Robin Ebinger: Reflecting on the Journey of Time Warp and Sonus Festival

Robin Ebinger says witnessing the energy and unity on the dance floor at his first drum and bass Happy Harcore Party in the early 90s was transformative. Falling in love with electronic music inspired him to organize and promote events that embodied his vision of the ideal party.

“When I was at the first drum and bass Happy Hardcore Party, I realized that what’s happening on the dance floor is something I’ve never seen before,” Ebinger recalls. “This energy, these people from all over the place falling into each other’s arms and going crazy and just celebrating the moment and the music. I was infected by this virus. I am still. Gladly.”

This profound impact inspired his journey and led him to become the Managing Director of Electronic Events, responsible for Sonus Festival, and the Marketing Director of Cosmopop, the company behind Time Warp. Both festivals are renowned for their cutting-edge production and world-class techno offerings, contributing significantly to dance music culture.

Time Warp

Image by Thiago Xavier

Originally held in Mannheim, Germany, Time Warp has achieved legendary status in the realm of techno events. To describe the festival to someone unfamiliar, Robin shared Laurent Garnier’s words, who described Time Warp as “the only rave that manages to maintain the true spirit of raves, bringing a diverse group of people together to celebrate the music.” Over the years, Time Warp has expanded its reach globally to Buenos Aires, New York, São Paulo, and more.

Running from early Saturday evening to late Sunday afternoon, Time Warp features an extensive lineup of world-class techno DJs and producers. To quote Carl Cox, “Time Warp is for the long haul. It’s a long distance and it’s a marathon.” The festival creates intimate and captivating environments through its innovative use of fabrics, lighting, and technology, making it a truly immersive experience for attendees.

“Although it’s huge in scale, for example [in] Mannheim we have 20,000 people from all over the world, it makes you feel comfortable and cozy, like being in small clubs because we try to decorate the entire room, the entire dance floor.” Ebinger says about the flagship event. “We try to make it feel very intimate and bring down the ceilings, make it special.”

Image by Felix Hohagen

Each floor has its distinct ambiance, housed in halls, warehouses, tents, and even a glass pavilion providing breathtaking moments during sunrise. Ebinger credits their technical director, Anatol, as the driving force behind these advancements. Anatol’s innovative ideas and extensive network of artists allowed them to constantly experiment, break boundaries, and set trends in production.

Time Warp’s Manheim edition is truly an international affair, with attendees hailing from all corners of the world. He noted that the encounters with like-minded individuals from different backgrounds add to the festival’s charm. And in an age of rapidly rising prices and rampant commercialization in the events space, Time Warp remains reasonably priced and authentic. Its organizers always think about how it feels to be on the dancefloor because they are ravers.

Image by Auswahl Aktuell

“My partners and I, we are people that come from the dance floor,” Ebinger explains. “Of course we’re businessmen, we need to make money because we have to pay the people in the agency. But still we are not businessmen who said, okay, let’s do raves, we are ravers who said, let’s do business.”

Upon congratulating Robin on the fast-approaching 30th anniversary of Time Warp, he expressed his disbelief at the journey they had undertaken. “If somebody would have told me like when I first was on a dance floor that I could make one’s living with it and that techno would bring us around the world, I would have said, ‘well, I don’t think so.’ I believe it’s very rewarding to understand that our team is making people happy by offering places to celebrate and to have a good time.”

Sonus Festival

Club Aquarius - Sonus Festival

Sonus Festival had its humble beginnings thanks to an encounter between Ebinger and his long-time friend Dalibor. Dalibor, who is of German and Croatian heritage, shared his vision of hosting a beach party on a picturesque island in Croatia with open-air clubs playing music all night long. Intrigued by the idea, Robin and his team decided to invest in Dalibor’s vision, despite the tight time frame of four or five months before the festival’s scheduled date in August.

The first year of Sonus Festival proved to be an immense challenge. Unlike previous festivals they’d organized, Sonus was a destination festival. Convincing fans to spend several days partying in a far-flung region required the team to adapt their marketing strategy.

“I remember that everything was just trial and error not only with communication but also with the first shows. We had day parties and night parties, and obviously it was too long. We started day parties at noon, where it was very, very warm and very early. Nobody came. We realized, okay, no, I wouldn’t go to the beach party now at noon. Why? It’s too warm, I would rather go to the beach.”

Club Kalypso - Sonus Festival

Sonus Festival has played a vital role in fostering the development of the dance music scene in Croatia and has become a platform for showcasing local talent from Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Known for its breathtaking seaside location, Sonus also attracts a diverse range of renowned techno and house artists from around the world, such as Dixon, ANNA, Charlotte de Witt, Jaden Thompson, Mochakk, Marco Carola, and Ben Böhmer.

Reflecting on the festival’s evolution, Robin acknowledges that the journey from the first festival to its current status as both imaginable and unimaginable. The festival’s association with Time Warp played a crucial role in Sonus Festival’s early growth. The unique blend of stunning natural surroundings, immersive stages, and unforgettable music experiences set Sonus apart from other festivals.

Club Papaya - Sonus Festival

The clubs themselves are open-air and have an arena-like structure, creating an energetic space where the music and fans converge. The festival’s timing, with the transition from daylight to twilight and the sunrise over the beautiful mountain range, add to the magical experience. Additionally, the emerging trend of destination festivals, where attendees could combine their holiday with a festival experience, added to Sonus Festival’s appeal.

Sharing some memorable moments from the festivals, Robin recalls a particularly intense situation during the first year of Sonus Festival. On the last night, as Ricardo Villalobos was playing his set, a sudden thunderstorm struck, drenching the outdoor club. Robin and Ricardo sought shelter beneath the DJ table, only to realize they were surrounded by cables and in a potentially dangerous situation. After relocating to a small, makeshift area, they battled the rain and worked together to keep the music going.

“It started to rain very heavily and there was this small, patio-like place and we decided to move there, a very small area but it was pouring with rain,” he remembers. “We jumped out and then we went to this patio place. This was like a small shelter for maybe 70 people covered with wood, but it was raining so hard that the rain came through the wood. And so basically we had to stretch some plastic foils above the DJ. Another guy and I were fixing this plastic foil above the DJ underneath this wood construction and we were standing there for about an hour just for him to continue to play the music.”

Moments like these, where the forces of nature collide with the energy of the festival, exemplify the challenges and excitement inherent in organizing such events. Looking ahead to the tenth anniversary of Sonus Festival, Robin remains tight-lipped about specific plans but hints at the introduction of another stage or club.

Sonus Festival and Time Warp hold a special place in dance music culture due to their commitment to pushing boundaries in production, curating exceptional lineups, and providing unforgettable experiences for techno enthusiasts.

Robin expresses the joy of losing track of time while immersed in his work when asked about his favorite aspects of his job. The flow of merging with tasks and situations is a privilege he cherishes. Additionally, he appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with creative individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and time zones. Working outside the constraints of predefined rules allows him to navigate the industry with a sense of freedom and autonomy.

Robin’s involvement in the music scene includes supporting local artists in both Croatia and Germany. He emphasizes their commitment to providing a platform for upcoming talent alongside established names across various events. Balancing audience expectations, brand identity, and introducing new talent presents an ongoing challenge, but one that Robin and his team embrace. Acknowledging the utopian nature of festivals, Ebinger emphasized that dance events like Time Warp and Sonus Festival are not just about escaping daily life but also about promoting democracy. On the dance floor, everyone is equal, transcending differences of nationality or social status.