7am Tickets
Apr 4, 2025
Andrea Oliva isn’t your typical cookie-cutter EDM bro. He’s not out here dropping bass bombs in LED helmets or chasing TikTok trends. This guy is a Swiss-born selector who climbed his way from dusty record bins and after-hours in Basel to some of the most iconic dancefloors on the planet — all without selling his soul or watering down his sound.
From teaching himself to mix records at 13 to commanding sun-drenched stages in Ibiza, Oliva’s rise has been a slow burn in the best way. And now, with Mexico’s techno scene erupting across beach jungles, warehouses, and boutique festivals, this Ibiza-built (figuratively speaking) beast is finding serious chemistry with Mexican ravers — especially those who like his music dark and groovy.
This story doesn’t start in Berlin or Detroit — it starts in a sleepy Swiss village, where a teenage Oliva was busy teaching himself how to DJ while most kids were still fumbling through puberty. By the time he hit 16, he was working in a record store, obsessively collecting underground white-label promos and raw house imports from Europe’s finest scenes.
No hype, no shortcuts — just years of spinning vinyl in Swiss clubs like Terminus and Pravda, building a local rep on skill alone. And when he linked up with Nordstern club’s owner to throw the now-legendary “Banditz” parties? Game over. Swiss nightlife had its own rising star.
Then came the holy land: Ibiza. In 2004, Andrea made a promise to himself — the first time he ever set foot on the island would be as a DJ, not a wide-eyed tourist. Mission accomplished. His debut set at Space? 7am sunrise slot on the terrace. The room was full. The vibe? Filthy in the best possible way. And from that moment on, the European scene couldn’t get enough of him.
Trying to box Oliva into a genre is like trying to throw a rave in a library — you’re missing the point entirely. “It’s a mixed salad,” he’s said, when asked if his style leans more house or techno. It’s both. It’s neither. It’s Andrea Oliva.
His sound walks the line between hypnotic and hedonistic — one minute it’s rolling, bass-heavy techno with a snarl, the next it’s soulful, percussive house that feels like summer sex in track form. Think Detroit meets Basel, meets a tequila-fueled sunrise on the beach.
By 2012, after years of grinding in the studio (no ghost-producers here), Oliva finally cracked Beatport’s Top 10 with “Click Off” (Cadenza) and “Scene” (Be As One). Resident Advisor even crowned him their most-charted artist two months in a row. And still, no major label cosign. No stadium antics. Just pure, dancefloor-tested fire.
His remix of Luciano’s “Rise Of Angels” in 2013 became an Ibiza staple, played everywhere from DC-10 to villa afters in the hills. Two years later, he dropped his debut LP 4313 on Objektivity, a moody, stripped-back album that proved he wasn’t just a peak-hour hit machine — he had range.
Then came more anthems. “Scream” (Hot Since 82’s Knee Deep) in 2016? Certified banger. “Vermona” on The Martinez Brothers’ Cuttin’ Headz? Played on repeat across every respectable dancefloor in Europe. And “My Way,” the 2019 smash that snagged another BBC Essential New Tune nod, cemented Oliva’s ability to ride the fine line between underground legend and crossover beast.
Even his remixes bang — from flipping Tom Walker’s radio hit “Not Giving In” into a chunky club cut, to reworking Groove Armada’s “House With Me” into something dirtier, deeper, and 100% more danceable.
If Andrea Oliva is known for one thing beyond the music, it’s being the face of ANTS — Ibiza’s favorite slap in the face to the commercial scene. When Ushuaïa (yeah, the club with the pyrotechnics and champagne trains) decided to build an underground party in 2013, they handed Oliva the reins. No headliners. No hype. Just straight-up music.
It worked. ANTS blew up. What started as a low-key Saturday thing became one of the most respected underground brands on the island — all black clothes, all-day sets, and that tiny ant logo stamped on ravers’ hearts forever. And through it all, Oliva’s been front and center, curating the sound, commanding the booth, and turning daytime parties into tribal techno rituals.
He’s since played for pretty much every Ibiza institution worth mentioning: marathon sets at Elrow, guest slots at Music On, and even his own “Andrea Oliva & Friends” night at Hï Ibiza. When he talks about the island, you can hear the respect — but also the mission. He’s not here for bottle service. He’s here for culture.
Let’s get one thing straight: Andrea Oliva didn’t just pop into Mexico to play a couple of DJ sets. He’s been building something here for years — a connection that’s felt just as deep as it is loud.
It started at BPM Festival in Playa del Carmen back in 2016. ANTS took over Blue Parrot, and Oliva brought the full Ibiza energy: black tees, jungle vibes, sweaty bodies, and that signature ANTS bounce. Mexican ravers got a taste, and they were hooked.
Since then, Andrea’s been a regular fixture across the country. Dreamfields Mexico? He destroyed it in 2022 alongside the likes of Charlotte de Witte and Armin van Buuren. The difference? While mainstage bros were smashing build-ups and drops, Oliva was over at the techno stage, luring in dancers with deep, tribal beats and zero gimmicks.
And Tulum? It’s basically his winter base now. In early 2024, he rang in the new year with an ANTS jungle session, B2B with top-tier selectors under the stars. Picture this: candle-lit dancefloors, sweaty palms, endless basslines, and Oliva in the booth, eyes closed, locked in. A full-on spiritual experience with a four-on-the-floor heartbeat.
Oliva’s not just playing gigs in Mexico — he’s speaking the language of the scene. His music has the three things Mexican ravers crave: intensity, sensuality, and rebellion.
His sets hit hard enough for the most jaded techno heads (you know the ones — sunglasses at night, arms crossed, unimpressed). But they also groove, with slinky percussion and sneaky vocals that sneak up on you like mezcal after midnight. And above all, he’s real — no clout-chasing, no boilerplate bangers. Just pure underground energy.
That’s why, from CDMX warehouses to beach clubs in Quintana Roo, Oliva’s fanbase in Mexico keeps multiplying. This isn’t imported hype — it’s earned, track by track, set by set.
If Andrea Oliva isn’t on your radar yet, it’s time to change that. He’s still evolving, still dropping heaters, and now he’s got his own music imprint and event series, All I Need — a space where freedom and experimentation take the lead. Expect more music, more collabs, and yeah, more gigs that’ll rip your soul out and hand it back to you with a bassline.
For Mexico’s ever-growing techno scene, Oliva is a torchbearer — someone who understands the vibe and feeds it, not fakes it. Whether he’s headlining a mega-fest, bringing ANTS to a jungle hideout, or lighting up a warehouse with five-hour sets, he shows up with intention.
So when you see his name on a flyer, don’t sleep. Skip the VIP. Wear black. Bring water. And get ready to join the colony — because Andrea Oliva isn’t done, and neither is Mexico’s underground.
