To celebrate 20 since inception, Sven Väth's Cocoon Recordings is serving up a special 15 track collection that brings together new and exclusive tracks from artists that have been a huge part of the journey. Presented as a deluxe 6 x 12" box set with a silver foil cover and paper insert with individual sleeves and luminescent paint, this is a suitably spectacular collection that pays homage to one of techno's finest operations.
20 years is a long time in any facet of life, but in techno it is eons. The genre evolves so quickly that staying relevant for even half that time is some achievement, so to still be recognised as one of the genre's most iconic and influential labels after such an extended period is testament to the vision of its founder Sven Väth. The popular character, much loved DJ and always innovative creative force started out with an early rave techno sound back in the late eighties that he has steered into much broader realms ever since. Thanks to carefully A&Ring a mix of red hot new talents and plenty of his original pioneering peers, Väth has ensured Cocoon has always covered all points of the spectrum: there have been hundreds of thrilling dance floor 12"s, a treasure trove of full length albums that have brought plenty of detail and depth to techno and multiple mix series including the annual Sound of the Season which distills Ibiza's latest trends into two vital CDs, and the annual alphabet compilations which showcase the label's finest moments.
Then, of course, there have been the parties, which have taken many forms over the years, from self-run festivals like Green and Blue & Cocoon in the Park to carefully curated label nights at the world's foremost clubs via, most famously, their flagship and globally recognised Monday night parties in Ibiza at super clubs such as Amnesia. These very much introduced the White Isle to techno and in the 20 years since the first party have become family gatherings that have solidified the sound's presence on the island for ever more, thanks to the world class line ups, out of this world production, colourful characters and fantastical themes that have made each session so legendary.
Cocoon's unique brand of techno has always been at the heart for the operation and now, these brand new and exclusive tracks confirm that once again. Rampa kicks off with the jittery broken beat techno of '2000' and Emanuel Satie keeps the melodic vibes alive with his wistful 'Departure' and then Diynamic label boss Solomun serves up a rare new production 'We Will Never Have Today Again' which is a dramatic and epic groove with majestic synth work lighting up the bold drums. Gregor Tresher slips into a more slick and funky drum work out with 'Nostalgia (is The Enemy) and Joseph Ashworth's 'Eavesdrop' reaches for deep space with its distant synth swirls and astral atmospheres.
Pig & Dan very much came of age through their releases on Cocoon and here offer an intense cosmic workout with 'Trauma', while US legend Josh Wink keeps it deep and heads down with his gritty roller 'Nuclei.' After lush techno trance from Ricardo Tobar comes a heavyweight collaboration between Tiga & Roman Flügel that is designed for those freaky late night hours and then exceptional minimalist Planetary Assault Systems gets you in a spin with his Mind melting cosmic melodies and pounding drum rhythms.
There is paranoia and urgency in the excellent work of Jacek Sienkiewicz, dark industry when Andre Galluzzi & Daniel Stefanik link on 'The Regulator' and high grade machine soul from Extrawelt. Croatian mainstay Petar Dundov brings his trademark melodic magic to 'Overtone' and things come to a perfect close with the techno warmth and mellifluous synth work of Sebastian Mullaert's 'Kikaqu'.
Despite its rich history, this fantastic collection of new and exclusive music continues to look to the future and take techno in bold new directions, just as Cocoon always has.