Who is Sven Vath?

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And why is he doing Je t'aime with Miss Kittin. in a wonderfully non-ironic stylee? have I missed out on something here? was it a big hit at any point between Jan-Feb?

― Bill, Thursday, 14 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

sven vath was (is?) a trance dj from germany, affiliated with harthouse and eye-q. it could be argued that sven did a lot to make trance untrendy (can you believe that in 1993 it was the critics fave???!). l'esperanza is actually quite a good single, i have to admit. after that he went all pink floyd with quadruple concept albums and the like. he has silly hair and is about 80

― gareth, Thursday, 14 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Isn't he kind of techno these days??

― Ronan, Thursday, 14 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

quite possibly, i think the difficulty here is the differing definitions of trance and/or techno. what sven played back then was 'trance', however, when compared to the trance today it would probably be called techno, but then when you look at the landstrumm/vogel/dont even know these days/clarke type techno, maybe not. i don't really know

― gareth, Thursday, 14 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

They're calling Clarke tech-house now, after he released the Compass last year on Skint. Er....it's all so bloody confusing, but I think I like tech-house since apparently Justin Robertson is it too.

― Ronan, Thursday, 14 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

he has silly hair and is about 80

This is the best description of Sven Vaeth I've ever read.

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 14 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

All I know is: he does this really amusing sinister tech-house these days. "Mind Games" is his latest single. I love it, as well as "Your Sweat".

― Brian MacDonald, Thursday, 14 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, Sven now runs Cocoon Records, who ever-so-voguishly tread the line between tech-house and hard electro-tech, so I'm not surprised he'd be doing sexy electro stuff with Miss Kittin. Cocoon's very good compilation B (Gefarhliche Liebschaften) from last year is a good run-down of the sound, with stuff from Kit Clayton, Sutekh, Pantytec, Steve Bug, DJ Rush and Stewart Walker among others. The best track however is Daze Maxim's "Scirocco", which sounds like Herbert's Let's All Make Mistakes album compressed into five minutes and played-back inside a piggery with added glitch. Although Glove's "Drogenkontrolle" is admirably compulsive electro-house...

― Tim, Thursday, 14 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

His flagship song was "An Accident in Paradise," from the album of the same name if I remember correctly. That song popped up on a bunch of early/mid-90's compilations. It featured his voice, slowed down, uttering the song title with a real sense of drama. Kind of funny.

― Dare, Friday, 15 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You can't really categorize any of it, trance, techno and house do not really delineate clearly these days. I still maintain that what most people call "trance" these days is nowhere near what I consider trance.....I have always thought that trance had a very distinct sound......it is to me rather fast, straight 4/4 kick drum but with a lot of little trippy, syncopated acid lines running over it. A lot of what is called trance these days....like Darude - Sandstorm, Castles in the Sky, et al - to me that would be better classified as Euro- dance. To me, real trance is Astral Projection, Juno Reactor, stuff like that....it's a fairly narrow, recognizable sound. I also find it funny how people like Sasha and Danny Howells are considered "trance DJs"......labeled my people who have obviously never heard them spin.

― patrick, Sunday, 17 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

four years pass...

http://cocoon.net/diary_sven_vaeth/sv/img/3623-11.jpg

lets talk about everyones favourite ski instructor, sven vath, and, more to the point, cocoon records!

― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 17 April 2006 13:47 (twenty years ago)

haha i have this hilarious recording of sven rocking the mic during a set in some giant arena somewhere. "Yeeeeeaaaah! Guuute Laune, Leute! Guuuuuute Laune! Yeeeahhhhhhh! Time Warp 2006, Time Warp 2006 people! It's your energy, it's our music, it's the lifestyle we're living, it's about love, it's about peace, and it's about....CRAZINESS....."

oonce-oonce-oonce-oonce

― geeta (geeta), Monday, 17 April 2006 13:55 (twenty years ago)

I have that too I think! wtf sven, the coke was strong that night.

Cocoon is a very good label these days!

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 17 April 2006 19:35 (twenty years ago)

sorry, i don't know anything about cocoon records! but i am glad that mr. vath seems to have found a kind of comfortable Old Wise Man role he always seemed to want. he's like the trance julian cope.

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 17 April 2006 19:51 (twenty years ago)

The trance Madonna.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 17 April 2006 19:52 (twenty years ago)

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y109/fez_/svenbreit.jpg

http://www.tdktimewarp.de/e913/e3469/gudelaunesvenvth_ger.mp3

"gude laune!!" and "the message is feierei alda!!!" have become memes on several boards already!

― fez, Monday, 17 April 2006 19:52 (twenty years ago)

what do they mean?

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 17 April 2006 19:55 (twenty years ago)

"good mood" / "dudes, the message is 'partying'"

― fez, Monday, 17 April 2006 19:58 (twenty years ago)

it wass probably a tribute to Mark Spoon though, Väth doesnt go overboard like this all the time

― fez, Monday, 17 April 2006 19:59 (twenty years ago)

What the fuck is up with his left eye in that pic? It looks like it's gonna POP from his head.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Monday, 17 April 2006 20:12 (twenty years ago)

that photo made me laugh for about five straight minutes

― geeta (geeta), Monday, 17 April 2006 20:26 (twenty years ago)

remember when he slept on his arm for like 2 days then couldn't move it anymore ? good times.

― blunt (blunt), Monday, 17 April 2006 21:13 (twenty years ago)

sven is sven

― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 17 April 2006 23:34 (twenty years ago)

new eulberg release date on cocoon anyone?

― ambrose (ambrose), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 08:59 (twenty years ago)

Dominik's website sez:

Dominik Eulberg - Bionik Album (Cocoon) -> Oktober

Personally I'm waiting on Eulberg's remix of "Ihre Personliche Glucksmelodie", which has to be the best thing ever or it will be deeply disappointing.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 09:17 (twenty years ago)

i was just looking at the cover of the great new compilation on frisbee tracks of old ricardo villalobos tracks, and marveling at how horrible the cover art was. you don't see horrible cover art on german releases so much these days, do you? those german micro-minimal labels usually have such beautiful, put-together aesthetics. anyway, that got me thinking about our friend sven again. sven väth: worst album cover art of any big techno artist ever? here is a collection of images of all his album covers.

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 17:58 (twenty years ago)

ah yes - that all-time classic:

http://www.tursa.franken.de/pics/sven_harequinrobot.jpg

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:02 (twenty years ago)

that's what i'm talkin' about!!

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:02 (twenty years ago)

Haha, that brings back memories of the time when all trance and rave records had these incredible, cheesy computer graphic covers (and videos).

My fave is probably this (and it's a great record too):

http://www.adambamedien.de/images/big/raveland.jpg

Fuck minimalism and artsiness! Bring back the good times! Move your ass!

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:06 (twenty years ago)

tuomas i am going to have horrible dreams tonight and YOU are responsible!

OMG the cover of sven's 'The Harlequin - Beauty and the Beast' maxi-single! my eyes! my poor eyes! i can't take it! that 3-D neon green checkerboard landscape that juts out at you! that "cyber-mystic" '90s typography! sven rocking some kind of court jester/druid outfit that looks like someone vomited on it! the bilious green screen saver background!

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone remember the poem on the inside sleeve of Accident in Paradise? That was great! I bet Sven wrote it himself.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:11 (twenty years ago)

this is what i'm talking about:

http://www.theoriginalsoundtrack.com/art/sven.jpg

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:12 (twenty years ago)

i mean WHAT WAS HE THINKING?!?!

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:12 (twenty years ago)

hahaha i was looking for a big version of that to post

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:13 (twenty years ago)

Anyway, Sve Väth's early production is probably the best example of what S. Reynolds calls "whiter than white" trance, but there's some great moments there. And his 1996 Electro Acupuncture LP with Stevie Be-Zet (as Astral Pilot) has some nice extended tech-trance grooves.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

the back cover is almost as spasm-inducing:

http://www.theoriginalsoundtrack.com/art/svenback.jpg

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:16 (twenty years ago)

I haven't heard that tune in over ten years, but I remember it being rather good - less proggy than the previous material of his. Of course I love proggy trance as well.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:19 (twenty years ago)

I mean, he plays the cembalo on his first LP! How can you not love that?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:20 (twenty years ago)

tuomas, find the poem from the inner sleeve of 'accident and paradise' and post it here! i have that album somewhere but i can't find it.

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:36 (twenty years ago)

Okay, I'll do it once I get home.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:44 (twenty years ago)

in the video for l'esperanza, does he not swim the dolphins

there should be more of this kind of behaviour

― charltonlido (gareth), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 18:49 (twenty years ago)

The vocodered banter between Sven and Hawtin at the end of "The sound of the third season" is quite good. "Richie: You know what I like about you? Is when I'm fucked up, you're still more fucked up than I am. Sven: It was a great party."

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Friday, 21 April 2006 23:51 (twenty years ago)

I remember the video where he was driving a motorcycle, but I never knew he was this tacky. On a second thought I think Kylie ripped him off there with the Can't get you out of my head-video.

― strom (strom), Friday, 21 April 2006 23:56 (twenty years ago)

in the video for l'esperanza, does he not swim the dolphins
there should be more of this kind of behaviour

PERFECT

― lf (lfam), Saturday, 22 April 2006 04:56 (twenty years ago)

i mean, he was on warner brothers. everything they did in the nineties was hideous! do you remember this? it was like the entire world got too stoned for five years and started thinking that shitty CGI looked cool.

― lf (lfam), Saturday, 22 April 2006 04:59 (twenty years ago)

http://www.gruppo-sfera.com/public/strumenti/openwiki/owbase/attachments/sven%20v%C3%A4th/sven-vath-1.jpg

― Json Bate, Saturday, 22 April 2006 09:58 (twenty years ago)

How come nobody on this thread has mentioned the Off ("Electrica Salsa" etc), 16 Bit (*Inaxgtbvgrj* or however you spell it), or "J.R. is Dancing Pogo"? (You know, all back from when Vath was one of the greatest musical artists of the *'80s*??) Or did I just miss it?? (He also allegedly had a band called Barbarella, but as far as I know I never heard them.)

― xhuxk, Saturday, 22 April 2006 12:58 (twenty years ago)

Oh yeah, I forgot about the poem in Accident in Paradise, here it is:

In dreams of things I dreamt,
their vividness unforetolde;
The keepers of these luntatique scenes,
of my verye soule tooke holde;
And swiftly made it as their owne,
And I myself was the same one,
to seale that tinye rente;
Through which I'd hoped, be it in vayne,
my soule in flight to sende;
Alack, I now must walke this path,
and that sicker to the ende;
Against my verye thoughts, my verye thoughts...

It's translated from a poem in German, which is also included in the sleeve. And it really does say "luntatique" (instead of "lunatique"); I have no idea what that means.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Saturday, 22 April 2006 13:17 (twenty years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-n90BVhV_8&feature=Recent&page=2&t=t&f=b

― leeloo, Sunday, 23 April 2006 20:20 (twenty years ago)

oh my god it's sven and richie hawtin kissing! they're dancing to the knife!!!

look at that!

― lf (lfam), Monday, 24 April 2006 02:09 (twenty years ago)

sven vath is TOO CRAZY

― lf (lfam), Monday, 24 April 2006 02:09 (twenty years ago)

A friend told me that they were so fucked up that after the show Richie Hawtin pissed in the hotel lobby, shouting "where is my ecstasy? I can't find my ecstasy".

― Tobias Rapp (Tobias Rapp), Monday, 24 April 2006 06:11 (twenty years ago)

yeah, the dub of "Electrica Salsa" by Off is one of my favorites lately. The side without Sven Vath's vocals on it.

― Jacobs (LolVStein), Monday, 24 April 2006 07:36 (twenty years ago)

(NB: Väth is pronounced "fate", as a breakcore buddy of mine discovered when he told a joke at a Berlin gig about "Sven Vaff" and no-one laughed.)

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Monday, 24 April 2006 07:37 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

i heard a track of Cocoon F Guy Gerber - Sea of Sands. it is awesome. who had the money to buy this?

― Good Dog (Good Dog), Friday, 21 July 2006 02:46 (nineteen years ago)

Maria wouldn't let me trade in a Sven Vath cd today at the record store!!! I tolde her, dude, i think we have two of them!! and she wouldn't hear of it. she didn't believe me. but i swear we have two copies of CONTACT. oh well, whatever, they probably didn't want it anyway at the record store.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 21 July 2006 03:12 (nineteen years ago)

I was introduced to his music in early 2000 by a coworker in Costa Mesa. "Listen to this song," he urged. "It's called 'Pathfinder,' but you're gonna think he's saying 'Assfinder,' and that's why you're gonna love it. Poor Sven." THANKS SEAN

PS: I do doubly appreciate "taste the fruits of life" now, thanks

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 21 July 2006 03:46 (nineteen years ago)

I cannot believe that video right now. He's like the Angus MacLise of his world or something.

― trees (treesessplode), Friday, 21 July 2006 06:06 (nineteen years ago)

it was like the entire world got too stoned for five years

What do you mean 'like'? The entire world did get too stoned back then.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 21 July 2006 07:53 (nineteen years ago)

i was too young to notice

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Friday, 21 July 2006 14:08 (nineteen years ago)

Not suprisingly someone here dredged up the OFF (Organisation For Fun) stuff. Super nice guy. I met him in the late 80s at his birthday party and his friends all took the piss, singing "La Casa Latina" at him and he was quite embarrassed.

I had no idea who he was.

Ran into him years later, out in Franfurt and he recognized me and was quite nice.

I've seen that pic of him @ Ritchie. Check this one though. Hysterical.

http://www.discogs.com/image/A-835-1141190771.jpeg

There's another one of him and Acquaviva from the set but I don't know where it's gone.

― factcheckr (factcheckr), Friday, 21 July 2006 14:55 (nineteen years ago)

oh man that poem made my brain cry

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 21 July 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

it was like the entire world got too stoned for five years

What do you mean 'like'? The entire world did get too stoned back then.

Would it were now-- WHERE'S MY ECSTASY???

― trees (treesessplode), Saturday, 22 July 2006 20:20 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

Posted this elsewhere but it didn't get much response. I want to maximize the "gude laune" - Sven soundboard.
http://www.theshrine.de/

― struttin' with some barbecue (jimnaseum), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 13:12 (nineteen years ago)

sven vath i kiss you

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 18:08 (nineteen years ago)

what's the track playin behnd "people, energy" soundbite? it's driving me crazy, because it's totally obvious ...

― HUNTA-V (vahid), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 18:43 (nineteen years ago)

it's gabriel ananda? or is it pom pom?

― HUNTA-V (vahid), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 18:49 (nineteen years ago)

i had a very similar idea jim, here's what i came up with: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ec6ysx

kind of silly but that's sven. i left the equalization alone except to pad the bass. this way i figure that if anyone actually wants to use it they'll have more room to play around in.

"it's the lifestyle we are living, it's about love, it's about peace"

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 21:25 (nineteen years ago)

answering the original question
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/2604/svenbreitwu8.jpg

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!
GUDE LAUNE!!!

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 02:43 (nineteen years ago)

you can see his face only when your vision starts to go ;)

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 02:43 (nineteen years ago)

I'm totally making an acid track with those samples whenever I can find half an hour.

― struttin' with some barbecue (jimnaseum), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 09:21 (nineteen years ago)

This thread still totally confuses me. Given how awesome Vath's '80s stuff was, it's kind of like having a thread about Bob Dylan and ignoring everything he did before Street Legal or something. And I'm also stumped about why anybody would want to hear a version of "Electric Salsa" without the awesome vocals. But to each his own.

― xhuxk (xheddy), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 10:34 (nineteen years ago)

Vath has 80s stuff?

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 10:37 (nineteen years ago)

not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but see above:

― xhuxk (xheddy), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 10:42 (nineteen years ago)

I can't say I've ever heard any 80s Väth. Judging by this cover I really should have.

http://www.tursa.franken.de/pics/sven_electricasalsa.jpg

― struttin' with some barbecue (jimnaseum), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 10:45 (nineteen years ago)

It's possible his '80s stuff is a lot more obscure than I've always assumed it was -- or at least, I always assumed that people obsessed with electronic dance music would know it, but I could be wrong. My copy of 16 Bit's 1987 album Inaxycvgtgb (that's its correct spelling) is a West German pressing on Ariola Records. Key Tracks are "Changing Minds," "Where Are You," "Ina-Gadda-Da-Vida," "Mac's Flight," and "Too Fast Too Live." Goofiest title is "1 x 1 = Won." The Off also have a track called "Be My Dream" on the 1988 New Beat Edit 1 compilation on ZYX Records. I forget what Vath called himself for "J.R. is Dancing Pogo," though Frank Kogan (who taped it for me several years ago off some late '80s Mexican dance compilation, I think) probably could say if you asked him nicely.

― xhuxk (xheddy), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 10:58 (nineteen years ago)

And my copy of "Electrica Salsa" is a ZYX 12-inch from 1986, and the words "The Off" are nowhere on its label. (A-side version is subtitled "Salsa Inferno"; B-side version is subtitled "Baba Baba".) Vath is listed as "executive producer"; songwriting credits go to Michael Munzig and Luca Anzilotti, who are also all over the 16 Bit LP. In fact, on that one, they're listed on more songs than Vath is.

― xhuxk (xheddy), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 11:22 (nineteen years ago)

And they went on to do rhythm is a dancer under the name Snap!

― struttin' with some barbecue (jimnaseum), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 11:24 (nineteen years ago)

the off, "electrica salsa":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzhj4Uz1AGM

― xhuxk (xheddy), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 11:43 (nineteen years ago)

and this version has a fraulein mentioning 16 bit before the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teXnzOGmdFw&mode=related&search=

― xhuxk (xheddy), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 11:45 (nineteen years ago)

16 bit, "where are you":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0yU4bzlbuA

― xhuxk (xheddy), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 11:47 (nineteen years ago)

those songs suck

― PRKLTR (flezaffe), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 15:00 (nineteen years ago)

hahaha is that Vath dancing in the video? nice

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 15:08 (nineteen years ago)

hahaha marvellous, how can you say 'these songs suck' they're genius.

― lexurian (lexurian), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 15:15 (nineteen years ago)

we should compile a gude laune tribute record!

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 15:39 (nineteen years ago)

"Electric Salsa" sounds like Sven Väth imititating Yello, especially with his Dieter Meier-esque rapping.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 15:50 (nineteen years ago)

Sven Väth and Richie Hawtin dancing

You gotta love Sven Väth, he must be forty now, and he's still doin' it like it's 1991!

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 15:56 (nineteen years ago)

Isn't he kind of a figurehead now, with good clubs and DJ sets and little else? I mean, when did HE last release something worth a damn that wasn't a mix?

Also, I think that his early stuff is a lot more obscure than you would think, heddy.

― trees (treesessplode), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 16:09 (nineteen years ago)

deetron's "isotope" = GUDE LAUNE!!!!!!!!!!

― HUNTA-V (vahid), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 17:50 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

― ☪, Monday, 6 April 2009 07:24 (seventeen years ago)

genius

― L. Ron Peno (haitch), Tuesday, 7 April 2009 11:30 (seventeen years ago)

― "Hey, We're Clubbing!" (Police Squad) (jim), Tuesday, 7 April 2009 11:33 (seventeen years ago)

Funny how every time he starts humming, he seems to forget that he's in the middle of mixing something.
Ah Sven, where would we be without you.

― pshrbrn, Tuesday, 7 April 2009 14:14 (seventeen years ago)

since xhuxk's link to "electric salsa" isn't working anymore:

― "Hey, We're Clubbing!" (Police Squad) (jim), Tuesday, 7 April 2009 14:17 (seventeen years ago)

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