Sónar, Barcelona’s annual three-day ‘advanced’ music festival, is back this week and, so the cliché goes, bigger and better than ever. There seems to be more than a little truth in this particular cliche however, as Defected’s Ben Lovett did a little digging to discover...
Where Miami once led the line as clubland’s major electronic expo – rave wrapped around business forums and educative seminars and workshops – there is now weighty competition from the likes of Movement (Detroit), ADE (Amsterdam) and, of course, Sónar.
The festival launched back in 1994 with a focus on technological invention and computer experimentation as much as music making. Over the years, the balance of power has shifted increasingly towards music performance, but Georgia Taglietti, Sónar’s Head Of Communications, remains convinced the festival’s original essence is still intact.
“Over the years it was natural that electronic music would create a path to electronic culture and Sónar became the framework for that culture. It is because of technology that electronic music exists” she explains. “Sometimes there is a conflict with the public thinking that we are not as experimental as we used to be but I think that’s a misconception. What has happened these days is that access to experimentation is more widely accessible and is not as underground as it used to be. But I think our essence continues.”
Sónar, running between the 14th and 16th this month, refers to itself on its website as an ‘International Festival Of Advanced Music and New Media Art’. And certainly this year’s ‘By Day’ program – housed once again within Barcelona’s Centre Of Contemporary Culture (CCCB) and Museum Of Contemporary Art (MACBA) – offers the usual array of progressive components. Attendees can, for example, view cutting edge new media art, attend record fairs, view technology demos and visit daytime staple SonarPro, an innovative platform from which to view the latest technological innovation as applied to art and music.
Represented by presentations, lectures and business ‘round tables’ (some open to the public, some purely to ‘industry’), SonarPro will this year incorporate a talk with Adam Smith, director of The Chemical Brothers’ new film Don’t Think, a Meet The Expert workshop involving lead programmers of some of clubland’s biggest international festivals and a second Music Hack Day, encouraging hundreds of computer developers to create innovative new extensions of ‘open source’ software for the benefit of the music industry. There is also, as tradition dictates, room for more experimentally-inclined music performances from the likes of Flying Lotus (June 14), Nina Kraviz (June 15) and frayed electro-pop act LA Vampires (June 16).
That’s ‘By Day’ but what about ‘By Night’? The line-ups really are bigger and better. If Sónar 2011 took on a decidedly British tone (highlight shows flew from uber-cool UK labels Night Slugs and Triangle, not to mention Glasgow’s Numbers crew, Magnetic Man, Katy B and even Dizzee Rascal) then next week should redress the balance.
‘By Night’, in the cavernous Fira Gran Via club (a decommissioned aircraft hangar), kicks off on the Friday with Brits Fatboy Slim, James Blake, Jacques Lu Cont, Annie Mac and Friendly Fires; but there is also an emphasis on international acts at varying degrees of career exposure – US singer-songwriting siren Lana Del Ray, a current mainstay of national pop charts the world over, will join techno giant Richie Hawtin, off-kilt house sensation Nicolas Jaar and Brazilian radical Amon Tobin – to quote Taglietti: “artists like Tobin are truly experimental – a product of many years of experimentation - and [yet] he is considered commercial” – as well as Cadenza and Diynamic favourite Uner, Nina Kraviz and feisty French tech nut Brodinski.
The line-up is similarly panoramic on Saturday evening. If anything it’s even more cosmopolitan. Maya Jane Coles, Mary Anne Hobbs (back to back with dubstep terror Blawan) and post-punk legends New Order fly the British flag next to Germans Modeselektor, Frenchies Metronomy and Laurient Garnier (with his live LBS set-up), zany Canadians Azari & III and Swiss Cadenza king Luciano.
Whilst clubland’s digital boom has elevated the profile of Sónar far beyond its intimate, geeky roots, it has also ensured the festival remains a vibrant, far-reaching (and affecting) proposition. “The internet has changed everything, especially in terms of communication,” Taglietti says. “We are now able to reach more artists much more easily than a few years ago. Still, for an artistic director it is good to find talent off the net as well as on it. We travel and do events abroad to meet the real live talent. These days it is easier to communicate with promoters and to find fresh sounds.
“In most cases bringing an electronic artist over to perform is also cheaper now. Many of them count on new technology for their live performances. This means they carry less and have lighter equipment than a few years ago. This facilitates the whole process.”
If Sónar is expanding rapidly then so too is the footloose theatre around it. ‘Off Sónar’ festival East Ender only launched last summer and such was its success that it returns with an extra day and three extra stages. Hosted by key Barcelona promoter Raum and Amnesia Ibiza, the open-air celebration takes place at the city’s East Ender Park - Guti, Loco Dice, Marco Carola, tINI, Chris Liebing, The Martinez Brothers, Davide Squillace and Matthias Tanzmann open proceedings on June 14; Carl Craig (as 69), Dubfire, Ellen Allien, Chaim, Camea and Carlo Lio play June 15; Steve Aoki, Miss Kittin, Tiga and Mathias Kaden swing by June 16; and Sven Vath, Steve Lawler and Sascha Dive round off June 17. East Ender clearly reflects ‘Off Sónar’’s staggering growth over the past 12 months.
Some ‘Off Sónar’ 2012 events will take place prior to East Ender. The first real surges of noise begin on June 13, London promoters Warm and Electric Minds teaming up with Leeds label Fina for a bash at BeCool with Tiger & Woods and Panorama bar faves Nick Hoppner and Prosumer. Luke Solomon and Derrick Carter are joined by the likes of Matt Tolfrey, Severino, Eats Everything and Ripperton for their Classic shindig on the 14th. The WIP Barcelona crew, meanwhile, throws a Suol label showcase at Wolf Club featuring Fritz Kalkbrenner, whilst Ovum hits the Boulevard Culture Club with Josh Wink and Steve Bug; Next Wave takes on the Centric Club with Cassy; Saved and Rejected play the Mac Arena Mar Beach Club via label bosses Joris Voorn and Nic Fanciulli, and Voyage presents Henry Saiz at the Chiringuito El Maravillas Beach Club.
WIP Barcelona is back at the Wolf Club on June 14 with one of Heidi’s Jackathon parties, Heidi playing alongside Richy Ahmed and slick Poles Catz ‘N Dogz. There are subsequent WIP/Wolf tie-ups on June 15 (Fabric’s Sunday nighter WetYourSelf), June 16 (Tiefschwarz’ Souvenir showcase, featuring Cassy) and June 17 (Art Department’s No 19 shindig, supported by Deniz Kurtel).
Elsewhere, Sónar regulars Mobilee Records throw an Olympic-sized ‘Pool Session’ party at the iconic outdoor Piscinas Municipales Montjuic complex, June 14 – revellers can expect back to back sets from Anja Schneider and Nic Fanciulli, Pan-Pot and Slam, and Sebo K and Martin Landsky. That same evening, Visionquest joins Life and Death at Esferic Bcn for leftfield festivities helmed by all four Visionquest founders (Troxler, Reeves, Crosson, Curtiss), Benoit & Sergio, Thugfucker, Pillow Talk and Tale Of Us.
There are also events for Poker Flat and 2020 Vision (Boo Beach Club), Watergate (a 10th anniversary celebration at E.M, with Solomun, Tiefschwarz and H.O.S.H among others), Cocoon Heroes (Mac Arena), Minus (Miscelanea), Struments Records (a Save The Day showcase at W Barcelona with Theo Parrish and Roman Flugel), Items & Things (ZT Hotel Villa Olimpica, Magda headlining) and Crosstown Rebels (a Rebel Rave gathering at Wild Villa featuring Damian Lazarus, Amirali, Kenny Glasgow, Russ Yallop, Subb-an and Droog). Earlier on in the day, Resident Advisor climbs to Hotel Diagonal’s rooftop for fun with Dyed Soundorom, Soul Clap, Tale Of Us and edit whizz Nicholas.
Come Friday (June 15), festival goers can look forward to Innervisions’ E.M gig, including Dixon, Todd Terje and live performances from Ame and Henrik Schwarz. The Boo Beach Club hosts Hot Creations (which means Jamie Jones and Craig Richards), Mac Arena Mar Beach Club welcomes Visionquest Vs Apollonia (the latter, Dan Ghenacia, Shonky and Dyed Soundorom’s new side project) and Calamar Beach offers sanctuary to Diynamic (a showcase headed by Solomun and Stimming). Ellum Audio sets sail from Port Forum on a boat party boasting Maceo Plex and Steve Bug; and Mobilee returns for more at Hotel Diagonal (June 15-16).
That lot still leaves an appetizing clash of the US house titans, Kerri Chandler vs Chez Damier at BeCool (June 16), a debut for the Wolf + Lamb Experience (Boo Beach Club, Wolf + Lamb and Soul Clap, June 16), Supplement Facts’ showcase (La Terrazza, Guy Gerber, June 16), parties for No 19 (Almogavers 86, June 17), Secretsundaze (La Terrazza, June 17), Desolat (Hotel Me, June 17) and Culprit and Leftroom (Hotel Catalonia, guests including Matt Tolfrey, Laura Jones and Gavin Herlihy, June 17) and, finally, on Monday, Studio 80’s ‘Off Sónar’ closing party with Agoria, Jimpster and Gregor Tresher (Mac Arena Mar Beach Club, June 18).
Next week will, without doubt, prove to be one of clubland’s biggest this year. The party aspect of Sónar has grown beyond all reckoning but its playlist is, largely, underground and ultra relevant with it. Festival organisers, too, continue to push Sónar’s original mid-Nineties agenda and use fast-moving developments within dance music culture to their advantage. Sónar is, as ever, a dazzling sun-soaked prospect.
Words: Ben Lovett
The 19th annual Sónar festival runs June 14-16 – visit www.sonar.es/en for more details.
