
most influential live-acts of the semi- underground. That live-act—a futuristic symphony of dance
music—is both undefinable and strays well past the norm. Their chance to manipulate their creations
in a flow of measured spontaneity, it continues to leave permanent impressions on audiencesNew Release Information
everywhere. The result is an experience focussed on purism with great care in presenting the deepest
core of their craft, in essence; exactly what sums up their musical galaxy.
It was never the acts plan to release a best-of album, especially at the unusual 15- year mark, rather, it
rolled into motion naturally as a way to immortalise the victory of being around so long (in a scene
where the shelf life for most artists doesn't last much longer than an album or two, fifteen years is
something of a triumph). With that, Extrawelt invite those that were there from the start to join them in
getting a kick out of being “officially mature”. And for those that were not, to have the chance to hear
their story up until now, like it’s never been told before. And yes, while the listener may have outlived
many of the clubs which first introduced them, it is unlikely that anyone has outgrown this brave,
intangible and absorbing music—one that is all theirs, but all ours, too. A sound which is still as
relevant today as ever it was; feeding the older generation’s electronic-itch while also enabling the new
ones to go totally nuts. More

Tracklist: (A1) Eduardo de la Calle feat. Romina Cohn – I’m Losing My Mind (DE-Q20-20-00001)
(A2) Fabe – Call Of Origin (DE-Q20-20-00002)
(B1) Adana Twins – Origo (DE-Q20-20-00003)
(B2) Juan Sanchez – Narcissus (DE-Q20-20-00004)
(C1) Michael Klein – Continuation (DE-Q20-20-00005)
(C2) Rico Puestel – Perpetua mobilia (DE-Q20-20-00006)
(D1) Radu Dracul – Spectrae (DE-Q20-20-00007)
(D2) Joe Metzenmacher, Borka & The Gang – Magic Talk (DE-Q20-20-00008)

Release Info:
January is the month for dreaming, or so the saying goes and there’s more than enough on 2020’s Dots and Pearls 6 to satisfy the wildest flights of fantasy, as Cocoon Recordings invites well known international artists to once again rub shoulders with some of the freshest new talents around.

First up, Eduardo de la Calle & Romina Cohn’s “I’m Losing My Mind“ does a decent job helping us lose ours. Taking the classic DBX template as a start point, Cohn‘s random, spaced out musings elevate things to another level as they filter through all manner of machinery, bathing the hypnotic percussion in a lysergic glow. Fabe’s “Call of Origin“ pulls no punches either, the energetic, bass driven intro bouncing its way centre stage before expanding into lush open spaces with occasional melodic scatters and washes of warm pads that radiate good vibes.

Over the last couple of years, Adana Twins have rightly consolidated there position at the top table, so it’s a pleasure to have them on board with “Origo“. Like snake charmers relentlessly teasing and twisting the infectious hook line in all manner of directions, they demonstrate complete control of their art, pushing all the right buttons to bring things nicely to the boil. As with all Cocoon compilations the deeper you dive, the stranger the vibe and Juan Sanchez delivers a dose of trance-inducing, minimal techno. Abiding by the same dogma as the track before, “Narcissus“ offsets a constantly morphing hypnotic hook line with raw, stripped 909 beats in a classic mid 90‘s style.

Michael Klein’s “Continuation“ maintains the intensity as Cocoon’s Techno Tardis transports the listener even further back to a sweaty early nineties warehouse. It could be London, it could be Berlin... wherever it is, it sure sounds like home. Rico Puestel then snuffs out the candle, plunging us back into darkness. With “Perpetua Mobilia“ he unleashes a deep, prowling beast of a track that reminds us that just when you think you‘ve got a handle on Cocoon, it sheds its skin again, revealing yet another mask behind the mask.

As we motor on towards morning, Radu Dracul adds some bite to proceedings with “Spectrae“, a slow burning psychedelic trip with gently percolating acid lines that smooth out the rough textures of the preceding tracks before giving way to a cavernous breakbeat inflected breakdown. And then finally, Joe Metzenmacher and Borka & The Gang close out the collection, paying homage to the melodic side of Detroit with the quirky, idiosyncratic yet ultimately beautiful “Magic Talk“. It surrounds the dance floor in a warm embrace as keys, strings and bass combine effortlessly to produce a priceless moment of collective euphoria that sees us safely home.


More

DELUXE 2CD with HQ Lenticular Print Digpack
of the 20 th Anniversary Cocoon Ibiza Season!

By the 70s Ibiza had already developed into an international party destination. The fact that the third largest of the Balearic Islands is what it is today - namely, the absolute benchmark for star DJs par excellence - cannot be discussed without mention of Sven Väth. Even in the early 80s, more than anyone else in Germany, he stood for the idea that being a DJ could be more than just a profession, a vocation or a purpose in life: it's akin to a magician of the dancefloor, a shaman who conjures up the crowd.

Tracklist CD1:

(01) New Jackson - The night mail
(02) Joseph Ashworth - Trooper
(03) Joe Metzenmacher - Whats the secret word for tonight (Arian 911 Remix)
(04) Dorisburg - Internet tension
(05) Amberoom - Jazire (Isolée Remix)
(06) Charlotte Bendiks - Pasco
(07) Stimming - The gift that never stops to give
(08) Ricardo Tobar - Nadivi
(09) Herzel - Glowworms
(10) Erol Alkan - Spectrum (Mano Le Tough Remix)
(11) Rüfüs du Sol - Underwater (Adam Port Remix)
(12) Zoo Brazil - Maxwell

Tracklist CD2:

(01) Innellea - Anailuj
(02) Rebuke - Jump Ship
(03) Patrice Bäumel - Roar (Adana Twins Remix)
(04) Joshua James - Coarse (Justin Cudmore Remix)
(05) Josh Wink - Aries in Mars
(06) Robert Hood - Reflector
(07) Pig & Dan - Reset your Bassline (Dub)
(08) Florian Hollerith - KURZVOR12
(09) ROD - Cambodia
(10) PSYK - A Moment before
(11) Daniel Avery - Diminuendo (Luke Slater Remix)
(12) Inigo Kennedy - 2C3D2
(13) Legowelt - Disco Rout (Younger Rebinds Remix 2)


By the 70s Ibiza had already developed into an international party destination. The fact that the third largest of the Balearic Islands is what it is today - namely, the absolute benchmark for star DJs par excellence - cannot be discussed without mention of Sven Väth. Even in the early 80s, more than anyone else in Germany, he stood for the idea that being a DJ could be more than just a profession, a vocation or a purpose in life: it's akin to a magician of the dancefloor, a shaman who conjures up the crowd. As a resident of 'Dorian Gray' - the legendary club at Frankfurt Airport that was modelled on New York's 'Studio 54 - he shaped the image of the DJ like no one else in Germany at the time. Even more influential were his broadcasts on hr3 Clubnight. Without the radio shows that Väth produced there between 1990 and 2004, the seed of techno in Germany would never have been sown to such an extent. With his first club "Omen", Sven wrote techno history over 10 years. Soon after, the "Babba", as Väth has been lovingly and respectfully called in the scene for a long time, set new standards in international club culture with Frankfurt's 'CocoonClub', inspired by his 'Cocoon Ibiza' events. Pioneer, visionary, ambassador, identification figure, DJ, label operator, club owner, impresario... over a career spanning four decades, Väth has developed many facets and yet has always remained true to himself. The fact that all over the world Berlin music temples of this kind, from 'Tresor' to 'Watergate', are celebrated as the epitome of party culture, is in no small part due to Väth's influence. Like no other, Väth has given the landscape of electronic music a face - always evolving, yet unmistakable.

With "Sound of the 20th Season" he presents the culmination of his second decade on the "White Island". New Jackson's "Night Mail" immediately sucks you into the action - resistance is useless, precisely because you can hardly understand what the distorted voice is singing about, making the title song of David Kit's debut EP the perfect opener. Although there are eight years in between, Joseph Ashworth's "Trooper", released in spring 2019, fits seamlessly into the mix as an instrumental continuation of the tense, opening atmosphere. With the grandiose Arian 911 remix of Joe Metzenmacher's "What's the secret word for tonight", Väth picks up the vocal thread again, only to dive into more minimal realms via Dorisburg's "Internet Tension". It's impressive, how he manages to tick all the boxes - should there be a hit now? Do I still have to feature this or that? - effortlessly incorporating what's needed into the vibe. This time round, he drives the sinister mood deeper into the night with Isolée's remix of Amberoom's "Jazire". Then, like the gears of a mechanical clock, the percussive elements of Charlotte Bendik's "Pasco" exemplify the tremendously coherent arrangement. With Stimming's "The gift that never stops giving" Väth reverts to a production released by Cocoon for the first time - the airy sounding, short string snippets, paired with the delicate acoustic sounds, have just appeared on the "Cocoon S" compilation and allow for a moment's breath. Ricardo Tobar's "Nadivi" then brings back the looming tension with echoes of the Throbbing Gristle classic "Hot On The Heels Of Love". In "Glowworms" by Aleksandar Grozdanovski alias Herzel, Väth picks up on the sound aesthetics, which are marked by distorted effects and characterize the beginning of the mix. At the same time, the groove takes on an increasingly insistent attitude. With Mano Le Tough's remix of Erol Alkan's "Spectrum", a Moroder bass sequence and metallic bell tones come into play - a disco theme that Adam Port expands on in his adaptation of "Underwater" by Australian dancefloor band Rüfüs du Sol, with Port adding an electro twist to Tyrone Lindqvist's Sting-like voice. As a finale Väth drops Zoo Brazils "Maxwell", whose vocal loop he used to provide one of the lasting moments of the season in the garden of 'DC 10'.

With the oriental flair of Innellea's "Anailuj", Väth starts the second mix before the tribal drumming in Rebuke's "Jump Ship" signals cast off! The disco bassline from the Adana Twins remix of Patrice Bäumel's "Roar" provides the necessary momentum as the set continues to pick up speed. With Justin Cudmore's adaptation of Joshua James "Coarse" Väth then adds a deep, trippy twist, before he finally sets course for acid in the form of Josh Wink's "Aries in Mars". Another old hero then comes on board as Väth revives the best days of minimal techno with Robert Hood's "Reflector". Whiplashing metallic beats propel the speedy voyage onwards and the dub version of Pig & Dan's "Reset your Bassline" fills the sails. With Florian Hollerith's "KURZVOR12" the current "Cocoon S" compilation comes into its own again, while the nervous staccato sounds of ROD's "Cambodia" are very suggestive. With Psyk's "A Moment Before", Väth throws classic Tresor material into the mix and lets Luke Slater's remix of David Avery's "Diminuendo" reinforce the industrial techno atmosphere even further. With Inigo Kennedy's more restrained Detroit track "2C3D2", Väth initially lowers the core temperature a bit, but only to prepare the ground for Legowelt's "Disco Rout" - the timeless electro anthem of 2002 - in the amazing "Younger Rebinds 2" remix released on Cocoon back in spring, and another alias of Benny Rodrigues aka ROD.
Even at the beginning of the millennium it was Väth who championed this timeless tune, which not only marked the breakthrough for Danny Wolfers but was also voted track of the year 2002 by the readers of GROOVE making it a fully deserved high point and end point, to this outstanding mix.




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CD
This year's highly anticipated 'Live at Cocoon Ibiza' mix is helmed by techno legend Luke Slater under his Planetary Assault Systems guise.

The release drops in unison with a 12" that includes two live versions of tracks from it as well two new exclusive studio tracks.

Tracklist:
(01) Planetary Assault Systems – Angel of the east
(02) Planetary Assault Systems – Peru Drift
(03) Planetary Assault Systems – Engage now
(04) Planetary Assault Systems – Whistle Viper
(05) Planetary Assault Systems – Message from the drone sector
(06) Planetary Assault Systems – Unreleased
(07) Planetary Assault Systems – Desert Races
(08) Planetary Assault Systems – Arc
(09) Planetary Assault Systems – Eyes Themselves
(10) Planetary Assault Systems – Rip the cut
(11) Planetary Assault Systems – Raww
(12) Planetary Assault Systems – Give it up
(13) Planetary Assault Systems – Voodoo

This year’s highly anticipated ‘Live at Cocoon Ibiza’ mix is helmed by techno legend Luke Slater under his Planetary Assault Systems guise.
As Planetary Assault Systems, UK titan Luke Slater has constantly laid down a blueprint for the future of techno. As a live performer he is a visionary who fuses mind melting minimalism, catchy cyborg funk and cinematic soundscapes that really take you on a trip. He did that once again back in July as part of Cocoon's 20th anniversary season and now the results are laid down on CD for us to relive the magic.
Over the course of eighty spellbinding minutes, Slater captivates with evocative sci-fi imagery and high class melodic minimalism, smoothly shifting from moments of high pressure drum-funk intensity to uplifting and spiritual passages of cosmic sound and back again. Along the way, he digs deep into his back catalogue to serve up plenty of golden oldies as well as more contemporary cuts, and the whole thing melts together into a timeless set that explores the outer edges of techno with huge amounts of both style and substance.
Debuting on Cocoon with a rare appearance outside of Slater’s usual labels Ostgut Ton and his own Mote Evolver, a 12” release drops in unison with the mix including four Planetary Assault Systems productions: on one side both 'RAWW’ and 'RUN' are exclusive studio versions, whilst on the flip are live versions of 'Desert Races' and 'Give It Up' featuring live sax by Tim Ower, offering some of techno's finest moments, while the mix itself is an essential testament to the forward looking nature of not only Cocoon Ibiza, but also Luke Slater himself.




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Includes a set of 6x12" - Yellow Vinyl - CD - LTD to 500 (450 sales + artist)

- 6 Vinyl Box-Set limited to 500 copies (450 for sales) + includes the Compilation on CD -

Tracklisting:

CD / LP
1. (A) Love over Entropy - As If
2. (B) Stimming - The Gift That Never Stops To Give
3. (C) Talaboman - Big room anthemic groovy pounding trance dub bomb. Superb!
4. (D) Emanuel Satie - Planet XXX
5. (E) Edward - End Days
6. (F) Florian Hollerith - KURZVOR12
7. (G) Raxon - The Turbulent
8. (H) Mark Broom - Jaded
9. (I) Egbert - Tering
10. (J) Dino Lenny - Keep Changing Basslines
11. (K) Neil Landstrumm - Flesh Is A Prison
12. (L) Red Axes - Hevk

- Limited Vinyl Box-Set including the "Compilation S" CD (500 copies only)


Cocoon Recordings presents: Cocoon Compilation S

It's that time of year again when Cocoon Recordings goes into overdrive with the next installment of their legendary compilation series. Incredibly, it's already reached the letter 'S' and just like anything of vintage, the passing of time steadily enhances both the depth and the quality. As always the album brings together some of the most relevant artists of the moment, while the vibe is driven by Cocoon's trusted formula of organic electronics.

Love Over Entropy gets the ball rolling with "As If", offering up smooth, mediterranean vibes designed to stimulate heart-felt communication. It's an open invitation to leave your troubles at the door, exorcise the ghosts of everyday life and return to the source. Stimming's "The Gift That Never Stops To Give" continues in a low slung, tribal vein peppered with jazzed out, tubular percussion as the psychedelics gently take hold. Abstract echoes abound and peripheral effects disorientate around an exquisite hook line found gliding over sun drenched shores. John Talabot and Axel Boman aka Talaboman not only win the most bombastic track name of the year competition, but do a good job living up to it on "Big Room Anthemic Groovy Pounding Trance Dub Bomb. Superb! " The extended intro delivers a heightened sense of anticipation, as gentle bleeps, angular trance riffs and weird frequency occilations toast the synapses.

Emanuele Satie's "Planet XXX" is a perfectly balanced tech house groover, climaxing with an ecstatic breakdown primed to generate an explosion on the dancefloor. "End Days" from Edward then ups the ante with a metallic, New Beat vibe that swamps us in wild analogue noise before the deep brooding pads take over. The abstract, discordant central theme also confirms that we are leaving the warmth and security of the compilation's opening section for darker territories. Analogue squiggles dominate the opening exchanges on Florian Hollerith's "KURZVOR12" as the soundsystem starts pounding relentlessly into the early hours. A strong head is certainly required under pressure from the hypnotic, rasping synth lines.

Raxon gets things rolling on "The Turbulent" with electric hihats snaking through a dense mesh of banging snares that accompany a morphing acid line that seems to ricochet off the walls of some cavernous pressure chamber. "Jaded" then takes us into the realms of full-on industrial techno as Mark Broom transports us back to the genre's mid 90s heyday. Egbert ramps up the distortion on "Tering" with a flapping sub bass, played out across heavenly vox pads and acid washes. The dream like, retro sci-fi motif makes it one of the stand out tracks due to the fusion of a relentless battery of drums with a crystalline beauty.

As we enter the final straight, "Keep Changing Basslines" from Italian maestro Dino Lenny journeys deeper still, before it unfurls to reveal a myriad of arpeggiating synth and bass lines as the vocal sample of the title suggests. Deep, thoughtful and intelligent, there's also a hint of retro rave culture thrown in for good measure. Neil Landstrumm then takes us to Casio heaven on "Flesh Is A Prison", utilizing crisp sound that carries a laser-guided sting in the tail before Red Axes close things out with "Hevk". A long, spacey intro and more razor-edged riffs that morph and stutter perfectly encapsulate everything that has gone before.

Brimming with timeless melodies, rampaging beats and pressed on eye-catching yellow vinyl, Cocoon's Compilation 'S' effortlessly spans a broad spectrum of contemporary dance music from both veterans and relative fresh talents to the scene. Like a snake constantly shedding its skin, it's reassuring that in 2019 the genre is still mutating and reinventing itself and above all, has so much more to offer. One of the best Cocoon Compilations without a doubt.

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CD - Cocoon Recordings presents: Cocoon Compilation S

Tracklisting:

CD / LP
1. (A) Love over Entropy - As If
2. (B) Stimming - The Gift That Never Stops To Give
3. (C) Talaboman - Big room anthemic groovy pounding trance dub bomb. Superb!
4. (D) Emanuel Satie - Planet XXX
5. (E) Edward - End Days
6. (F) Florian Hollerith - KURZVOR12
7. (G) Raxon - The Turbulent
8. (H) Mark Broom - Jaded
9. (I) Egbert - Tering
10. (J) Dino Lenny - Keep Changing Basslines
11. (K) Neil Landstrumm - Flesh Is A Prison
12. (L) Red Axes - Hevk


Cocoon Recordings presents: Cocoon Compilation S

It's that time of year again when Cocoon Recordings goes into overdrive with the next installment of their legendary compilation series. Incredibly, it's already reached the letter 'S' and just like anything of vintage, the passing of time steadily enhances both the depth and the quality. As always the album brings together some of the most relevant artists of the moment, while the vibe is driven by Cocoon's trusted formula of organic electronics.

Love Over Entropy gets the ball rolling with "As If", offering up smooth, mediterranean vibes designed to stimulate heart-felt communication. It's an open invitation to leave your troubles at the door, exorcise the ghosts of everyday life and return to the source. Stimming's "The Gift That Never Stops To Give" continues in a low slung, tribal vein peppered with jazzed out, tubular percussion as the psychedelics gently take hold. Abstract echoes abound and peripheral effects disorientate around an exquisite hook line found gliding over sun drenched shores. John Talabot and Axel Boman aka Talaboman not only win the most bombastic track name of the year competition, but do a good job living up to it on "Big Room Anthemic Groovy Pounding Trance Dub Bomb. Superb! " The extended intro delivers a heightened sense of anticipation, as gentle bleeps, angular trance riffs and weird frequency occilations toast the synapses.

Emanuele Satie's "Planet XXX" is a perfectly balanced tech house groover, climaxing with an ecstatic breakdown primed to generate an explosion on the dancefloor. "End Days" from Edward then ups the ante with a metallic, New Beat vibe that swamps us in wild analogue noise before the deep brooding pads take over. The abstract, discordant central theme also confirms that we are leaving the warmth and security of the compilation's opening section for darker territories. Analogue squiggles dominate the opening exchanges on Florian Hollerith's "KURZVOR12" as the soundsystem starts pounding relentlessly into the early hours. A strong head is certainly required under pressure from the hypnotic, rasping synth lines.

Raxon gets things rolling on "The Turbulent" with electric hihats snaking through a dense mesh of banging snares that accompany a morphing acid line that seems to ricochet off the walls of some cavernous pressure chamber. "Jaded" then takes us into the realms of full-on industrial techno as Mark Broom transports us back to the genre's mid 90s heyday. Egbert ramps up the distortion on "Tering" with a flapping sub bass, played out across heavenly vox pads and acid washes. The dream like, retro sci-fi motif makes it one of the stand out tracks due to the fusion of a relentless battery of drums with a crystalline beauty.

As we enter the final straight, "Keep Changing Basslines" from Italian maestro Dino Lenny journeys deeper still, before it unfurls to reveal a myriad of arpeggiating synth and bass lines as the vocal sample of the title suggests. Deep, thoughtful and intelligent, there's also a hint of retro rave culture thrown in for good measure. Neil Landstrumm then takes us to Casio heaven on "Flesh Is A Prison", utilizing crisp sound that carries a laser-guided sting in the tail before Red Axes close things out with "Hevk". A long, spacey intro and more razor-edged riffs that morph and stutter perfectly encapsulate everything that has gone before.

Brimming with timeless melodies, rampaging beats and pressed on eye-catching yellow vinyl, Cocoon's Compilation 'S' effortlessly spans a broad spectrum of contemporary dance music from both veterans and relative fresh talents to the scene. Like a snake constantly shedding its skin, it's reassuring that in 2019 the genre is still mutating and reinventing itself and above all, has so much more to offer. One of the best Cocoon Compilations without a doubt.

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cocoon slipmates - Cocoon Slipmat "Flash" -Inverted Color Set (2 in a set) More

cocoon slipmates- Cocoon Slipmat "Dots" - Inverted Color Set - (2 in a set) More

To celebrate the turn of the year, Cocoon Recordings presents us with the fifth edition of the Dots And Pearls anthology, which has been offering us an exclusive glimpse into Cocoon's treasure trove of demos at irregular i
ntervals since 2011. Once again, the eight tracks on show represent a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of club music as 2018 fades into 2019, combining established stars of the scene with eye catching newcomers to create a harmonious overall package.

Tracklist: (A1) youANDme - Claret Loss
(A2) Florian Hollerith - Ohrenzirkus
(B1) Quenum - Blue Mountain
(B2) Petar Dundov - Pyroelectric
(C1) Marc Romboy - Sequential Error
(C2) Blackrachas - Paracasta
(D1) Emanuele Inglese - Rain
(D2) Bastian Bux -Inner You

First up is Berlin production team youANDme, who have been an integral part of the capital's club life for over ten years as well as running the "Rotary Cocktail" label. Their epic floor filler "Claret Loss" kicks off the compilation with a refreshingly reduced yet deep Techhouse showpiece as the "ear circus" begins. In fact that's the name of the next track by promising debutant Florian Hollerith. "Ohrenzirkus" amazes with a bone-dry bass drum accompanied by an insect squadron and atonal orchestra horns. Little wonder that this bold homage with its sonic claim to immortality also takes pride of place on Sven Väth's "Sound of the 19th Season".
Geneva based, Cadenza producer Quenum then reels in the acoustic madness with the elegant, metallic percussion of "Blue Mountain", while Croatian mastermind Petar Dundov takes the listener into a highly emotional state of weightlessness with the typically anthemic "Pyroelectric". Next, Systematic label boss Marc Romboy scores with "Sequential Error", a perpetually growing ball of energy that lights the way to the dance floor. In the midst of the mayhem, Italian newcomer Blackrachas offers up a slice of Mediterranean serenity with his snare opus "Paracasta", while veteran DJ and producer Emanuele Inglese from Rome demonstrates his special expertise for dancefloor hedonism with a flurry of modulated sequential breaks on the track "Rain". Finally, Bastian Bux of Barcelona-based label Suara, who recently also featured on John Digweed's Bedrock imprint, offers a fitting finale to the compilation with the melodic techno hymn "Inner You".

Dots And Pearls V is set to be an indispensable part of this winter's clubland wonderland, which track you choose to dance in the new year is, of course, up to you!

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Deluxe 2 CD Digipack! Silver Hotfoil Outer and Embossed Print!

Tracklist CD 1 :
1. Nightmare on Wax - Deep Shadows (Dj E.A.S.E Club Mix )
2. Love Over Entropy – 9576
3. Adam Port - Do You Still Think of Me?
4. Emanuel Satie - Don't Forget To Go Home
5. Florian Hollerith - Ohrenzirkus
6. Talaboman - Brutal Chugga Chugga (L.B. Dub Corp Remix)
7. Levon Vincent - Arpeggiator
8. Vermont – Skorbut (I:Cube Mix)
9. Edward - Set U Free (Private Mix)
10. L.B. Dub Corp - See The Light
11. DJ Shufflemaster & Chester Beatty - Our House Music (DJ Shufflemaster Remix)
12. Patrice Bäumel - Serpent
13. Red Axes – Sami

Tracklist CD 2 :
1. Nicolas Masseyeff - Muse
2. Tom Pooks & Joy Kitikonti - Climb
3. Butch - Countach
4. Fabrice Lig - Dark Commodore
5. Robag Wruhme - Veddel Braav
6. Stimming - Frankfurt Main
7. Ejeca - Attack
8. Radio Slave – Reverse (DJ KOZE Edit)
9. Ilario Alicante – Cocoon
10. Anna - Hidden Beauties
11. Michael Mayer - Lout
12. Younger Rebinds - Tim 's Symphony
13. Krystal Klear - Neutron Dance


To this day, Sven Väth represents the electronic music scene like no other DJ. In the nineties he was
mentor and shaman, operating from Frankfurt/ Germany introducing us to the world of electronic
music. After this crazy, extroverted years Väth created the Cocoon family as a global platform for his
and his colleagues´ activities. Väth has always been for the scene "Baba", which means dad in
Hessian dialect. Today he is the “Baba” for a new generation of DJs: Music is not about strategizing
New Release Information
your niche potential. It does not matter if a tune is approved by the opinion makers. It's about what you
feel personally and what you can create with the music in your work as a DJ. To this day, Väth
manages to play tracks that you wouldn’t expect and puts them in a context you would not expect
either. Like no one else he succeeds in arranging the entire electronic music cosmos, from restrained
deephouse to euphoric techno into one, amazing narrative.
Besides Frankfurt, Ibiza is Väth's musical home. After 18 years at Club Amnesia, he and his Cocoon
crew moved to Pacha to start a new chapter on the seminal island. You don´t get a clue from "The
Sound of the 19th Season" if he had some trouble finding his way in the new location. Väth takes it
away with lighthearted downbeats by Nightmares On Wax, which emphasize their humorous mood
with a filtered brass track and cartoon-like vocals. Subtly he blends to the sovereign, dazzling Club
Soul of Love Over Entropy. With Adam Port he turns to more electronic and repetitive sounds, still
coming off quite relaxed with the frugal, jazzy piano notes, an artificial gurgling and gentle strings
melding the poetry of jazz and synthetic music. Emanuel Satie acts as a perfect counterpart to Adam
Port's stage-rich arrangement with a punctuated, looped organ sound relentlessly digging into our
synapses. Florian Hollerith breaks this minimalism with a playful, nimble, organic bass. Hollerith bursts
all boundaries having trumpets and voices wander through the acoustic space. Blending in the blaring
snare drum of Luke Slater´s remix of Talaboman into this spirited groove, Väth strikes a little more
serious chord. Slaters subtle bassline communicates with nuanced organ tones, reminiscent of the
milestones of house music introducing a modern twist with shimmering sounds. The leaping arpeggios
spread no nervousness, but a deep relaxation only this summer of the century was able to deliver.
This tranquility is swept away by the agile, unpredictable, three-dimensional funk of French-House-
Maverick I:Clube. With a monotonous pulsating bassline from Edward, Väth soothes the crowd again,
with a sensual, seductive vocal drawing us deeper into the magical sphere of electronic sounds.
Putting on another track by Luke Slater, he blends the house sound with an unexpected piano
improvisation. Its vivid dynamic is taken to an extreme by a timeless tune by Shufflemaster & Chester
Beatty a string loop sounding like the blink of the soundtrack of an old black & white film. With the
enraptured, trippy sounds of Patrice Bäumel Väth hints the mood of the second part of his mix before
he finishes Part 1 with Red Axes' ravishing African-style tribal drums.
In his second set Väth starts off on a different note. With the huge, dark, demanding bass of Nicolas
Masseyeff, meandering like an unpredictable lizard around the dancefloor, we are in the middle of the
night, Tom Pooks & Joy Kitikonti absorb this intensity and liveliness with spacey, expansive fusion
sounds. Little later, with Butch, they sound even more confident and edgy. Connecting sawing synths
with majestic strings Butch creates a techno epic. Fabrice Lig counters with a tongue-in-cheek acid
track bursting with a humorous laugh into this rather dramatic mood. Väth gets breathless with Robag
Wruhmes's down-cooked signature groove, the humorous note continuing in Wruhme´s voice
modulations. With a swinging, acoustic groove by Stimming Väth opens up the set. With Ejeca he
resumes the heavy Chicago house sound of part one, shifting to a more demanding tone. Koze
punctuates the groove with unexpected, surreal and funny radio moderation. Ilario Alicante takes on
this ball with a series of vocal samples that spread a ghostly and eerie atmosphere. With Alicante's
rumbling groove and aggressive, agile synths Väth sets the first climax. With Anna, Väth reduces the
tension, with a cool, distanced voice keeping repeating the word "Time". The second highlight of this
set is Michael Mayer's “Lout”. Its focused, straightforward techno groove is literally swallowed in an
instant by an unlikely, swirl-like break. With Benny Rodrigues, Väth manages to even top this
straightforwardness with an exuberant, thoroughly positive Italo-Disco feeling that culminates in
Krystal Klear's "Neutron Dance", one of the biggest tunes of the year. Väth says goodbye with the
Irishman´s charmingly naive melodies. The season of 2018 is over, but the man gives us no time for
wistful feelings. After the furious closing of Ibiza in October, he retreats to his Ayurveda ritual. Then he
sets off for the "Sound of the Season"-tour which will take him to South America among other
destinations. After New Year's Eve, he vacations in Asia like every year taking in inspirations. He will
let the season of 2018 pass in his inner mind's eye devising a plan how to celebrate the 20th
anniversary of Cocoon on Ibiza. We are definitely looking forward to the crazy that Sven will cook up! More