Words: Rafe Llewellyn, Images: Sonar Insta/Press
Still absolutely rocking after a heavy weekend at Primavera, the ASBO boys are back to take on the electronic dystopia that scintillates Barcelona each year: Sonar. Traditionally two weeks apart, this year we are treated to no such respite from the chaos of festival season as both festivals are occurring back to back.
Regardless, rest assured we are keen to take on the two busiest days of Sonar, Friday and Saturday, which hold both Sonar by Day and Sonar by Night with the force of thousands of men. Firstly though, on the introductory Sonar by day that began proceedings at Fira Montjuïc we arrived with perhaps naïve optimism for the survival of our feet.
The Sonar+D project area offers an innovative platform for creatives and professionals to meet, network and discuss new ideas. The aim for Sonar is to platform new technologies not just over festival weekend but throughout the years of Sonar. Each edition putting out an open call, this year the Sonar+D technology project area received over 500 submissions. Of them, near 70 are selected representing 17 different nations. Upon entry, we took to this area to explore, keen to enjoy the interactive elements of Sonar+D’s music and AI technologies.
Admittedly as humanities buffs through and through, the discussions over creating sounds through quantum photon movement were slightly lost upon us but the technology nevertheless impressed. A personal favourite being the masters project that shows through a digital screen how plants react to light, touch and sound. Feeling a little overwhelmed by the horde of press surrounding it, the timid plant was shy at first but on stepping back, it produced a network of beautiful patterns and sounds through isolated interactions.
A labyrinth of commercial booths, stages and food stalls, Sonar by Day is sprawled across indoor and outdoor stages. The largest of the lot, Sonar Village by Estrella is a phenomenal creation of man-made musical infrastructure. It’s here we enjoyed our first dose of music for the evening, with a crisp House set. Fafi Abdel Nour’s performances are an intimate anatomy of his youth and culture. Connected to dance music by having to balance his Arabic heritage and queer identity, Nour expertly explores the ecstasy and euphoria of House music’s flamboyant legacy with poised precision.
Spoiled for choice already, we headed over to check out the General of the UK techno scene Blawan. We didn’t make it far. A great barrier of keen customers prevented us from even squeezing into the cracks of Sonar Hall for what seemed to be a headlining slot. Defeated but keen to make the most of the remaining evening, we strolled back to the large outdoor stage for the beginning of Brazillian Funkster and tech-house virtuoso, Mochakk. A puppeteer of the crowd, Mochakk entranced the audience of his closing set with re-worked classics such as a mix of ‘funky town’ that left a tantalising glimmer of what could possibly come in the full festival.
A day of mixed medias, we cannot wait to see how Sonar by Day transitions to its next venue for the installations of Sonar by Night over Friday and Saturday nights.
