News

Sónar on the radar

2:14 p.m. · April 22, 2008 · by Nick Neyland

Barcelona is the perfect home for the annual Sónar Festival. The yearly feast of cutting-edge electronica and avant-garde noise perfectly mirrors the ambitions of the forward-thinking architects who have made visiting the city such a jaw-dropping experience.

This year’s incarnation of Sónar, which takes place on June 19-21, finds the organizers drawing on a strong pool of female talent, including Goldfrapp, M.I.A, Roisin Murphy, and Yo Majesty. The recently reunited Yaz (or Yazoo, depending on which continent you’re reading from) will also be around to show these young whippersnappers how it’s done.

But it wouldn’t be Sónar if there weren’t a few acts intent on shaking Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia to its foundations, and the exuberant disco of Hercules and Love Affair and the hard-partying Spank Rock should ensure that no one leaves without a huge smile on their face. Here’s the full lineup.

Antipop Consortium
Asstrio
Basquiat Strings
Bass Clef
BC vs JC featuring Darren Emerson
Ben Watt
Blackjoy
Boys Noize
CaboSanRoque
Camille
Chacho Brodas
Chloé
Christopher D Ashley
Diplo
DJ Key
DJ Mehdi Vs. A-Trak feat. Kid Sister
DJ Yoda’s Magic Cinema Show
Dubfire
El Guincho
Erol Alkan
Ewan Pearson
First Aid Kit
Frankie Knuckles
Goldfrapp
Hercules and Love Affair
Jneiro Jarel's Shape of Broad Minds
Justice
Kalabrese pres. The Rumpelorchestra
Kid Acne
Konono Nº1
Le Rok
Leila
Little Dragon
M.I.A.
Madness
Matmos
Miss Kittin
Neon Neon
Nisei vs Za
Northern State
Oscar Mulero
Pan Sonic
Quiet Village
Ricardo Villalobos
Rob da Bank
Róisín Murphy
Soulwax
Spank Rock
Take
Tara De Long
Tender Forever
The Duloks
The Field
The Pinker Tones
Two PIAS DJs
X-102 discovers the Rings Of Saturn
Yazoo
Yelle
Yellow Swans
Yo Majesty