Sven Vath on Cocaine, Spirituality & the Real Ibiza

"I still see many colleagues, DJs and people in night life, getting older and still doing cocaine and they're really paranoid and keep on telling the same lies. Today, I like a drink and I like to party but somehow I have to keep a balance."

Germany's Sven Vath is one of those DJs of almost mythical status. A genuine clubland pioneer, he discovered Ibiza in 1980, some 7 years before the Brits made it their own and started DJing 12 months later. By 1985 he'd started making his own music and by 1990 was busy helping invent trance, the style that became the world's most popular form of dance music some ten years later.

Throughout his 20 year career, he's become renowned for spinning up to 20 hour sets, and for being a professional party animal, both aspects he maintains to this day. So much so in fact, that this week's interview with Skrufff's Camilo Rocha had to be rescheduled by 24 hours, after Sven got carried away at a castle after-party somewhere in Bogota, Colombia.

Chatting to Camilo two missed appointments later, however, he's alert, friendly and remarkably enthusiastic.

Skrufff: How was Bogota-

Sven Vath: "This is my first DJ tour in South America and I've been quite surprised with how well the scene is developed. Bogota was really good and I met so many friendly people there. The party was at a castle, 20 minutes outside Bogota, and although it was Thursday night, there were 2,000 people. Good-looking, good atmosphere, the production was very nice, a good sound system, lights. I played my usual techno sounds and they really liked it."

Skruffff: You recently collaborated with Miss Kittin on your version of Je T'Aime, what do you make of this 1980s/electro revival thing going on-

Sven Vath: "It's very welcome because it's a fresh sound and as a DJ it's nice to have different sounds and groove available. But I don't want to pay too much attention to it because I've been through the 1980s, I was there the first time around , and a lot of this music is rubbish. Gigolo Records are putting some good tunes out, people like David Carretta, The Hacker, Vitallic; there are some tunes I really like but not all of it."

Skrufff: Many German DJs making an impact now like Chris Liebing and Timo Mass say they were inspired by you, how much do you see yourself as a role model for the newer generations-

Sven Vath: "From the earliest days I've had a strong vision of club culture and I was one of the first DJs from Germany, or even from Europe, to produce their own music. In 1985, I started producing then in 1988 I opened my first club, The Omen, which lasted for ten years. Then in 1990, I started my own labels, Eye Q and Harthouse. So I reckon I have inspired quite a few people and given them motivation to go in this direction because they saw it being done and saw that it worked. I have also never sold out my ideas and have stayed true to myself. Many people misunderstand things these days.

I never wanted to be a DJ because I wanted to be famous, or get many girls or have thousands of air miles, it was always about the music and wanting to entertain people by creating this ritual. Sometimes I see myself as a modern shaman, creating an event or an ambience where people can let themselves go. That'ss also why I called my company Cocoon because in a cocoon you have this warm feeling, you feel at home and good with yourself so you can let yourself
go. It's like a spiritual experience."

Skrufff: So there's definitely a spiritual side to what you do-

Sven Vath: "Absolutely. In the 1980s it was just about dance music but more and more I began to see much deeper meaning behind the whole thing. People come together and celebrate together so there is a deeper connection through the rhythm. It's the same as what native people in South America, Africa or India have done for hundreds and hundreds of years and what we do is a modern
version; a way of celebrating together. I've never been to Brazil but I Tags

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