Sonar is without doubt one of the longest-running festivals in the world, which will bring together thousands of electronic music fans to Barcelona from June 14 to 16 to kick start an unprecedented event.
Twenty-five years is a great achievement for an event that has always kept its spirit intact, while evolving to keep in touch with the rapid advances in modern technology. This is clearly seen in the section of the fair reserved for DJs equipment and label showcase, which has always been a symbol of an area dedicated to the innovation and creativity applied to music and visuals.
On the contrary, the music has not suffered much from this revolutionary influence, despite the availability of different genres and the exorbitant increase in audience over the years: It has always remained the pulsating heart of the festival. There are several names of famous DJs on the guests list. There will be those who are currently on the crest of the wave, as well as those who have decided to return after a long time. They are part of the latter group, the Gorillaz, the first virtual band in history will return live after years of absence. Not to mention Lorenzo Senni, the Italian pride of the genre, and Laurent Garnier who will perform in a double show: one on Thursday at the “by day”, where he will revisit his career and play only pieces of his repertoire, and then the closing at “sabato de noche”. Names such as Thom Yorke, Diplo, LCD Soundsystems, Bonobo, Modeselektor, Wiley, Goldlink, A-Track, Richie Hawtin, and Black Coffee have also been confirmed.
Sonar appointment with the two sacred monsters, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, is also a must see.
The 36-minute suite entitled Glass, which was released only ten days ago is but the latest in a series of collaborations between two highly talented artists. Their relationship has lasted for more than fifteen years, topped off by a succession of works that have entered the Olympus of experimentation, such as the five albums ranging from Vrioon to Summvs or the soundtrack for Revenant. During the festival, the latter will be commemorated with the closing concert of the edition, scheduled for Sunday evening at the Teatre Grec, where Sakamoto and Nicolai will present a performance specially created for the occasion.
Sonar has always been a festival on the edge of reality,
but this time around, on the occasion of this important anniversary, it could actually reach beyond this planet. This is because Sonar has in the meantime already transmitted a lot of music beyond the limits of our solar system, aiming at the Luyten star (where there could potentially be life).
33 songs of 10 seconds each (songs by Nina Kraviz, Jean Michel Jarre and Kerri Chandler among others) had already been sent in 2017, but from the 14th to the 16th of May, another 20 songs will be transmitted for over 12 thousand and more light years away, covering a distance of over 120 billion km.
A must be the event for fans of electronic music and beyond, who will find themselves catapulted into a completely new world for three consecutive days.
