In an era where electronic music often rewards fast trends and easily defined genres, STVW has built his career on the opposite philosophy: patience, identity, and authenticity. Raised in Germany with a deep-rooted work ethic and an early emotional connection to music, STVW’s journey began far from festival stages — shaped by pop-punk anthems, emo culture and countless hours spent teaching himself instruments and production skills.
What started with guitar covers of bands like blink-182, Sum 41, Simple Plan, and Green Day slowly evolved into an obsession with electronic music and sound design. Through trial, error, rejection, and relentless self-education, STVW developed a sound that refuses to fit neatly into one scene. His self-defined PUNK RAVE concept merges heavy guitars, live band energy, and bass-driven rave music, creating a space where rock kids and ravers collide.
In this conversation, STVW reflects on discipline, rejection, genre resistance, and the long road toward creative clarity. He speaks candidly about building a project step by step, the importance of community, and why staying true to your roots matters more than chasing trends. From bedroom experiments to viral moments, from skepticism to validation by the very bands that inspired him — this is the story behind PUNK RAVE and the artist shaping it.
Hi STVW, welcome to Tanzgemeinschaft STWV! As a German artist breaking into international markets, how has your background influenced your work ethic and artistic identity?
Hey guys, thanks so much for having me!
My parents always taught me a strong mindset of being disciplined, reliable, and really putting in the work — and that stuck with me early on. I never expected anything to just happen; I always knew I’d have to build things step by step and earn them.
Since I was a kid, I had a super strong connection to music. No matter what I was doing, I always needed MTV or the radio running in the background. Later on in school, I started teaching myself guitar, jamming with friends, and covering our favorite tracks from blink-182, Sum 41, Simple Plan, or Green Day. The whole punk-rock/emo scene was more than just music for me as a teenager — it was a lifestyle, and it’s still part of my identity today.
Around 2010, I also started getting into electronic music. During recovery from a surgery, I found this old Ableton demo CD I had lying around from a music store purchase. I installed it and just messed around, trying to figure out how to make those “big room” tracks that sounded like W&W, Blasterjaxx, or Hardwell — they were basically the reason I even got into EDM at that time. There weren’t really YouTube tutorials back then, so I connected with a bunch of upcoming producers on SoundCloud to trade tips. From then on, every free minute I had was spent on my laptop, making songs, doing remixes, just trying to level up my skills.
Over time, I realized you don’t really stand out if you just sound like every other DJ or producer. You need your own vibe. After overthinking it for ages, one day it just clicked — why not mix my first love, pop-punk/emo, with my new love for EDM? At that point, I hadn’t really heard anything like it, so I figured, why not try? It took a lot of failed attempts, but eventually I had this creative breakthrough and wrote the first PUNK RAVE songs where I felt like: this is ME, this is authentic and unique.
PUNK RAVE blends genres that traditionally existed in separate scenes. Did you ever face resistance early on for not fitting neatly into one category?
Oh yes, definitely! Labels didn’t get it at first and A&Rs were like, “No big DJ will ever support this, it’s too niche.” Other artists we pitched ideas to also told us, “What genre is this supposed to be???”
I was convinced there had to be people out there who loved this combination of genres just like I did. Of course, there was some disappointment, but I felt like I just had to show them they were wrong. It was easy to keep going because I genuinely had so much fun in the studio.
One day I made this track combining pop-punk with happy hardcore. I sent the first demo to Timmy Trumpet, who’d been supporting my stuff more and more at the time — and he hit me back saying he wanted to release it together. That was a huge confirmation that I was onto something.
Around that same time, Reels and TikTok started blowing up, so I began posting more videos. After a while, I dropped my remix of Sum 41’s “Still Waiting,” and a few days later it had over 2 million views and tons of positive reactions. I told my team, “See? I found the people who vibe with this music!” That’s when the whole PUNK RAVE branding came together quickly, and from there I went all in.
Your career reflects a steady evolution rather than a single breakout moment. How important was patience in building STVW into what it is today?
Really important. I would say STVW is the perfect example of being “self-made” and that you can achieve anything as long as you’re consistent and really believe in yourself and your vision.
When I started, I basically had no clue about music production or even what a DAW was. I just had a passion for music and knew I wanted to learn how to make my own songs. When I sent out my first demos, I always got rejected by labels, and they told me I needed to improve my production — that it just wasn’t there yet.
That was really hard sometimes because I spent every single minute in front of my computer, and with every song I thought, “That’s the one.” The disappointment made me impatient, which led to creative blocks. I had to realize it’s not going to happen overnight and that I need to see it as a marathon instead of a sprint. That mindset took a lot of pressure off.
Sometimes I still struggle with it today, but I always remind myself that if something doesn’t work today, it will tomorrow, next month, or next year — as long as you keep at it.
Live performance plays a central role in your artistry. How did developing the PUNK RAVE LIVE concept change how you think about music creation itself?
To be honest, not much — because I started making music years before I even played my first live show. My approach was more about making the live show work with the music I’d already created.
That actually helped shape the PUNK RAVE show into what it is now, because I had to think about how to make a rock band setup work with high-energy electronic music, not the other way around. The music always needed to be energetic and bass-heavy — something you can play at a festival or underground club where people just want to jump.
That’s what PUNK RAVE is about: the energy of rave and techno music, combined with a live band on stage adding the rock element through real instruments.
Working with rock bands who openly support your reinterpretations is rare in electronic music. What did that validation mean to you personally?
It’s unreal. Seeing the bands I grew up with — the ones that influenced my own music so much — comment on or share my remixes felt crazy. Getting their official approval to release cover versions of their iconic tracks was even more surreal.
One of my highlights was Simple Plan’s reaction to my PUNK RAVE version of “Welcome To My Life.” That was one of my favorite songs growing up, and Simple Plan was actually my first concert back in 2008. Getting positive feedback from them was a huge honor and gave me so much motivation.
You’ve toured clubs, festivals, and now full headline runs. How has your relationship with fans changed as the project has grown?
I think it’s actually become even tighter. Authenticity is more important than ever, especially in the age of social media. People want real interactions, real conversations, and to feel like they’re part of something bigger.
I try to stay approachable — talking to fans after shows, taking pictures, answering comments and DMs as best as I can. I want people to see that I’m just like them. I started chasing this dream in my bedroom, and that mindset hasn’t changed.
The core is still about shared energy, shared emotion, and building a community around music. I see fans as part of the family and the reason I can do this every day.
Electronic music often prioritizes trends, while rock prioritizes identity. How do you balance staying current without compromising who you are?
Staying true to yourself is super important. Of course, it makes sense to keep an eye on where the scene is heading, but you shouldn’t completely change your sound just to chase a trend.
Instead, I think it’s better to take certain elements from current trends and blend them into your own sound. That way, you stay inspired and move forward creatively without losing your core identity.
Looking at your journey so far, what lessons would you pass on to artists trying to merge genres without losing credibility?
Authenticity is everything. This only works if you truly believe in what you’re doing and stand behind it personally. I grew up in the emo and pop-punk scene, and I’ve also been part of the EDM world for over a decade.
If you merge styles just because you think it could be a trend, it might work short-term — but you can’t build something lasting that way. People feel when something is forced versus when it comes from real passion. My advice is to look at what you genuinely love and combine those elements in a way that creates something new.
As your international fanbase continues to grow, what do you hope people feel when they experience PUNK RAVE for the first time?
My goal is to build a strong community where people can forget about daily struggles for an hour or two — whether at a show or online. I want them to feel like they’ve discovered something new and found a place where they belong.
Live, I want it to feel like a shared experience rather than just a performance — a safe space where people can jump, scream, mosh, or just take it all in. If someone leaves thinking, “This felt different. This felt like a community,” then PUNK RAVE did exactly what it’s supposed to do.
Thanks STVW, and all the best for 2026!
Thanks so much — same to you!!
