International Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art. SONAR Festival 2010 this year will be in two cities of Spain at Barcelona and A Corunna. Dates: 17. 18. 19 June. For more details & full information please clock on section "read more"
After a sabbatical of almost eighteen months, The Chemical Brothers
are coming to Sonar to present a new show and sound material. In
their eighteen-year musical career, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons
have broken all sorts of records, especially in terms of live shows.
Their magic potion, made up of techno flashbacks, psychedelia,
rock and rhythms that are so phat they seem to have exploded,
continues to win over massive audiences wherever they go, thanks to
their understanding of live music based on fun and an emphasis on the
core values and sub-atomic particles of the entire history of club
culture. For their latest tour (which has once again smashed sales
figures in their native England) The Chemical Brothers promise a show
that is even more overwhelming than their usual tours de force.
Every week, on the Hertzian frequencies of BBC Radio 1, the acclaimed
compilations on Planet Mu and (of course) in DJ booths in clubs,
this devotee of motorbikes and low frequencies pushes the boundaries
of the unknown on the global dancefloor. Mary Anne Hobbs returns to
Sonar by Night to treat us to one of her flawless live sessions, where
rhythm is the theme but not the only ingredient: expect to find dubstep,
electro, hip-hop, techno and all points in between.
Ross Birchard has been making trouble since he was 15 years old.
Not only was he the youngest finalist in England's DMC championship.
As well as Flying Lotus and Rustie, he is one of the key names in a
new sound which some have christened wonky or aquacrunk, which is
a souped-up mixture of dubstep, hip-hop, R&B and experimental
electronica. On "Butter", his debut LP for Warp, he has made no bones
about his interest in revealing the flipside of existing sounds, using all
types of production filters and tricks. Everything can be blended in
Hudson Mohawke's sonic universe.
"Tongue'n'Cheek?, the latest album by London's leading rapper and
producer, replaces introspection with entertainment in a colourful
puzzle containing B-more hip-hop, synth-pop, reggae, house and
whatever else it takes (including a helping hand from Armand Van
Helden, Calvin Harris and Shy FX) to bring the party under his control.
On stage, he is a whirlwind of rhymes, energy, bass and fun. His
devastating "Bonkers" still whips up hysteria wherever it is played...
After his explosive debut album, The Guardian suggested that Gary
McCann, alias Caspa, was something like the Guy Ritchie of dubstep.
Leaving comparisons to one side, the truth is that this west London
producer, whose name is one of the most oft-repeated on the scene
by far, has created a sound that is directly related with British street
energy and culture - from clubbing to cockney. The trademark hyper-
elastic bass lines lay the foundations for an intoxicating style, which
makes no bones about going straight for your gut, and is winning over
new fans all the time. With MC Rod Azlan, Caspa is the first dubstep
artist to make the leap onto the main Sonar by Night stage.
As part of what he himself calls the "Nintendo generation", when
Steven Ellison was growing up he was used to hearing all types of
electronic bleeps and sounds, and combined with the strong presence
of jazz in his family (his great-aunt was Alice Coltrane, no less), this
created the ideal seedbed for what we know today as Flying Lotus.
It is a parallel universe in which old school hip-hop, psychedelia and
the less conservative side of jazz are mixed freely between
asymmetrical arrangements and devastating bass lines. His fans
already know: the Flying Lotus live show is usually a lot wilder than his
studio work, so this is an opportunity to go even further than
"Cosmogramma", his third album (featuring collaborations by artists
including Thom Yorke, Thundercat, Laura Darlington and Ravi Coltrane)
The English genius presents his latest album, "One Club", a return
to his dancefloor maestro roots and a celebration of dance music in
style. The album is based on recordings made live at a German
club night, and takes in all types of sounds, from people dancing
and laughing, mobile ringtones to a multitude of sonic interludes.
It is a highly unusual project in which the audience was constantly
involved, thereby achieving an original recreation of the club
atmosphere and creating an interesting analogy of the strong link
established between the figure of the DJ and the crowd.
A very special show for the first day at Sonar by Day, featuring a
dance music legend showing off his savoir-faire as a music selector.
He is the founder of FFRR records, an icon of British radio icon thanks
to shows like Essential Mix and Essential Selection on BBC Radio 1,
a deservedly renowned DJ on the planet's leading dancefloors, a
living legend of Ibizan clubbing, a producer of hits, a remixer of artists
including Underworld, Madonna, Kings of Leon and U2, means that
he more than deserves his affectionate nickname of the "Lord of the
Dance". The ambassador of British house par excellence.
Richie Hawtin, a key name in international electronica and a regular at
Sonar, this year brings back his most well-known alias, Plastikman,
which he used to revolutionise techno in the nineties, with tracks like
"Sheet One", "Musik" and "Consumed". This is the first Plastikman
world tour, and will be a live review of everything from his classics
to his roots. He has also announced a special show jointly produced
by Minus and the visual architects Derivative, which will put the
senses to the test thanks to the convergence of sound, light, video
and human interaction.
In 2005, the filmmaker Jay Rowlands suggested that turntablists Kid
Koala and Dynomite D write the soundtrack for a documentary.
Although the film never saw the light of day because of various
problems, the material they composed for the soundtrack, with
strong psychedelic rock influences, became the seed for what we
know today as The Slew. The Australian musicians Chris Ross,
Myles Heskett (of Wolfmother) and the duo of DJs - with no less
than 6 decks! - create nothing less than an avalanche of guitar
riffs, dirty blues, wild rock and cut-ups on stage that bowls listeners
Last year, James Murphy moved across country and settled down
in the city of Los Angeles, with everything he needed to set up a
home/studio in order to give birth to the third LCD Soundsystem
album, surrounded by sun, modular synths, pianos and a bunch
of his friends. The flagship project of the DFA collective/studio/
label/family returns to Sonar to present new solutions to the sonic
equation which takes in punk, disco, funk, house and other variables.
As always, one of the highlights.
Rohe Rodriguez is an essential name in danceable experimentation in A
Coruna. Noaipre was founded in 1997 as a project focused on hip-hop,
but he has been unafraid to evolve and change, and before long started
to combine breaks with more forceful beats. He is currently combining
electro with hip-hop, UK funky and dubstep, without any clash of styles.
Saying they are prolific is simply an understatement. 2manydjs
(sometimes also known as Soulwax) aren't content with being the
name on everyone's lips, participating at the best festivals, filling
stadia and compulsively producing de luxe mashups. They are
coming to S?nar with a fabulous show of totally refurbished record
covers, showing their passion, taste and knowledge of contemporary
popular music (from pop to funk, prog rock, R&B, hip-hop and
anything else they can dig up), synchronising images
with sounds, in an endless collection of captivating floor fillers.
Even before concepts like "aquacrunk" and "wonky" crossed over into
the international arena, Travis Stewart was interested in visionary
productions featuring old skool electro, IDM, grime leftovers and digital
hip-hop coexisting in perfect harmony. Whether solo or accompanied
by vocalists like Yo Majesty, Solange and Theophilus London, the
owner of Brooklyn's Normrex Records (who is also well-known for his
work as Syndrone and Neonblack) creates new anthems for
contemporary pop culture, live. And
In his shows with Kabu Kabu, his highly unorthodox Afrobeat band,
Tenor invites the audience on a psychedelic journey filled with
percussion, ethereal funk, adapted instruments, electric flutes,
jazz from other galaxies and vintage electronica. Jimi Tenor
continues to embody the image of an eternal enigma in
contemporary popular music: he is unpredictable on stage and
always surprising in the studio. The latest addition to his catalogue
is the marvelous tete a tete with percussion legend Tony Allen,
entitled "Information Inspiration".
Carte Blanche condenses the passion for house music of DJ Mehdi
and Riton. Anchored in the present and without a trace of nostalgia,
the project celebrates the sound of Chicago with a collection of
breakneck hits that quickly won over Busy P, and opened a niche in
the Ed Banger ranks. Four decks, a mixer, and of course a TR-909.
Strictly house music. No more, no less.
The three words that make up the acronym of their name - "Amour,
Imagination, Reve" (love, imagination, dream) are still the most
poetic and effective way of describing the style of Jean-Benoit
Dunckel and Nicolas Godin. Their contemplative electronic pop,
topped off with ambient and obviously analogue coating, still occupies
a special place in the hearts of their countless followers. This is
particularly true after the acclaimed "Love 2", their sixth long player,
on which the Versailles duo surpass our expectations, while exploring
new landscapes in their cinematic and ethereal sound.
- SonarRadio, which has been broadcasting non-stop since May 2008,
allows you to discover all the artists who will be at the next festival.
Just visit to
- Mary Anne Hobbs presents
Mary Anne Hobbs has been separating the wheat from the chaff in
the increasingly leafy forest of new urban rhythms for some time on
her programme on BBC Radio 1. The muse of British radio and the
dubstep scene selects some of her favourite artists for the fourth year
- Red Bull Music Academy presents
The Red Bull Music Academy was founded in Berlin in 1998 as a
platform for discovering international talents, as well as providing a
creative space for the musicians, vocalists, producers and instrumen-
talists chosen to participate each year. London is the city that has
been chosen to host the Academy in 2010, home of several of the
artists who will be performing at SonarDome, the stage that the
Academy will be curating.
- Sounds of Switzerland presented by Mx3.ch and SSR
The scene in Switzerland is one of Europe's great unknowns.
Mx3.ch is the country's leading music portal, and the place
where Swiss artists, radio stations, record labels and producers
converge. At Sonar 2010, they will be presenting Larytta, Tim
& Puma Mimi and Round Table Knights, three acts which each
in their own way feature an ambitious combination of pop,
electronica and talent, with marvellous results.
- spa.RK presents
Barcelona's spa.RK label is the home of Spanish electronica's more
daring and experimental projects, and has been carefully nurturing its
artists for many years, providing an example of how to create a
faultless catalogue of music without rejecting the basic principles of
independence, quality and an international spirit. Their showcase for
Sonar 2010 presents two of their most recent signings, whose names
have been on everyone's lips this year: bRUNA and Bradien.
- WienStrom - Contemporary Amplified Vienna presents
Vienna has always been a city with a special musical atmosphere
and the home of many restless musicians with an urge to break
down barriers. Among these are Patrick Pulsinger, the architect of
a showcase featuring an admirable combination of different
generations and various genres (improvised music, electronica,
ambient and rock), with the seminal Cluster, the brand new talent of
ElektroGuzzi and the experimental and exploratory dp-S, the new
project by Pulsinger himself.
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- SONAR by Day - 17. 18. 19 June
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The Slew featuring Kid Koala (Puget Sound Recordings/US)
Uffie (Ed Banger/US)
King Midas Sound (Hyperdub/UK)
Pete Tong (BBC Radio1/UK)
Bomba Estereo (Nacional Records/CO)
Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu (Strut/FI)
New Young Pony Club (The Numbers-Pias/UK)
David M (BreakThatBeat/ES)
Noaipre (Arkestra/ES)
Broadcast (Warp/UK)
Necro Deathmort (Distraction Records/UK)
BCN216 + Tristan Perich (ES-US)
Tristan Perich?s Loud Objects (US)
Speech Debelle (Big Dada/UK)
Nosaj Thing Visual Show (Alpha Pup/US)
BFlecha (Arkestra/ES)
Aufgang (InFin?/FR)
Delorean (Mushroom Pillow/ES)
Emilio Jose (Foehn/ES)
Zigmat (Ultra Records/US)
Lesley Flanigan (US)
Phill Niblock + Carlos Casas (US-ES)
Post War Years (Wealth/UK)
- Red Bull Music Academy presents
Robot Koch (Project:Mooncircle/DE)
Pursuit Grooves (What Rules/US)
Goldielocks (Locked On/UK)
- Sounds of Switzerland presented by Mx3.ch and SSR
Larytta (Creaked Records/CH)
Round Table Knights (Deadfish-Made To Play/CH)
Tim & Puma Mimi (Stattmusik/CH-JP)
- WienStrom - Contemporary Amplified Vienna presents
dp-S (BigBeak/AT)
Cluster (Klangbad/AT-DE)
Elektro Guzzi (Macro/AT)
- spa.RK presents
bRUNA (spa.RK/ES)
Bradien (spa.RK/ES)
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- SONAR by Night - Friday 18th
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Air (Virgin/FR)
LCD Soundsystem (DFA/US)
Plastikman live (Minus/CA)
Hot Chip (Parlophone/UK)
2manydjs (BE)
Booka Shade (Get Physical/DE)
Carte Blanche (Dj Mehdi + Riton) (Ed Banger/FR-UK)
The Sugarhill Gang (Sugar Hill/US)
Hudson Mohawke (Warp-LuckyMe/UK)
Aeroplane (Eskimo/BE)
John Talabot (Hivern/ES)
Cora Novoa (Natura Sonoris/ES)
- Mary Anne Hobbs presents
(Highlights on Radio 1)
Flying Lotus (Warp/US)
Joy Orbison (Doldrums/UK)
Roska (Roska Kicks & Snares/UK)
Mary Anne Hobbs (UK)
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- SONAR by Night - Saturday 19th
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The Chemical Brothers (EMI/UK)
Roxy Music (Virgin/UK)
Dizzee Rascal (Dirtee Stank/UK)
Jonsi (Parlophone/IS)
Matthew Herbert's One Club (Accidental/UK)
Fuck Buttons (ATP Recordings/UK)
Sandwell District (Sandwell District/UK)
Caspa (Dubpolice/UK)
Zomby (Zomby Productions/UK)
The Pinker Tones (PinkerLand/ES)
- LuckyMe presents
American Men (UK)
Machine Drum (UK)
Mike Slott (UK)
The Blessings (UK)
Eclair Fifi & John Computer (back 2 back DJ set)(UK)
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- L'AUDITORI - Friday 17th
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bcn216 + Cristian Vogel,
Ricard Marxer & Oscar Sol: Japo
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- L'AUDITORI - Friday 18th
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Cabo San Roque & Orquestra -
Mecanica de la Franca Xica
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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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Copyright SPHERE.LV 2007
