sven vath: in the mix: the sound of the thirteenth season

Sven Väth is co-founder of the Cocoon label, and this is The Sound of the Thirteenth Season. Over the last few years, Ibiza has established itself as one of the centers of advanced electronic music. A key figure in Ibiza's electronic awakening is Sven Väth. Focusing on quality music, Väth established a new type of party experience by summoning a tribe of passionate musicians and activists, and in 2012, Cocoon's Ibiza adventure was created for the 13th time. Being the master of ceremony, Väth invites a unique mix of long-time companions and upcoming talent. The 13th Season opens with Thomas Hoffding's auspicious voice, subtly arranged by Terranova. wAFF's grooves are more stable and demanding, establishing the emotional density of classic New York house. WK7 pushes the set into a more technoid direction. The turmoil that will take place on the dancefloor is anticipated by Margot's meandering acid track. The Tuff City Kids push even further with striking, demanding chords. Octave One's unique, soulful grooves highlight the unrestrained force of the synthesizers. Ben Sims' slick groove subdues the excitement, with enigmatic bleeps hovering over the dancefloor like an acoustic sculpture. Sam Paganini startles the dancers with sounds from another galaxy. By merging tracks from Sawlin, P.A.S. and Exercise One, Väth composes a powerful sequence which reaches beyond the vocabulary of peak-time techno. Dissolving into a tribal groove by Silent Servant and the poetic sounds of Ray Kajioka, the first set comes to its end. The second CD starts off on an entirely different note. A sweet house sound is established by Makam. Then comes the allure and grace of Dixon's edit of Romanthony's classical anthem, "The Wanderer," and with &ME's vexing alien sounds, the ideal counterpoint is created. Julien Bracht challenges the dancers with broken beats and longing vocals. The simplicity of Alejandro Mosso's mesmerizing melody finally disarms the crowd. Lawrence's intangible electronic sounds pour down on the dancers like rain. Rhadoo applies the brakes and controversially creates an irresistible motion. Roman Flügel manages to challenge the language of dance music, merging history and the future of house music in the most humorous way possible. The heavy, bassy chords of Four Tet turn into Uner's multi-layered, diaphanous house sound, bursting with sun and light. Gathaspar unifies the diverging energies with a pervasive soundscape. Soy Mustafa and John Tejada have the final word: the dancefloor is taken away by their otherworldly serenity.