Swiss homeboy Andrea Oliva has become a global star thanks to his hard work and natural talent, bringing his own unique twist to the house and techno world. His music is dark, seductive and funky, with releases on labels such as Circus and Hot Creations, among many others, helping to establish Andrea as a formidable producer. As a DJ, he has criss-crossed the globe, spending a lot of time in Ibiza during the summer season, reppin' for the ANTS crew at Ushuaïa and other key venues on the island, as well as touring around Europe and the US on a regular basis. This month he's appearing at Basel's highly influential Nordstern club on 31st July, and their boat party the earlier in the day plus he's back again on 11th August for one of the world's most popular party outfits, Elrow at Zurich Street Parade. We spoke to Andrea ahead of his return to the homeland, beginning with what's been going on in Ibiza...
Tell us about your Ibiza season so far... Any highlights? Any surprises?
Even after all these years I am always surprised at how beautiful and magical Ibiza is! I’m just enjoying being back on the island again.
Have you had a chance to check out other DJs in action while you’ve been over on the island? If so, is there anyone who’s impressed you this season?
To be honest the season is still young and I’ve not had chance to get around that much. I’ve already had some crazy gigs myself at Ushuaïa and DC10 though.
How has the island changed since the first time you ever visited?
There is an evolution in everything, especially if we are talking about a much hyped destination like Ibiza. There are pros and cons in what’s changed over the years but Ibiza will always be Ibiza and no other place in the world will ever be like it.
Check out Andrea Oliva in the mix for HYTE in Berlin below...
What have you got coming up in Ibiza over the next couple of months, anything that’s really exciting you?
I'm playing a lot of gigs for some of the best parties and clubs in the world - Ushuaia, DC10, Amnesia and Hï – that’s all super exciting!!
Can you tell us what it is that makes Ibiza such a special place, in your opinion?
Come and visit Ibiza and you will find out! There is a certain magic about the island that you just have to experience yourself.
In Switzerland you’ve got some amazing gigs coming up, what do you love most about playing in your home nation?
I love seeing my friends and family and everything at Nordstern - these are the best things about playing in Switzerland
What impact has Nordstern had on the scene in Basel?
There is nothing as curated and professional as Nordstern in my eyes. For example Sven Väth said it's one of the most exciting things he has seen in the past 10 years in our scene and Carl Craig mentioned it was probably the best sound system he has ever played on in a club like this. For me it's also home.
What are your experiences of the Zurich Street Parade? Have you been before? What’s it like? Can you describe to our readers, in case they’ve never been before?
I’ve worked with the Street Parade team in the past for quite a long time - I’ve mixed two official Street Parade CDs and I can’t wait to be back after four years.
Can you tell us about some up and coming Swiss artists we should check out?
Jimi Jules and Gianni Callipari are fantastic artists - definitely check both those out
Can you name some of the clubs, artists and record labels that are pushing the Swiss scene forward
Unfortunately I am not spending enough time in Switzerland to know what's up now in the scene. But clubs like Nordstern, Hive andZukunft have always been very important for the Swiss scene.
Where do you go in Switzerland if you want to relax and have a break from DJing?
Mountains all the way. I love the Swiss mountains!
What have you got coming up release-wise?
I’ve just released an EP on Saved records (Terrace EP - purchase here), and I have upcoming releases on Hot Creations, Play It Say It and a remix coming on Rawthentic - watch out for all of those!