SONAR festival 2009 @ Barcelona (Spain)

16th Barcelona International Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art. Annual SONAR festival 2009 of progressive music and multimedia arts in Barcelona will be open on 18th June, for 3 days & 2 nights. For full details, includes news, schedule, directions, ticket and accommodation information please click on section "read more"

 - SONAR Artists
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ORBITAL
(FFRR / UK)

A few months ago, Paul and Phil Hartnoll confirmed what until
then had been just a rumour: Orbital are back. Twenty years after
"Chime," the tune that propelled them to stardom, the most
famous duo on the British dance scene returns to the stage to
breathe new life into the legend. Orbital were trailblazers in
audiovisual shows and pioneers in combining a thousand and
one influences to create their unmistakable sound ? melodic,
accessible and seasoned with political manifestoes. The Hartnoll
brothers know how to turn every clich? inside out and entertain
like nobody else can. One of the unquestionable classics of electronica.
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MARY ANNE HOBBS
(Highlights on BBC Radio 1 / UK)

On her programme on BBC Radio 1, Mary Anne Hobbs separates
the wheat from the chaff in the increasingly leafy forest of new urban
rhythms (dubstep, grime, abstract hip-hop etc.). She is choosing the
most interesting representatives to shine at S?nar for the third
consecutive year; and in passing, shows her unerring instinct
for finding and promoting hidden talent.
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ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
(Domino / US)

Animal Collective are coming to S?nar for the first of one of the
few concerts they will be performing in Europe this summer.
Their concert will kick off Saturday night at SonarClub, before
Orbital's show on the same stage. Animal Collective are a key
group of the first decade of the twenty-first century, and one of the
most admired and highly-praised musical projects of recent years.
They have recently raised their profile among a wider audience
with their latest album, "Merriweather Post Pavillion". They have
achieved this without compromising their artistic approach in the
slightest, and followed the trail they blazed with the equally excellent
?Strawberry Jam?, winning over both listeners and the specialist press
all over the world.
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JEFF MILLS
(Axis / US)

Sonar by Night would not be the same without "The Bells",
"Sonic Destroyer", "The Dancer", "The Extremist" or any
other of the essential techno classics that Mills has given
us during his flawless career. A compendium of adrenalin,
mechanical funk and echoes of science fiction in the best
Detroit tradition, mixed with all the power, skill and musical
quality in the world, as only the Axis master knows how.
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GRACE JONES
(Wall of Sound / JM)

Andy Warhol's muse, catwalk diva, a regular at Studio 54...
Grace Jones' name has survived almost 20 years of recording
studio silence thanks to a meticulously maintained and
striking image that took full advantage of her ambiguity
and androgyny, and which made her an essential icon of
the 1980s. The self-confessed Black Panther returns to the
international arena with a new album, "Hurricane", which
is aimed 100% at the dancefloor ? she really wouldn't have
it any other way. The new Grace Jones prowls stealthily to
the beat of techno and jungle, and makes her return backed
by a list of associates and remixers to takes your breath away,
which includes Brian Eno, Sly and Robbie and Tricky.
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JOKER
(Kapsize / UK)

Joker was already considered one of the strongest talents
in grime and dubstep on the British scene when he was
only 18. Today, this production genius, a veteran of Bristol's
more mysterious sound systems, has created a label (Kapsize)
and his own style, making him the new name to keep a very
close eye on. Booming basses with a touch of old school video
games, memories of Detroit and razor-sharp beats in a Neptunes
style.
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GASLAMP KILLER
(Obey / US)

In recent decades, California has given the world some of the
best cuts of psychedelia and abstract hip-hop. The Gas Lamp
Killer combines both traditions in a devastating mix which
includes slices of B movies, space jazz, esoteric rock and the
world's strangest funk. This is all laid over literally explosive breaks,
with turntablism and Satanism going hand in hand.
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ROB DA BANK
(Sunday Best / BBC Radio 1 / UK)

In clubs, at raves or in the studios of Radio 1, Robert Gorham's ear
is constantly alert for the latest ground-breaking sounds and ideas
(from pop, to downtempo, to folk). The Sunday Best label covers
most of the work that takes up his time: a radio programme, record
label and festival. As well as all this, his chronic hyperactivity has
led him to cut his own mixes for the renowned Fabric series and
compose his own tracks under the (paradoxical) name of Lazyboy.
A festive pallets of rhythms and sounds made to measure for the
dancefloor.
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MUJAVA
(Warp / SA)

Elvis Maswanganyi, who left South Africa?s poorest neighbourhoods
to take up residence at the heart of the Warp and This Is Music
empire, has become one of Gilles Peterson's favourite producers
and a name frequently dropped in the studios of BBC radio. He
specialises in danceable roots, carefully crafted beats and a whole
lot of groove with strong links to the kwaito tradition of slowed-down
house, based on samples and percussion. He already has one
indisputable hit under his belt: "Township Funk".
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CARL CRAIG
(Planet E / US)

The festival's closing set in SonarPub is traditionally one of Sonar's
most special and eagerly anticipated moments. This year, we have
an exceptional master of ceremonies. He is one of the most
significant artists in the history of Detroit techno, and is willing to add
the final touch of icing to the cake with a session of exquisite material
especially selected for the occasion.
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 - SonarRadio  gives you a preview of the sounds of  SONAR
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SonarRadio is Sonar's online radio station featuring the festival's
music and news, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
SonarRadio means you can discover the artists who will be at
the next festival. Just go to www.sonar.es and click on the Sonar
Radio player, which also gives you all the information you need
about what you're listening to.
While you listen to the music, in the SonarRadio player you can
read the name of the artist, album or remix, and also see on what
stage and on what day the artist concerned will be performing.
After it has been opened, the radio player allows you to keep
working on your computer without interfering with your browsing.
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 - The festival through SonarRadio
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During the three days of the festival, SonarRadio is the live and
direct link will all the Sonar stages. Make sure you don't miss out
on anything that's happening at this year's festival, helped by the
sound judgement of our presenters: Shar Cunningham and Bruno Sokolowicz.
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- SonarRadio is a collaboration between ScannerFM and Advanced Music
* TUNE IN for SONAR RADIO here +
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 - Voting in SonarRadio TOP 100
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Choose your favourites from this list by clicking on those you like
best. The tunes most voted for will be those that are played on
the hour on SonarRadio. You may vote as many times as you wish!
* Vote for BEST track on SonarRadio TOP 100 here +
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 - SonarMatica
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takes a look at today's fascinating Do It Yourself scene as applied
to sound creation in the Mecanics exhibition. At the same time,
for the first time in the festival's history, SonarMatica 2009
extends the range of its exhibitions to include a network of
exhibition centres and media labs in Barcelona, which it
will be possible to visit by bus during Sonar.
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 - Mecanics - the exhibition
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Over the past decade, the new digital production tools have led
to a democratisation of artistic creation, from the music industry
to multimedia art. Home-made recording studios, audiovisual editing
programmes and on-line record labels have placed projects that used
to require major investments within easy reach. Today, the spirit of
punk is normal cultural currency. In this context, a new generation
of artists have taken a fresh look at the possibilities of hand-made
production in their work. These range from home construction of
musical instruments to the invention of low technology robotic
devices, to the manufacture of all types of mechanical contraptions
for the production of sound. The desire for innovation and the wish
to have fun come together in an artistic field which empowerment
of the imagination is the key factor. It is a multi-faceted scene that
ranges from circuit bending (short-circuiting low voltage electronic
components for creative ends) to hardware hacking manipulating
computer terminals), and robotics engineering or the investigation
of sound interfaces.
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 - Mecanics - the route
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As part of its remit to show the broad range of production
linked to this scene, SonarMatica is undertaking a project that is
unprecedented in the fifteen years of the festival's history.
For the first time, a network of the city's production and exhibition
centres, including Hangar and Niu, university institutions such as
the IED-Instituto Europeo di Design (European Design Institute)
and the UPF-Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Pompeu Fabra University)
and various independent cultural management groups will form
part of the Mec?nics project, contributing their own content to the
exhibition. A bus will travel around the circuit of this SonarM?tica
which covers the length and breadth of Barcelona, showing all the
aspects and viewpoints of the fascinating world of the contemporary
invention of sound creation devices.
This is a unique opportunity to discover the sparkling map of new
media art in Barcelona, on a pleasant journey through the city.

SonarMatica 2009 Mecanics is the third and final instalment
of the exhibition trilogy revisiting the nineteenth century in
the digital era, after the exhibitions focusing on magic and
the cinema.
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  - SONAR Concerts & DJs
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Orbital, Grace Jones, Animal Collective, Mujava, Fever Ray,
RRIICCEE feat. Vincent Gallo, Crystal Castles, James Murphy &
Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem disco set), Late of the Pier,
Jeff Mills, Moderat, dan le sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Deadmau5,
Crookers, Filastine, Buraka Som Sistema, Joker, Luomo, Martyn,
Beardyman, Konono No.1, Little Boots, Micachu and The Shapes,
Roland Olbeter + Tim Exile + Jon Hopkins, Alva Noto, Breakbot,
Young Fathers, GoldieLocks, Bass Clef, DSL, Jamie Woon,
SebastiAn, Lars Horntveth + BCN216, La Roux, Marcel
Dettmann, Heartbreak, Busy P., Ebony Bones, Institut Fatima,
The Gaslamp Killer, Mike Slott, Culoe de Song, Natalia Lafourcade,
Tarantula vs. Orquesta del Caballo Ganador, Bullion, Cecile,
Mary Anne Hobbs, Michna with Raw Paw, Rob da Bank, Muhsinah,
Cardopusher, James Pants, Erol Alkan presents Disco 3000, ...
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 - SONAR by Day - 18. 19. 20
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RRIICCEE feat. Vincent Gallo (US)
Micachu and The Shapes (Rough Trade,UK)
Konono Number 1 (Crammed Discs,CO)
Luomo (Huume,FI)
Omar Souleyman (Sublime Frequencies,SY)
Filastine (Post World Industries,US)
Ben Frost (Bedroom Community,AU)
Mark Jones plays Wall of Sound (UK)
Joe Crepusculo vs. La Estrella de David y Thelematicos (Discoteca Oceano,ES)
Tarantula vs. Orquesta del Caballo Ganador (Producciones Doradas,ES)
Colch-on vs. Suma (Foehn,ES)
Institut Fatima (DE)
Roland Olbeter + Tim Exile + Jon Hopkins (DE-UK)
Animic (Error! Lo-Fi,ES)
Carrier To Noise Ratio (ES)
Neboa (ES)
Nikka (Lovethechaos,ES)
Rominger Pendrive Records,ES)

- Red Bull Music Academy presents
Mulatu Astake + The Heliocentrics (Strut/ET-!K7,UK)
Bomb Squad (Shocklee Innertainment,US)
Cardopusher (True Tiger,VE)
Cecile (Mac Mac,IT)
Culoe de Song (Innervisions,SA)
Debruit (Musique Large,FR)
Dorian Concept (Kindred Spirits,AT)
El Santo (Premier Evil Crusher,CO)
GoldieLocks (Puregroove,UK)
Guillamino (Bankrobber,ES)
Jamie Woon (One Taste,UK)
Lukid (Werk,UK)
Miaau (Marchlewski,ES)
Midee (Labolatory,ES)
Mike Slott (Lucky Me,IE)
Muhsinah (Circulations,US)
Natalia Lafourcade (Sony BMG,MX)
Onra (Favorite,FR)
Sonicbrat (NIL,SG)
Taras 3000 (Idle Conversation,RU) XXXChange (Fullly Fitted,US)
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 - SONAR by Night - Friday 19th
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Grace Jones (Wall of Sound,JM)
Late of the Pier (Parlophone,UK)
Buraka Som Sistema (Fabric,PT-AO)
James Murphy & Pat Mahoney
(LCD Soundsystem disco set) (DFA,US)
SebastiAn (Ed Banger,FR)
Erol Alkan presents Disco 3000 (UK)
Little Boots (679-Atlantic,UK)
Crookers (Mad Decent,IT)
Brodinski (Turbo,FR)
Don Rimini (Mental Groove,FR)
Heartbreak (Lex Records,US)

- Sunday Best presents
Rob da Bank (Sunday Best,UK)
dan le sac vs. Scroobius Pip (Sunday Best,UK)
Ebony Bones (Sunday Best,UK)
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 - L'AUDITORI - Friday 19th
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Lars Horntveth (Smalltown Supersound,NO) + BCN216 (ES)
Planetari de CosmoCaixa - 18.19. 20
Evelina Domnitch, Dimitry Gelfand & Francisco Lopez
"Ten Thousand Peacock Feathers in Foaming Acid" (NL)
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- Buy the ticket to SONAR here +
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- Buy the airticket to Barcelona by AirBaltic here +
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- Special photo report for RAVE.LV from  SONAR FESTIVAL 2009  by Templab, check this blog later!
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