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.

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.

Labels and Releases

Her records are fewer than her gigs. According to the Amsterdam Dance Event bio she has released tracks and remixes on Perlon and Karat, and Radio Lac adds remixes for Rawax. Discogs lists a run of remixes between 2006 and 2015 and original releases including "Hans / Lord Drama" on Ruta5 in 2014, a Cocoon Recordings mix, "Cocoon In The Mix", in 2016, and the "Together We Are The Best EP" on Rawax in 2023. German Wikipedia also names the singles "99 Erikas" (2007) and "Mimosa" and "Desert Queens" (2010).

Ruta5 is her own label, which the ADE bio says she runs alongside the Swiss events she organises, including the Kiss Me festival. Discogs also lists her as part of the project Junction SM with Dandy Jack, and 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 a Swiss Music Prize of 40,000 francs, to be presented in Bern that September, and described her as a pioneer of club culture. 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 named her, with Ricardo Villalobos, Seth Troxler, tINI, G76, Priku and Praslea, among the regular artists on the bill of the final Romanian Sunwaves, held from 1 to 5 May 2025 at Mamaia. Our Sunwaves festival page covers that festival's history, and our history of rominimal explains the scene around it. For another Sunwaves name, see Raresh.

At the time of writing her listed Amsterdam Dance Event dates are a Levenslang club night on 24 October 2026 and DGTL Fuse at NDSM on 25 October, according to the ADE artist page. Our ADE 30th anniversary piece has the wider picture.

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 has released on Perlon, Karat and Rawax, runs the label Ruta5 and received the 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 October 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.

What labels has Sonja Moonear released on?

According to the ADE bio she has released tracks and remixes on Perlon and Karat, and Radio Lac adds Rawax. She also runs her own label, Ruta5, where she released "Hans / Lord Drama" in 2014.

Has Sonja Moonear won any awards?

In 2023 she received a Swiss Music Prize from the Federal Office of Culture, which Radio Lac reported as carrying 40,000 francs.

Did Sonja Moonear play the last Sunwaves in Romania?

She was named among the regular artists for the final Romanian edition, SW35, held from 1 to 5 May 2025 in Mamaia, according to Electronic Groove.

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→