First signal
In Brugg, Simon Kistler starts organising his own hard dance parties and DJing himself. Curiosity quickly turns into a precise instinct for the energy in a room.
Simon Kistler · Afternow
More than
the moment.
DJ, promoter and active force in the scene. Since 2002, the question has remained the same: what does it take for a room full of people to become one shared moment?
01
The origin
Shape energy.
Build tension.
Let go.
Afternow doesn't play fixed tracklists. Every set is born in dialogue with the floor — from observation, intuition and more than two decades of experience.
The journey begins in the early 2000s in Brugg with self-organised hard dance parties. Even then, Simon is interested not just in tracks but in transitions: how does a room change? When does the crowd need pressure, when space, when a break?
That instinct leads through major Swiss clubs to the psytrance scene and, in 2016, to the Afternow project. The sound evolves; the instinct for pacing remains.
“The best set is not the oneReisefieber · Switzerland
you planned. It’s the one
the floor needed.”
02
The path
From first beat
to collective flow.
OXA Zürich
The debut at one of the best-known Swiss clubs opens the door to numerous hard dance events across the country.
Afternow
The growing connection to psytrance gets a name. Afternow becomes its own project — driving, hypnotic and emotional.
Building Mono.ton’s presence
Simon joins Mono.ton because the association lacks a website and a visible public presence. Over the following six years, he professionalises the website, social media and all communications.
From visibility to events
At Club Schlaflos, Simon puts on his first events, curates line-ups and co-develops formats like Alien Autopsy and Acid Farm.
Dacru Records
Afternow becomes official label DJ for the Belgian psytrance label, carrying the sound to stages across Switzerland and Europe.
The collective moment
Today, Afternow combines decades of DJ experience with a promoter's perspective: reading the floor, shaping tension, and letting go at the right moment.
03
The method
Three things
that shape every set.
Read the floor
Sensing movement, attention and energy before the next decision is made.
Shape the tension
Not just raising intensity, but consciously shaping contrast, breathing room and anticipation.
Release together
The peak doesn't belong to the DJ. It belongs to the moment when the whole floor lets go together.
Artist & organiser
Both sides
of the booth.
Simon's path as a promoter begins with building Mono.ton's public image: a website, social media and clear communication. Since 2021, he has been putting on events at Club Schlaflos and curating line-ups.
This blend of communication, curation and floor experience shapes every booking too: clear agreements, a professional process and a set that understands its role in the bigger picture.
Explore booking formats ↗The story continues