Only a year later, in 1982, Sven Väth was asked to play a residency at the club
Dorian Gray in Frankfurt am Main. It was there that he met Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti, which led him to get into music production. In 1985, the three came together as Off (Organisation for Fun) and produced the track “Bad News”, which Sven brought with him to Ibiza and offered to
Alfredo, Pippi, and Cesar – Ibiza's popular DJs at the time. The following year, in 1986, Off made waves with their new record, “
Electrica Salsa” from their debut album, Organisation For Fun. It sold one million copies. Off released a series of singles and a second album, "Ask Yourself", in 1989. Their final single, "Move Your Body," was released in 1990. Münzing and Anzilotti then moved on to their new project,
Snap!.
Omen At the age of 24, in 1988, Väth opened the dance club "
Omen" in Frankfurt with Michael Münzing and Mattias Martinsohn. Previously, the venue had operated under the name "Vogue," where Väth had also been a resident for a time. The newly named club soon became one of the best in Germany, as voted by *Groove Magazine*, and is regarded as one of the birthplaces of
techno in Germany. A short German film, lasting twelve minutes, documents the club's preparations for another night, including interviews with people on the dance floor sharing their thoughts on Omen. Ten years later, with a heavy heart, Sven decided to close the club in 1998. The closure was partly due to issues with landlords and city authorities.
Eye Q & Harthouse Records Eye Q was founded in 1991 by Väth, Heinz Roth, and
Matthias Hoffmann, and released two of Väth's best-known albums:
Accident in Paradise (1992) (which
Mixmag named one of the 50 best dance albums of all time) and
The Harlequin, the Robot, and the Ballet-Dancer (1994). In 1992, Sven also founded the label
Harthouse Records, under which he recorded using the alias Barbarella. He parted ways with the two labels in 1997 to focus on other projects.
Virgin Sven Väth signed a three-album contract with major record label
Virgin Records in 1998.
Contact (2000), and
Fire (2002). With the
Fusion album, Väth toured worldwide, showcasing his sound of techno,
electro, and
trip hop. The album was also remixed by various artists and released as a special six-record vinyl edition. Virgin also released a compilation in 2000 featuring some of Väth's best work at Eye Q Records.
Cocoon Cocoon began in 1996 as a series of parties into which Sven poured his savings. The name originated after Sven attended a performance by
La Fura dels Baus in 1994 at the
Tempodrom in Berlin. He toured with the concept across Germany and even North America. Although the parties placed a financial strain on him and were not entirely successful, Väth decided to revive the project in 1999, beginning with the establishment of a booking agency. Matt John,
Dubfire and Sven Väth himself. Today, it continues to provide bookings for artists such as Tobi Neumann, Onur Özer, Raresh, and many others. Cocoon Recordings has served as the launchpad for many of today's famous DJs' careers. Artists such as Martin Buttrich, Loco Dice, Roman Flügel, and Guy Gerber have all released tracks on Cocoon. Each year, the record label releases a compilation named after a letter of the alphabet (e.g., Cocoon Compilation A) to showcase the work of signed artists. After a trial period of four parties, Cocoon parties continued for fourteen Mondays in 2000 and for the following thirteen years. The night featured a spectacular array of the world's best DJs in electronic music, with artists such as Cassy, Carl Craig, Josh Wink, Adam Beyer, and Ricardo Villalobos Väth's Monday parties at Amnesia fostered the underground sound of Ibiza at a time when trance and commercial music were beginning to dominate the island. Johannes Goller, a long-time friend of Sven's, has led the team since the beginning, producing each successful season. Cocoon is also known for throwing after-parties in various locations throughout Ibiza and Formentera that were often illegal, and sometimes shut down by the police. The Cocoon parties also cultivated "Cocoon Heroes" (the theme for the 12th season) such as Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice, Dubfire, and Cassy alongside Sven, all of them gathering on Mondays to play long sets in the terrace and main room of the club. Cocoon Mondays at Amnesia continued strongly until 2018. In 2018, Cocoon was moved to Pacha.
Cocoon Frankfurt In 2004, Väth opened the club Cocoon in Frankfurt. Considered the successor to Sven's previous venture at Omen, Cocoon club also became very popular. Techno, house, and trance acts were known to perform there, with some of the better-known being Richie Hawtin, Ricardo Villalobos, Armin van Buuren, and Above & Beyond. Some of the resident DJs included Väth himself, DJ Karotte, Toni Rios, C-Rock, and Sidney Spaeth. The building contained two restaurants run by a celebrity chef, lounges, and distinctive architecture featuring "cocoon" niches where people could relax. In November 2012, Sven closed Cocoon club due to bankruptcy. ==Personal life==