Words: George Gray, Images: Sonar Press
Sonar is a unique festival to say the least. Split into two very distinct parts, from day to night, our recap picks up as we emerge from the home of Sonar by Day, Fira de Montjuic, and board one of the many coaches transporting swathes of ravers to Sonar by Night.
A portal through time and space, we stepped off the transport and through the looking glass to the venue of Fira Gran Via – what can only be described as an alien looking craft crashed on the edge of the city.
Through the doors we went, entering into the maze of halls, stages and hidden little extras. From Printworks revivals, to Boiler Room decks hidden in Circus like cloaking and even a dodgem rink, we quickly realised Sonar By Night was an electronic music lover’s heaven.
First act on our billing was the iconic Belfast duo Bicep, presenting their Chroma show. I’d been lucky enough to catch an early addition in Hyde Park last Summer but this was a level above.
The main stage was illuminated in the unforgettable Bicep and Chroma visuals, whilst classic tunes were mixed into the wide-ranging new Chroma project. The set finished with one of the most euphoric club tracks of all time Glue, as fresh ravers grooved shoulder to shoulder. Bicep had lit a fuse, we knew then it was going to be a good night.
From there we navigated to the tucked away passage-ways, rolling from stage to stage. First we caught the second half of UK dubstep icon Sicaria’s set on the long corridor style printworks stage – perfect for the reverberating low-ends she’s known for. The 140 sounds so typical of the scene back home, were the perfect way to build the energy..
Pa Salieu took the reins next, delivering a set filled with staple tracks off the latest Afrikan Alien album, such as Belly, as well as OG classics like Energy – a mix perfect for building people up for the rest of the night.
It was special to see how Salieu had bounced back after his time behind bars, and his growth and maturity as an artist shined through. The set provided euphoric energy, all whilst touching on serious themes such as African identity in the UK, family and freedom.
Few artists could perform such a task whilst competing against a predominantly electronic billing, but the pioneer in modern Pan-African music did so with ease, jumping from rap to pop and even rock elements, with the breadth of any good DJ set.
We were now firmly into the night’s reverie, and the following hours flashed by at a speed I’m not sure was capable, the only thing keeping our minds grounded being the metronome shrill of the dodgems every few minutes.
Daito Manabe is a modern day polymath and it was his mix of multimedia experimentation that began this rush of music. From stunning audio-visual graphics, and almost scientific production he produced a set at the Sonar Pub stage that felt more art exhibition than anything – perfect for any curious mind in the night.
Soon after it was a volley of British heroes doing us proud. Initially the floor-shaking bass of Hamdi followed by the boy who’s gone from Manny to the world on a wave of Garage and its off-shoots, IPC. Both provided high energy sets and from the disguised balcony-corridor above, their power was attracting rammed audiences.
There was something beautiful about the packed-in ravers moving rhythmically together from above, a humanisation of the waveforms that echoed across the Fira Gran Via.
At this point in the night we’d hit the early hours, with a day’s worth of dancing in the legs already we needed to regather some minerals. A dash back to the VIP/Press lounge and we found the perfect spot to lean back and watch Four Tet play to one of the biggest crowd’s of the weekend.
From harder tracks to his typically experimental euphoria, few producers have such range, slamming it in the last few minutes to jolt everyone’s energy. The man himself though? He was as chilled as ever, strolling back amongst us as one of our own – a fan too above all.
With his new track on XL due to be released in the coming days, we had to ask if it’d be part of a wider project. He smiled back, a small laugh, before telling us “no, just a one off”, attesting his love for XL as we all do – nevertheless we wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more in some form or another coming soon.
Our night then fluttered between artists of differing backgrounds but equal energy-driven performances, with the disco-house icon Jayda-G sparking the crowd into life. After, Richie Hawtin aka Plastikman took over with a DJ set rather than a live show after a last minute change.
In his 25th appearance the Canadian could be Sonar’s favourite artist, and the immersive techno he delivered was good reasoning as to why. Although, by this point there was one artist a decent gear change away on our minds: Barry Can’t Swim.
As the sun began to rise Barry opened with his infectiously upbeat Blackpool Boulevard taking us from zombie mode to jumping and jiving on the elevated back of the Sonar Pub stage. At 5am we were unsure if it’d be the same with Barry’s emotion-layered sound often delivering at dusk on festival stages, but if anything it was the perfect reward at the end of the night.
We bugged out to the beat and sent it into the crowd – was it the delirium or just how good Barry can be, who knows, you’ll just have to go and see him yourself to know.
As we left, there was one more stop on the way out, the haunting jungle breaks of Tim Reaper. Like the last ghost of the night the London based producer delivered OG sounds of the jungle scene, laced with modern production. A heavy rhythm that drummed us home, emerging from the Fira and into the daylight with a heady surrealism.
Sonar by Night is more than a festival, it’s an experience, one that’s unlike anything else I’ve experienced, and with that we headed home – already prepping for the final Day and Night.
