Few festivals in the world are as committed to expanding the boundaries of the known with such fervor. Of course, we’re talking about Sónar, which in its thirty-first edition has continued to balance supporting the avant-garde with paying homage to the classics. And luckily, we were able to experience, hear, and dance to it firsthand.
Thursday, June 13
We began our adventure at Sónar 2024 on the first ‘By Day,’ which started with some very interesting names on our particular agenda. Among them, the first –and highly anticipated– surprise: ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U. The Japanese artist had us on the edge of our seats, eager to see what he would bring to the festival. His unpredictable musical selection left no one indifferent, featuring a wide range of genres from experimental bass to closing with classical music, passing through more “club-friendly” beats with a brief nod to EDM that confused more than a few. That’s Yousuke, a curator who seeks to make the listeners step out of their comfort zone… and he certainly did.
Rebuilding the aftermath left by the Japanese hurricane, Skin On Skin picked up the dance floor and accelerated the BPMs. Groove and intensity defined his hour-plus session, during which people unleashed themselves with smiles on their faces. A different attitude from the audience that watched Team Rolfe with Lil Mariko at the Stage+D, who sat down as if they were watching a movie, observing the virtual universe with which the artists interacted throughout the film they played for us. It was one of those performances that made us say, “Okay, this is really Sónar” when we left.
Capping off the night on a high note, a familiar face to the festival took control of the Sónar By Day mainstage. Folamour watched the nightfall while he lit up the SónarVillage with disco and house, in a progression from groovy classics to more contemporary club tracks.
Friday, June 14
The second day of the festival, and our first foray into the Project Area. A place where technological avant-garde is tangible, with dozens of brands showcasing their products, advancements, and inventions to the small group of people in the world who can really speak their language. From synthesizer modules to eclectic immersive reality experiences. All set to a modular jam in the background, providing the perfect soundtrack for this specific setting.
With our sneakers tight, we returned to the battlefield, where one of the greatest musical sergeants in the history of electronic music was in action. A key player in the festival and a beloved figure in Barcelona. We are, of course, talking about Laurent Garnier, who, in retrospective, we can say gave his body and soul at the decks of the SónarVillage, with a mix that we desperately wish was recorded. From house to techno, even including breaks – no one expected to hear the latest from Overmono in that set – the French icon gave us three hours of his impeccable savoir-faire, demonstrating why he is considered by many to be a living legend of music. Chapeau, monsieur Garnier.
Despite Laurent’s masterclass, we treated ourselves a little bit by escaping for a few moments to raise the BPMs with DJ Gigola. We had a good cardio session while the Berliner artist spun intense cuts from the 90s to new-school dancefloor anthems, always adding dynamism and variety to bring freshness wherever she performs.
With moktar‘s tribal rhythms closing out the day, we boarded the bus to catch the final moments of Air playing their iconic ‘Moon Safari,’ which made many emotional, recalling their ‘Sexy Boy’ days. A year later, we were back at La Fira Gran Via, ready to test the strength of its foundations. Kicking off first in a series of B2Bs that had us wide-eyed: Jennifer Cardini B2B HAAi. The artists gifted us with this never-before-seen fusion, deciding to meet in fast rhythms and pounding bass, always prioritizing groove and a colorful selection.
And if that booth pairing wasn’t enough, we flew to a three-sided one! Sally C, Eliza Rose, and Dan Shake shared the CDJs in front of the impressive vertical screen of the recently debuted collaboration with Printworks, paying homage to one of Britain’s most iconic clubs. This triple threat took control of our feet with a contemporary and cybernetic house, with a nod to the trance sound that is making waves in the current clubbing scene.
Next, we were eager to see one of the headliners. With ‘Timeless’ fresh out of the oven, Kaytranada conquered SónarPub’s stage in a performance that left us wanting more. While his production skills can even put the stones to dance, his live show offered little more than what it would feel like to listen to a playlist of his tracks on a great sound system. Don’t get us wrong, we danced and sang throughout his DJ set with his endless hits, but with the huge hype behind that act, he failed to surprise anyone familiar with him beyond playing an unreleased bootleg of Beyoncé.
But it didn’t matter, because after that cold shower came three sets capable of warming us up again. Without changing location, DJ Tennis stepped up to rally those present at 3:30 am. His selection evolved from minimalist and dark rhythms to increasingly energetic ones, reaching a climax when ‘Zdarlight’ blasted from the speakers to everyone’s surprise.
From there, we moved straight to the SónarCar to witness two names leading the wave in the new national selectors’ scene. Gazzi and Dalila joined in the booth to close out the legendary red-curtained stage with a mix of burial-like percussion and hyper-pop touches. The cherry on top? Enya’s ‘Only Time’ for an emotional end of the journey with both friends hugging in the booth, watching the crowd applaud and immortalize the moment. A brave and beautiful move.
Before leaving, we needed to muster strength from wherever we could to see VTSS hammering the SónarClub. Her taste for fast tracks made us gallop and pull more than one bass face before, finally, closing the second day of the festival.
Saturday, June 15
On the third and final day, we started to assume our humanity and the toll of fatigue. So much so that one has to start recognizing their limits and know that if the day ends late, it needs to start late. For this reason, we sacrificed some performances we were eager to see at Sónar By Day, making our first and last dance in that venue to the rhythm of dark disco and electro-techno with a duo worthy of admiration.
EBM queen Kittin returned to Barcelona, this time accompanied by David Vunk, in a pairing that left us speechless. Their synchronization in choosing the repertoire was exquisite, letting the crowd know when each was taking their turn but finding a balance that made the entire hour-and-a-half session pure peak time. We need more hands to applaud this ode to the 2000s sounds that resonated so deeply in Catalonia and for which there is always special affection from the audience.
And back to L’Hospitalet, the last By Night sprint began… and what a way to start. Like the infamous dilemma of choosing between mom and dad, we had to miss the acclaimed live performance of Octave One, much to our regret. But if the reason is to see the German icon Paul Kalkbrenner taking control of Sónar’s mainstage for the first time… I think it’s more than justified. We don’t know what we missed with the creators of ‘Blackwater,’ but we know what we witnessed, and it was epic. From dancing to his countless hits that we all know to seeing the heartfelt passion with which he gives his all on stage. Simple audiovisuals to let the music speak – as cheesy as it sounds.
From there, the night flew by, partly due to the frenetic speed of the BPMs of the following artists. First, mother Anetha took the reins from Kalkbrenner with bravery and quickly got everyone dancing. A set that included little nods that charmed more than a few, such as introducing Gigi D’Agostino or Manu Chao’s ‘Bongo Bong’ over a machine gun loaded with pounding kicks.
We needed a break, so we took advantage of the end of the French artist’s set to walk around the venue, seeing everything from new rest areas to charge our batteries between concerts to classics like various food trucks or the iconic bumper cars, which we finally dared to ride this time. A reminder of everything Sónar encompasses beyond the shows, making it literally an amusement park for electronic music lovers.
Back to the program, and with another controversial overlap, our next choice was Floating Points. The British artist fascinated us with his live performance, fusing experimental visuals with avant-garde sounds that combine modular experimentation with the unmistakable UK clubbing sound. An enjoyable set for both genre intellectuals and newcomers to Samuel Shepherd’s world, making it undoubtedly one of the best performances of this edition.
We continued with KI/KI in another live set that, once again, featured fast-paced 4-on-the-floor as the main feature. The Dutch artist weaved stomping kicks with hypnotic synthesizer toplines to charm those standing in front of the vertical screen at the SónarLab x Printworks stage, and her progression lifted us with her until the end.
Finally, we had to choose who would leave us with the final taste before closing this 2024 edition of one of our favorite festivals. First, we watched the ring Héctor Oaks and Partiboi69 set up for their highly anticipated B2B, with a hilarious Mortal Kombat-style intro. The union of their worlds was surprisingly positive, finding common ground that created a divine musical battle, unfortunately, knocked out more than once by technical issues that occur when one decides to take the risk to spin vinyl on such a large and vibrating stage.
And speaking of protecting the analog way, there was still to be seen what became the icing on the cake. Kerri Chandler, already in daylight under the SónarPub tent, delighted us with his 100% reel-to-reel tape set. After soaking in futuristic sounds from those selected to take the helm of international clubbing for many hours, it was the perfect moment to honor the classics with someone who has nothing left to prove after being inducted into the House Music Hall of Fame by absolutely everyone. An emotional and almost unbelievable ending – you only had to watch him in action on the screens broadcasting his close-up booth feats – that, at 7 in the morning, reminded us why Sónar has been so beloved during its more than three decades in Barcelona: for the genuine love of music and its way of showing it by choosing those who can honestly transmit it on its behalf.