Sonja Moonear

Sonja Moonear is one of the few DJs to have come out of Geneva's underground and ended up on bills from Berlin's Panorama Bar to the Black Sea coast. A classically trained pianist who swapped keys for turntables, she built a reputation on long, unpredictable sets, a handful of records on respected labels and her own imprint, Ruta5. In 2023 the Swiss federal government gave her a music prize for it.

Latest: Sonja Moonear in 2025 and 2026

• 28 November 2026, fabric Paris. She is billed alongside Raresh, Praslesh, Praslea and others at the fabric Paris extended 12 hours night at Mia Mao, from 23:59 on Saturday 28 November.
• 24 and 25 October 2026, Amsterdam Dance Event. The ADE artist page listed her at a Levenslang club night and at DGTL Fuse at NDSM. Our ADE 30th anniversary piece has the wider picture.
• 30 September to 4 October 2026, MOGA Essaouira. She was announced as a headliner for the festival's tenth anniversary in Morocco, per Hespress.
• 15 May 2026, Nuits Sonores. The Nuits Sonores programme lists her at La Sucrière in Lyon, 00:30 to 03:00, marked sold out. See our Nuits Sonores festival page.
• 1 August 2025, RA.999. She and Margaret Dygas shared the Resident Advisor podcast RA.999, recorded live at fabric's 25th birthday, according to the episode description.
• 1 to 5 May 2025, Sunwaves SW35. She was among the artists at the final Romanian Sunwaves in Mamaia, according to Electronic Groove's 27 May 2025 recap. Our Sunwaves page tracks the festival's move abroad.

Early Life and Path Into Music

Sonja Moonear was born Sonja Mounir in Geneva in 1978, according to German Wikipedia. She has played piano since childhood, and Citizen LA says she moved from piano to turntables and a Roland R8 drum machine in the Geneva underground of the mid-1990s, and the profile adds a classical piano background and an interest in 1980s acts such as Depeche Mode and David Bowie.

Her DJ career is usually dated to 2002. That year she became a resident at the Geneva club Weetamix, where, according to German Wikipedia, DJ Zip of the Perlon label discovered her. Radio Lac's 2023 report on her prize also gives 2002 and Weetamix as the start of her career, though Citizen LA places her first steps in the mid-1990s, so the sources differ on where "starting out" begins.

Sound and Style

German Wikipedia calls Moonear a tech-house DJ, while the Amsterdam Dance Event artist bio calls her style hard to pin down, with sets full of wide-ranging ideas, and says she keeps reshaping her sound. The same bio credits her eclectic taste and record collection for her reputation as a sought-after booking.

She has played festivals including Nachtdigital and Time Warp, both listed by German Wikipedia among her appearances, and Citizen LA mentions a booking at the 15th-anniversary edition of Half Baked, a 22-hour party at Number 90 in Hackney Wick, London. It also names Panorama Bar in Berlin and D-Edge in Brazil among her notable gigs.

Discography and Key Releases

Her records are fewer than her gigs, and the table below lists what Discogs credits to her, with dates from its release pages.

German Wikipedia also names the singles "99 Erikas" (2007), "Mimosa" and "Desert Queens" (2010), and the Amsterdam Dance Event bio says she has released tracks and remixes on Perlon and Karat. Discogs also lists her as part of the project Junction SM with Dandy Jack. Sources for the table: Discogs, Bandcamp and Oye Records.

Labels and Collaborators

Ruta5 is her own label, which the ADE bio says she runs alongside the Swiss events she organises, including the Kiss Me festival. The ADE bio names Luciano and Cosmic Chile Zurich among her collaborators. For more on one of those names, see our Luciano profile.

Career Highlights

In 2017 Moonear appeared in Romuald Karmakar's DJ documentary Denk ich an Deutschland in der Nacht, according to German Wikipedia. Radio Lac, reporting in May 2023, said the Office fédéral de la culture awarded her one of seven Swiss Music Prizes of 40,000 francs, to be presented in Bern on 8 September, and described her as a pioneer of club culture. The Federal Office of Culture lists the prizes at that amount. German Wikipedia confirms the 2023 award, and she has played festivals including Sonus, Melt and Tomorrowland, as well as shows in Ibiza.

Alongside DJing she works as a sound designer for the Swiss-French television broadcaster RTS, per Radio Lac and Citizen LA. That RTS is Radio Television Suisse, with no connection to RTS.FM, the internet radio station you are reading.

Her bookings on the Romanian circuit show how she sits next to the rominimal crowd. Electronic Groove's recap lists her, with Seth Troxler, tINI, Priku, Rhadoo, Raresh and Petre Inspirescu, among the artists at the final Romanian Sunwaves, held from 1 to 5 May 2025 at Mamaia. Ricardo Villalobos was on the bill but cancelled, per the same report. Our history of rominimal explains the scene around it.

FAQ

Who is Sonja Moonear?

Sonja Moonear is a Swiss DJ and producer from Geneva who became a resident at the Weetamix club in 2002. She runs the label Ruta5, mixed Cocoon Recordings' Cocoon in the Mix with Carl Craig and received a Swiss Music Prize in 2023.

How old is Sonja Moonear?

She was born in 1978 in Geneva, according to German Wikipedia. Radio Lac described her as 45 in a report dated 11 May 2023, which places her birthday between 1 January and 11 May, so she is 48 (age 48 as of November 2026). Her exact birth date has not been published.

Where is Sonja Moonear from?

Sonja Moonear is Swiss and was born in Geneva. She came up in the city's underground scene and is still described as a Geneva DJ.

What genre does Sonja Moonear play?

German Wikipedia calls her a tech-house DJ. Her ADE bio says her style is hard to pin down, with sets that range widely, and that she keeps changing her sound.

What is Sonja Moonear's real name?

Her birth name is Sonja Mounir, according to German Wikipedia. Moonear is the name she records and DJs under.

Is it Sonja Moonear or Sonia Moonear?

The name is spelled Sonja Moonear, with a "j", on Resident Advisor, Discogs and the Amsterdam Dance Event. Searches also turn up variants such as "Sonia Moonear" and "Sonja Mooner", which refer to the same DJ.

What labels has Sonja Moonear released on?

Discogs credits her with releases and remixes on Karat Records, Cosmo Records, Velvet, Sleep Is Commercial, Cocoon Recordings and Rawax, and with the Ruta5 12" "Hans / Lord Drama" (2014). The ADE bio also names Perlon. She runs Ruta5 herself.

What is Ruta5?

Ruta5 is Sonja Moonear's own vinyl label. Its sixth release was her "Hans / Lord Drama" 12" in 2014, according to Oye Records.

Has Sonja Moonear won any awards?

In 2023 she received a Swiss Music Prize from the Federal Office of Culture, one of seven prizes of 40,000 francs, according to Radio Lac and the office's own page.

Where is Sonja Moonear playing next?

Her next listed date is the fabric Paris night at Mia Mao on 28 November 2026, according to Techno Airlines. Check the event pages before travelling, as lineups change.

Did Sonja Moonear play the last Sunwaves in Romania?

Yes. Electronic Groove's recap of the final Romanian edition, SW35, held from 1 to 5 May 2025 in Mamaia, lists her among the artists.

festivals

• SunwavesGolden Sands, Dates TBA→

Past appearances and announced lineups only, each checked against the festival's own records.

related on rts.fm

• Rominimal: The History of Romanian Minimal Techno→
• ADE 2026: 30th Edition Dates and RA's Anniversary Tour→