Thank you, Mauricio. Right now, the world finds me in a very reflective place.

I have just completed another chapter of my T.R.A.N.C.E. World Tour and I am taking time to recharge through Ayurveda, a practice I have embraced for more than 33 years and, over the last two years, twice annually. After months of airports, dance floors, and human connection, I always enjoy returning to silence, nature, and simple routines. It reminds me that movement and stillness belong together. Touring teaches me a lot about the world, but these quieter moments help me understand what it all means.

What Ibiza gives me most is time.

The road gives me excitement, inspiration, and encounters. Ibiza gives me the opportunity to slow down, spend time with my family, walk in nature, watch the sea, listen to music without an agenda, and simply be present. As beautiful as touring is, it is often about arriving somewhere. Ibiza allows me to arrive within myself.

It really depends on what time I am starting. If my set begins after one o'clock in the morning—or even later—I usually try to have an early dinner and then rest for an hour or two before heading to the club. Arriving with fresh energy is important to me, especially when I know I am about to play for many hours.

Once I arrive, I take my time to absorb what is happening in the room. Every crowd is different, every night has its own personality. I observe the people, the atmosphere, the sound, and the energy on the dance floor. From there, I can quickly adapt and find the right starting point. DJing has never been about following a fixed script for me. It is about responding to the moment.

A rider is often misunderstood. For me, it has never been about demands. It is simply about creating a comfortable atmosphere—not only for myself, but also for the people around me.

There is usually a selection of drinks: water, wine, beer, champagne, and tequila. Not because I intend to drink everything, but because there are often friends, artists, and members of my inner circle around me, and I enjoy sharing a moment together before or after the night.

Personally, I keep it very simple. Water is essential, and over the years I have found that a few glasses of rosé wine are usually the perfect companion throughout a long evening. More than any specific item, it is the feeling of being relaxed, surrounded by good people, and mentally present that helps me find the right energy before stepping behind the decks.

I hope they can surrender to themselves.

We spend so much of our lives planning, controlling, comparing, and judging. On the dance floor, there is an opportunity to let go of all of that for a few hours. T.R.A.N.C.E is not a musical genre for me. It is a state of connection where people stop thinking about who they are supposed to be and simply become part of a shared experience.

That is where the real magic begins.

I think what needs to remain private is the mystery itself. Not everything needs to be documented. Some moments are powerful precisely because they only exist in memory. The dance floor has always been a place of freedom, experimentation, and transformation. If every moment becomes content, something essential gets lost.

The most beautiful experiences of my life were never planned, filmed, or explained. They simply happened. Magic needs a little space to breathe.

What I am looking for is honesty.

I am not interested in trends or formulas. I want to hear music with personality and emotional depth. Cocoon has always been a home for artists who follow their own vision rather than the expectations of the market.

Whether it is deep, hypnotic, melodic, or experimental, I want to hear something that feels authentic. The best records are often the ones that could only have been made by that particular artist.

I have always loved dialogue between different musical worlds. Wolfgang Haffner brings decades of experience, sensitivity, and musicianship. When someone approaches electronic music from a different perspective, they often reveal things that you did not even know were there.

Those kinds of collaborations remind me that music is a living language. It grows through curiosity and exchange.

Patience and listening.

A DJ is not there to impose a story on a crowd. A DJ is there to discover that story together with the crowd. Learning how to read a room, when to push, when to hold back, when to surprise people and when to give them exactly what they need—those are things that cannot be taught by social media, branding, or marketing.

They can only be learned through experience, mistakes, and thousands of hours behind the decks.

It means exactly the same thing to me today as it did when I first said it—perhaps even more.

Over the years, I have watched DJ culture evolve into something very different from what originally inspired me. Much of it has become focused on creating visual spectacles and social media moments. Massive screens, virtual effects, pyrotechnics, and carefully staged content opportunities. Sometimes it feels more like a Las Vegas show than a musical journey.

I say this with respect because I know there is creativity and hard work behind these productions. But personally, it does not move me. What touches me is still the connection between the music, the DJ, and the crowd.

For me, a DJ is not an entertainer performing above the audience. A DJ is part of the audience, guiding a shared experience through music. The real magic happens in the room—in the energy exchange, the unexpected moments, and the records themselves.

Especially in Ibiza, a place built on freedom, community, and musical discovery, I sometimes find the growing focus on spectacle and individual ego a little concerning.

At the end of the day, when a truly special record comes on and a room full of people feels the same emotion at the same moment, none of the effects matter. What remains is the feeling.

And that is why I still believe: it is the music that counts.

What I always hope to preserve is the journey.

A great mix is not simply a collection of tracks. It is a narrative. It should create movement, tension, surprise, release, and emotion. Even when somebody listens alone, I want them to feel connected to something larger than themselves.

A mix should leave room for imagination. It should allow listeners to create their own story.

Curiosity has always been my biggest motivation. At the moment I am exploring more ambient and listening-oriented projects while also developing ideas that connect music, storytelling, nature, and human experience. I am interested in creating spaces where people can listen as deeply as they dance.

The biggest risk for any artist is becoming predictable. As long as I remain curious, I feel inspired to keep moving forward.

Thank you, Mauricio, and thank you to everyone at Electronic Groove.

The dance floor still matters because people still matter. As long as people continue to come together to celebrate life, share emotions, and connect through music, this culture will remain alive.

That is what has inspired me for more than four decades, and it continues to inspire me today.

See you somewhere under the stars.

Love Sven