Cocoon, vinyl and global beats: an interview with Sven Väth

Cocoon, vinyl and global beats: an interview with Sven Väth

15 June, 2011
by: Spoonfed Festivals

Cocoon in the Park comes to Leeds this again July. Kristan J Caryl meets the man behind the party Mr Sven Väth.

Sven Väth is ruler of the techno world and has been for decades. With his revered label and club of the same name, Cocoon, he has brought techno to the masses all over the world – most famously, at Amnesia, Ibiza – since the turn of the millennium. His learned vinyl sets include sounds from a vast remit of techno; incorporate plenty of colours, oomph and dancing bait and are always served up with a loveable élan and unbridled passion.

This year he brings his very own, self-curated festival, Cocoon in the Park, to Temple Newsam, Leeds, with Ricardo Villalobos, Reboot and Seth Troxler all joining him on the stage for eleven hours of techno fun. We talk beats, pieces and vinyl with the man behind the party.

So it’s the third Cocoon in the Park. Did you imagine it would be this successful when you started it?

To be honest, we were quite confident that Cocoon in the Park would be a success. It is rather different to other open-air events in the UK. There's this special vibe in the beautiful surroundings of Temple Newsam. Plus the brilliant sound system, and of course the amazing crowd.

What’s the thinking behind this year’s bookings? How much thought went into it?

Well, last year I enjoyed playing with Ricardo a lot. He's always good for a surprise behind the decks. So I wanted to have him back again. This year and for the first time, we are planning to have a live act, Reboot. Frank (Reboot) is a part of your family, even if he plays for Cadenza... Lastly, we have Seth Troxler. Seth is also playing for us in Ibiza and at our festival Green and Blue, so we thought he's the perfect first act of the day – we like his sound a lot.

There were noticeable improvements in sound and pyrotechnics in 2010 – what should people expect in 2011? Would you ever add another stage?

The past two years showed that we are on the right track when it comes to sound and special effects, and I can promise that we will improve every show. This year we changed the shape of our stage for the first time and also planned to have visuals right on the surface of the tent. Regarding the second stage, there's space enough at the venue, so you never know. But, at the moment, I think it is more interesting to concentrate on one stage.

How does the modern vibe compare to the old days when you had a residency at Orbit in Leeds? Has much changed do you think? I am guessing the type of person in the crowd has change – much more cosmopolitan now…

That is true, in the old times the public was a bit more local, but thanks to falling prices of flight tickets it is quite comfortable nowadays to travel to your favourite party, even if it is in Italy, Spain, Germany, or Leeds! Last March, Cocoon did a show in Austria (Cocoon in the Mountains) and two fans from Japan bought tickets. So you see, clubbing is an international thing today.

Is it true you carry inflatable beds round to put your decks on when DJing? Do you find set-ups for vinyl DJ are not as cared about as they were in clubs around the world now?

There's nothing more annoying than jumping needles during your set. In the past, the promoters cared a lot about the vinyl DJ's set-up, but with the growing number of DJs playing with CDs or laptops, these priorities have changed. Indeed, even on the stages of big festivals, it is sometimes really hard to play when you recognise that the decks you play on have been out of use for a long time and have obviously been brought out just for you. Even if it may be inconvenient, I insist on my record players.

What is it about vinyl you love so much do you think? Would you ever play digitally?

No matter how you look at it, a well-manufactured record, played with a good pick-up system on a good pre-amp / mixing console simply sounds better than any of its digital competitors. Vinyl is the medium for everybody who sets high values on good sound. I could never imagine myself working with a 'sync button', because I would miss the tension and, besides that, something very essential: the fun of mixing!

I'm also not a fan of effects and artificial breaks. Sure, some shenanigans with the equaliser are rather normal and can be indeed impressive when used but I want to emphasise that the music I play does not need any post-processing, edits and the like, as it already contains a certain originality and is not only able to keep its character, but to even develop and unfold it. Also as an author and producer, I would not be happy if my song was totally cut up and drowned in effects, I mean, what remains from your song then? There's a big fluctuation nowadays, the DJ acts as the producer and the producer acts as the DJ. Blame it on technology!

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