Sven Vath

• Genre: U.K./Euro Techno
• Hometown: Offenbach
• Sven Vath Website

About

Frankfurt's Sven Vath found fame early on: The 1986 song "Electrica Salsa," recorded with his electro-pop group Off, was a worldwide hit that established the wunderkind as a Euro-dance icon. But it was with the arrival of trance that Vath hit his stride, and he's been galloping ever since, both as a celebrated DJ and founder of the labels Eye Q, Harthouse and Cocoon. Vath is a bona fide impresario; today Cocoon boasts a booking agency, Ibiza residencies and a futuristic mega-club complete with restaurant and private nooks for canoodling. But he's clearly kept the spirit of Off's "Organization for Fun": Fond of appearing as a harlequin, clown or fully made-up member of KISS -- and occasionally spied making out with Richie Hawtin on YouTube -- Vath embraces his role as the crown prince of techno. When it comes to rocking parties or releasing killer tracks and compilations, though, Vath and Cocoon are dead serious.

- Philip Sherburne