Sónar returned to Barcelona for its 33rd edition on June 18th-20th. Presenting its longest running programme to date, the event veered from its regular ‘by Day’ and ‘by Night’ schedule, instead preferring a 14 hour window from 5pm through to 7am at Fira Gran Via. It was the first time it had hosted the festival in just one space and it made for a more condensed and focused experience. Drawing in some of music’s most prestigious names, this year headliners included The Prodigy, Skepta, Amelie Lens and Charlotte De Witte.
It had been seven years since we had been to Sónar, so the opening Thursday night was largely spent scoping out the venue. It certainly felt like the calm before the storm. What immediately caught my eye was the change in stage design. The festival had worked with cultural architects TWOFIFTYK to make each area unique. With 6 stages, 3 indoors and 3 outside, ensuring revellers always had somewhere to explore. Programming was also stage led, from the global bass and latin infused SonarPark, to the biggest names in popular electronic music at SonarVillage, or if you fancied something totally different, SonarLab promoted experimentation.
That night we saw Daniel Avery perform his extensive back catalogue of beloved techno tracks live. His album Drone Logic was an early introduction to alternative techno for myself and it was great to see a few of those tracks reimagined.
Elsewhere, French electroclash and techno legend, The Hacker played a cracking set that left us wanting more and his 55 minute set simply wasn’t long enough. Whilst multi-faceted German DJ, Boys Noize – who’s track with Kungs, ‘Get Away’, is my sound of the Summer – showcased his eclectic sound and was a great way to end the night.
Friday saw the action really kick off with all areas open and a sold out crowd to match. R&B legend Kelis kicked off proceedings at SonarVillage. The renowned vocalist best known for ‘Milkshake’ and ‘Trick Me’, brought in a massive crowd loving the nostalgic vibe.
Panorama Bar resident, Cormac, followed and delivered his hi-nrg, nu-disco sound. The Northern Irish DJ always guarantees a euphoric, sweaty dancefloor and at Sonar it was no different. I.Jordan’s upcoming track ‘Proper Silly’ was a proper rave highlight.
Over at SonarClub, Sonar brought one of the biggest names in UK grime to the festival in Skepta for a special live performance. The artist had been popping up with DJ sets throughout the last year, but here he premiered tracks from eagerly-awaited forthcoming album Fork & Knife, due out later this year.
Charlotte De Witte also delivered a first for the festival with her A/V ‘The Resistance’ show. Modelled on her self-titled album, the artist’s style of powerful techno shook the room and was jaw-dropping at times. It was my first time witnessing De Whitte in action and it was no surprise to me why she’s at the top of the techno scene.
Internet sensation, Miss Bashful, wowed the crowd at SonarPark with her self-styled ‘slut-techno’. Inspired by classic ghetto tech, the artist brought provocative dancing and tongue in cheek lyrics to match. Live renditions of ‘Muschi Muschi’ and ‘Hard Being Hot’ displayed a level of sass to the festival that was unmatched.
Reinier Zonneveld’s performance was one of the most talked about moments on Friday. His new live show ‘R2’ saw him play live with an AI system that had been trained on his own music. Side-by-side on stage, the AI was represented by a holographic projection. I had never seen anything like it and it left me feeling conflicted. It was certainly an impressive creative spectacle but by allowing AI into the performance on equal footing, it legitimises its use as an artform.
Kicking off Saturday with a bang was legendary Brit ravers, The Prodigy, who brought unrivalled energy in what was a nostalgic live performance. Renditions of cult classic tracks ‘Invaders Must Die’, ‘Omen’ and ‘Out Of Space’ saw massive moshpit chaos. Seeing the SonarClub stage bouncing throughout served as a reminder of longevity of the band’s music, despite the passing of Keith Flint in 2019.
However, the night wasn’t all smooth sailing as the highly rated DJ Ogazon had her set cancelled due to technical issues. Later on, Amelie Lens presented her new A/V concept show ‘AURA’ at SonarClub. Surrounded by massive screens presenting close up images of the artist, it was a show that focussed on her boundless energy and her searing popularity.
FJAAK and Kitten premiered their collaborative live show. As a big fan of both artists and particularly of the latter’s productions, I couldn’t help but feel as though her live tracks were shoehorned into the DJ set. Every 25 minutes would pass and Kitten would pop back out and perform a track, but the set lacked cohesion.
German techno legend Marcel Dettman played b2b with Running Back label boss Gerd Janson. It was two polarising styles coming together to create something really unique. Dark and hypnotic, the pair’s track selection kept revellers on their toes with tracks like Black Light Smoke‘s ‘Last Song Before Sunrise’ and Alden Tyrell and Detroit in Effect‘s ‘Let Me C U’ set the tone for what was one of the best slots of the weekend.
Above all, what impressed me most was Speedy J‘s SPOOR project. It saw the artist invite peers each day for a live hardware-driven, collaborative performance that relied solely on creative impulse. The likes of FJAAK, Kink, Mathew Jonson and Luke Slater all poured their all into the sessions which varied from 5 hours on the opening night, through 7 hours on Friday and Saturday. I went into Sonar knowing next to nothing about the project and left wanting to see it again at the earliest opportunity.
Away from the music, Sónar+D invited the audience to ‘reimagine our relationship with technology’ and encouraged visitors to move from passive consumption of technology to active engagement with it. Through a series of programmes and talks, the event focussed on AI within music and the frictions currently being encountered within the sector.
After so many years away from Sónar, it was great to see how masterfully orchestrated it is now. Gone was the stress of travelling between venues and having to choose which headline slot to see of the ‘by day’ and ‘by night’. Now under one roof where you could walk from one side of the festival to the other in under 10 mins, it was a refreshing experience. Six stages in one space is a lot and yet somehow there wasn’t sound interference from the stages. The Indoor dodgems remained and were there for a bit of fun away from the music and a nice chance to rest your legs. Sónar will always feel like a marathon with its long day and over 30 degree heat, but it’s hard to think of a city that hosts a festival better than Barcelona.
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Words: Jake Wright
Photographer: Elizabeth Donovan and Nerea Coll