Barcelona is a sunny and pleasant city year-round; yet, around early June it feels almost even more pleasant. It is indeed an ideal time to enjoy the city before the sun and crowds hit hard; and for some, it means three days of day & night festivities by mid-June. It is when the Sónar fever takes over the city, and this year from the 12th to the 14th, it will do it for the 21st time…
Sónar’s secret for a fail-proof festival comes down to two key concepts: large variety + high quality. This formula applies beyond the lineup that represents the best in electronic music of the times; extending into the festival’s creativity & technology conference known as Sónar+D. It covers the business and science aspects that make the sounds and spectacles possible. Its motto of: “Where creative technologies interact with music and business” complements and completes Sónar’s self-branding as the: “International Festival of Advanced Music and New Media Art.”
Simply put, Sónar has it all as far as technology, electronic music and related arts are concerned. Legendary & new; retro & futuristic; mainstream & obscure; accessible & experimental; and many other contrasting pairs of words are among the attributes that define the 140-strong lineup of Sónar 2014. This makes it possible to plan different itineraries that would please and fulfill anyone with an interest in electronic arts and music…
The biggest names of this year’s festival include Massive Attack, which will make a very-welcome comeback; Richie Hawtin, who is a star as a DJ, plus his alter-ego Plastikman who will be reborn with a live performance that unveils his new ‘Objekt’ concept; as well as disco-legends Chic feat. Nile Rodgers. All already have their names written in electronic music history in ink… Massive Attack pioneered the trip-hop genre with their unique sound, and dominated the 90s’ underground scene dubbed the “Bristol sound”. Plastikman defined minimal techno and helped it evolve throughout the 90s, taking the Detroit techno to another level. Chic, on the other hand, led the 70s’ disco craze, and the dance floors have not been empty ever since…
As for today’s important artists with worldwide recognition and mass appeal, Scandinavia stands out as a prolific region, represented by Lykke Li; Neneh Cherry; electropop masters Röyksopp and Robyn; tech-house wizard Trentemøller; along with rising stars Mø and FM Belfast.
On the more experimental, less commercially oriented send of the festival’s musical spectrum, there is an even longer list of groundbreaking artists who mix, fuse, create and/or reinvent various genres and styles. Some share the distinction of being very well known among serious electronic music fans, yet rarely heard of by anyone else. The more established among them include Four Tet; Bonobo; Simian Mobile Disco; Caribou; Oneohtrix Point Never; Jon Hopkins; as well as the brilliant result of an odd coupling that is Moderat; Lauren Halo whose mix of improvisational jazz with complex beats leads to pure genius; and the synth-friendly pianist Nils Frahm whose live performances have to be experienced, not described…
Among the newcomers are Woodkid and Majical Cloudz, both with hauntingly beautiful music with barely-there synths and strong vocals; along with the minimalistic yet impressive Recondite; and Barcelona’s own Downliners Sekt and Nev.era, both of whom mix ambient sounds with intelligent beats of IDM that results in mesmerizing music, which becomes cinematic with corresponding visuals.
In addition to all these artists and more, the great James Murphy (of LCD Soundsytem) and 2manydjs will be spinning vinyl for three days, six hours a day, debuting an unprecedented musical experience named DESPACIO, boasting a very advanced sound system. And all that can be said beforehand is that it looks very promising…
Sónar fever starts to rise by noon on a Thursday, and extends into Sunday morning. It is highly contagious, and has become epidemic that crossed the city limits long ago. First spread to London in 2002, and since then it has become a global pandemic that has conquered three continents, and has resulted in successful festivals attended by tens of thousands in Tokyo, New York, São Paulo, Reykjavik, Montreal, Seoul, Buenos Aires, among others.
No one can, nor does deny that Sónar has become an important, worldwide phenomenon that has the potential and determination to keep growing. This would be great cause for concern and panic if it were a virus that was spreading, affecting the young and the healthy, causing muscle aches and depleting their energy. So it is a good thing that what Sónar spreads is fun, joy, and creative ideas that actually target the young and healthy, who usually end up low on energy, dragging their achy bodies back home to sleep off their hangovers and sore muscles, which are common side effects of too much partying and dancing…
The countdown for next year’s Sónar starts on that very Sunday morning, which says it all as to whether the experience has been positive and worthwhile. And having had a great time is only part of it…
Sónar aims to extend into the future, and achieves it on two different levels: On the dance floor, through the collective insight it provides regarding the life-changing powers of music and audiovisual arts; as it takes the human experience on to new, higher levels, that is both pleasing and unforgettable.
Off the dance floor, it challenges minds into thinking further possibilities of technology, celebrates creativity and imagination, and encourages the future-oriented development of technology that aims for innovation and not destruction. On and off the dance floor, the festival provides a glimpse into the future, offering a positive view full of possibilities… So, Sónar fever is a pandemic that should keep spreading – the future generations will be grateful that it has…
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